Welcome to 2016!

It's 2016 and Team Sundance is off to a roaring start! With a barn full of horses and riders, we have stayed busy all through the winter months - and have even managed to avoid drowning in all the rain! However, as a reminder to all our Sundancers - if it has rained enough so that the valley is flooded, please give yourself extra time to get here as they close the bridge in Duvall, meaning some long back-ups as everyone heads over to "our" bridge. Fortunately, our hill keeps us free from the raging rivers, and horses have managed to squeak in some outside time when we get dry days!

With a busy show season in front of us. we were so delighted with how organized all of our riders were in getting their show requests in for the season. If you weren't sure of which show you wanted to attend, some shows still have room, so please make sure you touch base with your trainers ASAP so we can get you on the list! We are excited to be attending; San Juan Capistrano, Thunderbird, Thermal and the Cascade Horse Shows in Cle Elum, to name a few, and would love to have all our riders there! If you haven't signed up for a horse show yet, now is the time to get on the list!

With horse show season right around the corner, it is also time to make sure your show gear is up to snuff! Congratulations to Gigi on her brand new Antares saddle, and to Kim on her pending SE trunk! If you are in need of any tack, helmets or show equipment, please check with us first so we can help guide you to the right items - and, maybe even get you a discount in the process! For those of you who do not have Sundance trunks, covers, name plates, halter boards and standing wrap holders, these items will be rented to you at the shows. However, there is still time to order before show season gets under way, so make sure you get organized now and you will have your very own equipment to start the season!

San Juan Capistrano looks pretty great, framed by some horsey ears! 

With a busy barn, and a busy show season, we are very excited to welcome our new Assistant Trainer, Hannah Paradis to Team Sundance! Hannah brings with her a wealth of teaching and riding experience and is an exciting addition to our fantastic staff! We have loved the warm reception she has received from all of our riders and are looking forward to her contributions to the barn.

Our Sales Horses are keeping Chelsea busy, with Charlie and Kash both coming along nicely. Charlotte wiggled her way into Katherine's heart, and has also joined the team - although how "for sale" she is, remains to be seen as she continues to win everyone over with her abundance of cute. She may, instead, find herself a member of the Best Lesson Horse Brigade, that Sundance is proud to host, as she earns more miles under the saddle - and over those scary fences! Our good friend, Mexico, found a new home in Eastern Washington, where she can continue to teach, and eventually enjoy a well deserved retirement. Although she will be missed by all of us, we are delighted she has found such a wonderful new home!

Brisky, Monte, Skye and Landon all joined the Team since last year and we are excited to have them on board with us for 2016. Brisky will start the year off first, making her showing debut with Team Sundance this March, as she and Katherine head to San Juan to get the show season off and running. And by running, we mean RUNNING, if you haven't seen this mare in action!

We have also started off the year by working on some new projects around the barn, including finishing the installation of the new water heater in 2015, a new set of doors (that close!) and another layer of felt for our fabulous footing! We are excited about all the improvements and are looking forward to continuing to better our facility for our horses and riders! We hope you've enjoyed them as well!!

We are, as always, excited to get started on a new year of showing, and hope that you are as well! If you are looking for some inspiration, make sure you check out the Year-End Video from 2015 - huge thanks to Rory for putting it together and to everyone who took photos and video during the season! It is great to have a fun way to look back at another great year of riding.

And, finally, congratulations to all our horses and riders on conquering the "Open Water"! We were so excited to add this larger liverpool to the jumping equipment, and even more delighted at how well everyone did! All of your hard work paid off and we couldn't be more proud! Looking forward to coming up with a new challenge for 2016!!

Looking forward to another great year with Team Sundance!

See you at the barn!

Hiting the New Year, Hard!

After a much needed, and enjoyed, couple of weeks of downtime, we are looking forward to returning to the ring, refreshed and ready to work! A few of the horses spent Christmas playing with their riders and out in their fields, while others enjoyed extra trail rides and attention from their people. It was a great way to wrap up a busy, and productive, year, and we are excited to get back to our normal schedule - lots of hard work, flat work, maybe some of that no-stirrup work (maybe? how about, "of course"!) and a couple of jumps thrown in there as well. We hope everyone is as excited about 2015 as we are!

Can hardly wait to get back to the shows!

We are wrapping up our preparations for both Thermal and San Juan Capistrano this week. Horses will be getting all their paperwork done next month, as well as their routine care - we also expect to have Sam out this month as we look to start the year with everything in place - in mind AND body! We are excited to offer several great shows this year, including: HITS, Thermal, CA., Blenheim, San Juan, CA., Thunderbird, Langley, BC and the Cascade Horse Shows, Cle Elum, WA. We have group housing available for Thermal, San Juan and Cle Elum on a first come, first serve, basis, so make sure you let us know if you are interested in sharing the housing. These are only a few of the shows that will be on the table, so make sure you look at your calendar now as we will be entering the majority of these shows well in advance this year.

We had a lovely time at the Barn Christmas Party this year, and truly enjoyed all the lovely gifts we received, and, of course, Katherine was blown away by the new trunk (& cover!)! What a surprise and an amazing gift! Thank you to everyone who donated and, of course, a huge thank you to Chelsea for, once again, putting it all together. You will all be thought of each time it is used - and let's face it, that's a lot! We are all looking forward to seeing it, in all its glory, at the shows this year! We were also excited for the annual unveiling of the Year-End Video! If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you check it out! And if you have seen it - why not watch it again! Thanks to Rory for all his hard work putting it together and to all our photographers and videographers as well!

As an added perk to our riders without "standard sized" trunks, this year we have an extra trunk for riders to rent during show weeks. Outside of looking great, this will reduce the clutter in our Ready Room at the shows and allow us to all use that space more efficiently. This is a great way for our riders to have access to a trunk, while saving up to get their own. This is also a great time to make sure you have your show supplies order in at Olson's. Make sure your horse has a name plate for the shows and we would like everyone to look into the halter boards as well. We have a very limited supply, and halter boards keep your nice show halter off the ground and away from curious pony teeth. Please contact Mike at Olson's and he can get you set up - do this early so it is here for the shows! We are also in the process of ordering barn jackets - please let us know if you need one! One must wear all the cool clothes, after all!

Wednesday lessons will be returning to our schedule in February, so please look ahead at your calendars and let us know if this is something you would like to utilize. This will be a temporary addition, so if you have been dying to ride on Wednesday, make sure you let us know so we can get you on the schedule! As a reminder, during the wet weather, if there is flooding in Duvall, traffic is quite bad coming out to the barn as the second bridge floods. Please allow extra time to get here!

We are looking forward to the WSHJA Awards Banquet this weekend and want to remind everyone that now is the time to re-new your memberships! Riders should have memberships in the WSHJA, USHJA and USEF. If you have questions or are unsure what to sign up for, please check with your Trainers. As a reminder, horses need memberships too, so make sure your four legged friend is up to date! We also want to congratulate all of our riders on their year-end awards! Too many to list here, but check out the Sundance Ad in the Flying Changes to see your name in lights!

We have two fun clinics for riders so far this year. Jay Duke will be returning to the barn on February 7th and 8th and, rumor has it, George Morris will be at Potcreek this summer. Space is very limited for both these events, so sign up now to make sure you are able to participate.

We are excited for another fun and competitive year in 2015, and can't wait to spend it with all of Team Sundance!

Stay warm, stay dry, and we will see you at the barn! 

Bring on 2012!

Happy New Year, Everyone! Hopefully this writing finds you all happy, healthy and well on your way to a wonderful 2012! We are excited about the upcoming year!

We ended last year with our favorite Holiday Party - the highlights included the wonderful year-end video put together by Rory (thank you! thank you!) and our annual in-barn year end awards. The video included tons of highlights from the year at shows as well as at home, and some great photos of everyone enjoying their horses. If you haven't seen the video, make sure to check it out! And if you have seen it, watch it again and share it with your friends! What a great way to show everyone how much fun we have - and all the work too! As for our barn awards, every year we have a tough time picking out our barn winners - and this year was no exception - but we were excited to give Aidan and Ella their awards in Most Improved and Sportsmanship, respectively. Aidan and Phalcon have had a long road since coming to the barn and we were delighted with their accomplishments this year. Not only did they do well at the shows, but Aidan was able to reach her own personal goals of showing in the Children's Hunter Division this year - which not only did she do, but she did well, and earned the Reserve Championship in the WSHJA National Awards Program - a pretty big deal for their first time over the bigger jumps! Aidan's commitment over the years truly paid off and we were very proud to be able to help her achieve her goals! As for Ella, anyone who has been around the barn at all, knows that we have a big fan in Ella! Ella is always happy to be at the barn, tries her best (no matter how hard Katherine pushes her) and is always at the back gate when she isn't riding, taking great pictures and videos. Ella is always the first to ask questions about what is coming up in the future and is more than willing to catch a ride with anyone who is driving to the show even if it is to just "hang out". We love her enthusiasm and can't wait to see her get a chance to ride in more shows this year with her favorite pony, Pink.

December was also Christmas time and, of course, all of our ponies were good - enjoying some nice treats and special magnets in their holiday stockings. Jasmine had an extra special present this year - a new home! Although we miss her terribly at the barn, we were very excited about her new owner, Emma, who received Jasmine as a Christmas present - we can't think of a fancier Christmas present for a little girl! Emma and Jasmine will live in Ellensburg where they will continue to pursue Emma's dreams of eventing. Look for photos of Jasmine and Emma on Facebook soon.

January brought the WSHJA banquet and the snow. More and more snow.... Chelsea, Katherine and Nicholas held down the fort as everyone else was stuck (or sick!), and ponies stayed warm, cozy and ridden during the time off from lessons. We're not sure if anyone was happier to see all that white stuff go then this small group of workers, but it was sure pretty while it was here - let's hope it is gone for awhile!

The banquet was a lot of fun - it's a rare chance for us horse people to get all dressed up, so it was great to see everyone looking so lovely! Hopefully you all had a chance to see some of the photos online - it was a fun evening, the food was great and the company even better! Congratulations again to all of our SE winners!

The beginning of the year also brought a new horse to the barn. We are excited to have Heidi and her horse Avram at the barn. Avie is off the track and very green. We have enjoyed getting him started in some of the lessons and watching him try and learn some very new skills! He seems to be learning fast and has a kind, calm disposition. Anyone knowing of a potential new home for Avie should let us know as he is going to turn into a pretty nice ride with some training.

Sam came out and adjusted all the horses - everyone needed an adjustment this time around and several of the horses felt pretty amazing the next day - ahhhhhhh - thanks to Sam for coming out and keeping our ponies in tip top shape! Next on the list for February is more worming as we get the horses ready for the warming weather.

Speaking of warming weather, be prepared for some blanket changes at the barn in the near future! Now is also a great time to wash those saddle pads if you haven't done so recently - not too mention a nice bath for your four footed friend! They can get a pretty solid layer of grunge built up after all the cold, and a nice bath can help make them feel a whole lot less itchy.

We have really enjoyed working so hard on some complicated flat work over the last couple of months and hope you have all noticed a change in your riding. We're excited to start getting back into more jumping as we prepare for the upcoming show season! Hopefully you are all prepared for the show season as well! Remember to talk with Staff about what shows you would like to aim for this year and find out which memberships you should be signing up for for the year.

Lastly, trainers and riders are getting ready to head to Thermal later this month for the first show of the year! Horses and riders are working on getting prepared for some big, tough classes, but are excited to see some warm weather as well! Make sure that you have touched base on the schedule as we are doing extra rides/lessons before we leave/after we get back so that everyone stays current - AND, make sure you keep up with our days in CA while we are gone by checking out the SE page on Facebook! Better yet, book your tickets now and join us for some fun in the sun!!

What they use for "flowers" in Thermal, CA.!

Hope you all have had a chance to take advantage of some WA sun while it was out this week! Enjoy it while it is here and we will see you all 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!

Spring has Sprung!

Well, for those of you who may have missed it, your trainers headed down to CA for a few weeks to experience some HITS (horse shows in the sun) action! All of the horses were wonderful - including Toby who moved up into the 1.10M division for the first time and Vince and Jill winning the PCHA medal class - which was quite an accomplishment when faced with the fancy CA horses! We had a great time and enjoyed the sun - hopefully you all had a chance to follow along on Facebook - and, for those of you who weren't able to ride or visit this year, put it on your calendar for next year - it is a once in a lifetime show, and a wonderful time of the year to get out of the barn.

In other barn news, we are getting ready for our annual "Dinner and a Horse Show" event. This is a yearly tradition where we all get together for dinner at the Monroe Red Robin and then head over to the Fairgrounds to watch the Grand Prix. It is a fun, relaxing night of horses and friends, so save the date (Saturday, April 23rd) and make sure to let your barn staff know you'd like to come so we save you a seat!

In sad barn news, our buddy Sinatra/Titan will be leaving the barn. We have loved having him here and wish him all the best on his new journey. We have our fingers crossed that he will find a permanent home soon! However, we have had to make room at the barn as we will be welcoming Farley back home soon and a new horse, Ella, will be coming in to start her training next week. We're always sad to see someone go, but are excited about bringing the new horse into the barn.

In SAFE news, we are putting together a bowling team! Yep, that's right, your trainers will be showing off their skills at the bowling alley! SAFE is hosting this event as a fund raiser and we would love to see a strong Sundance showing. Lanes are $200/lane for 6 people, so if you would like to be part of our lane, let your barn staff know! Bowling is Sunday, May 1st, so check your calendars and come out and support the horses of SAFE!

In exciting barn news, it's official! Both Farley and Jasmine will be for sale in the next month. This is YOUR time to head out there and talk up both of these wonderful horses to all of your horse friends - we would love for both of these great horses to get a home from someone we know, so help these 2 find a wonderful new place! And, there just may be a plate of cookies in it for you too! ;)

We're taking a bit of a show break for this month, but are taking sign ups for anyone wanting to show at the GCEC hunter show in April as well as the Thunderbird shows in May/June. Make sure you chat with staff and figure out which shows are best for you.

It's great to be home - we missed all of you! Hope you all had a chance to enjoy some of the spring sun, before those April showers show up for a visit!

See you at the barn!

Ring in the New Year!

Well, there is goes! 2010 has officially left the building and we are on the way with 2011!

2010, like any year had ups and downs, but, as downs are the norm in the horse world (for example, could it be any colder..? Wait, don't answer that!), we get to focus on the ups - including some fun and successful shows, lots of rider and horse improvement and some fun new additions to the barn in both the horse and rider category. For all of you who are new to Team Sundance in 2010, thanks so much for joining us! For those of you who have been around "forever", we love having you continue your riding careers with us and are looking forward to yet another fun filled year!

We decked the stalls for Christmas and Santa came out and visited all the ponies - guess that means they were all good! We had a great Holiday Party and are hoping to put up the video so that everyone who didn't get a chance to come to the party, will have a chance to see the year-end video!

We'll be celebrating 2010 in style at the WSHJA banquet on January 15th. This is that one time of the year where horse people get to step out of their muck boots and into their dancing shoes - congratulations to all of our horses and riders who competed in the WSHJA shows this year and earned their place on the podium at the awards banquet - all that work pays off in the end!

Chelsea and Katherine will be continuing their education by attending the Trainer's Symposium in AZ this coming week and are looking forward to coming home with even more fun exercises for the horses and riders out at the barn - hopefully you all kept in shape over the holidays!

The horses enjoyed some light work over the last couple of weeks in December and are all rested and ready to get to work to prepare for the 2011 show season, so it is now the time for their riders to make sure they fill out the barn show survey! This is online at Facebook as well as hard copies out at the barn. Make sure you get these done in the next couple of weeks as we will be putting up the show calendar in the tack room soon and you want to make sure your show choices are available in 2011.

And, speaking of showing in 2011 - we have started the year off with a bang by submitting all the paperwork for the Thermal, CA show! If you aren't planning on showing there this year, try to take the time to take a vacation down there during the first two weeks of March - great weather and a beautiful show, plus the chance to come out and cheer on Team Sundance! Come on... you know you want to!!

We wish you all the best for a wonderful 2011!