Time Flies!

Well, it doesn't seem like it has been that long since our last post, but then the last month has flown by - sort of like the sun that shows up once in awhile....

May found us showing at both the Pacific Northwest Hunter/Jumper show in Monroe as well as Thunderbird up in Langley, Canada. We were lucky enough to be able to hire a new farm hand just before the horse shows - Thomas has hit the ground running and has been working hard to learn the system. We've really appreciated having the help and hope you have all had a chance to meet Thomas and welcome him to the barn.

We had a large group head out to Monroe in May with riders showing in everything from the Walk/Trot division to the 1.15 jumper classes. Everyone was great, with both horses and riders getting new experiences in the show ring: Pink and Ella tried out their first "A" circuit show together and came home with a Reserve Champion in the .75M jumpers. Amelia and Mexico attended their very first "A" show and brought home the ribbons in the walk/trot AND moved into the cross-bar division with Emma (also attending her first show) with both horses and riders placing in every class. Phalcon and Aidan moved up to the 2'9" division for the first time, and Phalcon moved into the 3' division as well - inlcuding competing in the Hunter Derby that weekend, going over all the "big" options and just being a general stud! Finesse and Nicholas moved up to the .90M jumpers for the first time together and brought home a Reserve Champion in both the Children's & the Low division. The jumpers - Toby, Maia & Jasmine, all moved up in their divisions, with Toby & Jasmine riding in the 1.15M classes and Maia moving from the .75M to the .85M - in her first show! Danika and Farley played in the 1.0M jumpers and Ella (the horse!)added her first show in the walk/trot group. Marla and Webster rounded out the group by coming out, showing and winning the Champion in the 1.0M adult group - all in all a busy, but very fun show. We really appreciated all the help we had as we ran from ring to ring and we are very proud of all our horses and riders!

Jasmine plays in the Grand Prix field at Thunderbird

We came back from that show and, in true horse show season fashion, packed up and headed North with the jumpers for two weeks at Thunderbird. The rain was icky - and the footing made it tough on a couple of days - but the horses stepped up to the bigger (and scarier) fences that Thunderbird offered with Jasmine and Toby working in the 1.15 and 1.10 jumpers (including Jasmine with the win in the 1.10M division and Toby bringing home some cash in his 1.15 classic). Maia continued to impress, earning great ribbons in the .85M and then getting to move up AGAIN to the .90M group and earning a division Championship our last week. It was a great couple of weeks and a wonderful learning experience for horses and riders.

We're back to the barn now and the horses are doing great - everyone is enjoying the larger grass field turn outs and Thomas is working hard on pulling the spring weeds which have enjoyed all the rain. Horses are up to date on shots and worming and are getting their dental work done for the spring as well. Feel free to come out and help mow the lawn by taking your horse for a nice grass walk around the barn!

We're getting a few weeks of down time in between shows and will be working getting ready for the next show! Maia, Toby and Webster will be heading up for a couple of weeks in Thunderbird at the end of the month and we are currently working on getting show forms done for the Emerald Classic in July. Make sure you get signed up at the barn so you can come join the fun down in Donida this July!

Fingers crossed for a few more days of sun to come our way - horses have enjoyed a couple of days without sheets, but nothing consistent yet - maybe in July...?

See you out at the barn!

April Showers - & then some...

Hopefully you're reading this and enjoying a small reprieve from the rain (and hail) that we've "enjoyed" over the last few weeks. The horses are enjoying a few moments of dryness outside and we have our fingers crossed that this next week will be a little easier on everyone than the last - needless to say, we appreciate our covered arena more and more during these types of "Spring"!

Proof that sun exists somewhere!

Next week, on Saturday, we'll be heading out for Dinner and a Horse Show. If you haven't signed up already, make sure to do so! This is a great barn event and a fun evening for all. We enjoy dinner together at the Monroe Red Robin and then head to the horse show to watch the Grand Prix. There are two going on at this show and it is a great opportunity to hang out with horse people and watch the big jumpers - not too mention get excited about showing your OWN horse!

Speaking of shows, we have quite a few weeks coming up in May/June (5/16-6/5) so mark your calendars now. We've enjoyed some down time at home after Thermal and have been prepping the horses to head back out to the circuit. In May, the majority of the barn will be heading out to Monroe to show in the Pacific Northwest Hunter/Jumper horse show. If you aren't showing with us that week, come on out to cheer on your teammates! We'll have riders in everything from the cross bar hunters to the 1.10 jumpers so there should be something for everyone to watch. Following the week at Monroe, your trainers will head up to Thunderbird to campaign the jumpers for 2 weeks. Danika and Katie will be holding down the fort again, so make sure to check with Staff about the schedule for those 3 weeks if you want to try and get some extra lessons in before/after we leave. It'll be a busy, but fun, 3 weeks.

Horses will be getting shoes on Monday (4/18) and then, at the end of this month, we'll have the vet out for spring shots and worming as well as a check up for teeth. Healthy horses are happy horses!

In other barn news, Ella has settled in and jumped her first jumps this last week. We are very excited about her quiet and willing personality and are hoping she'll continue to progress quickly. She'll be making her show debut at Monroe next month in the Walk/Trot division.

Abby is still looking for a lease (or a new owner!) so please keep your ears open for anyone who might be interested. We hate to have to see her leave, so if you know of someone looking for a fun pony to lease, let us know!

Bowling is still on the agenda as well! If you'd like to join the Sundance bowling team, let us know! It's a fun day out and a great cause as well.

With show season in full swing, make sure you continue to touch base with staff about scheduling. Show entry forms are quite often due well in advance and you don't want to miss your deadline. Also, make sure to take the time to follow along with Katherine's examiner articles. The last 3 have all been about show costs and are a great way to know what to expect and why. Quite often there is a lot of misunderstanding about who is getting paid what and why, and these articles are designed to help educate everyone on the mysteries of horse showing! Also, for those of you that do go out to visit at the Monroe show, make sure you check out the program - there's another article in there about what makes a great horse show. As always, if you have any questions, just ask!

Enjoy the small sun break - hopefully it'll stick around for a few minutes!

See you at the barn!