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!

Round and Round it goes...!

Phew! What a whirlwind! After a quiet few weeks, the end of April and first part of May find us spinning around in a flurry of activity!!

April ended with Dinner and a Horse Show out in Monroe. Thanks to everyone who was able to join us! It was a fun night of horse talk (and Dave's injury and recovery - we're all pulling for you!!) and showing. We were especially excited to get to see Jill ride both of her horses in the show and cheer her on to a 5th place finish on her horse Koa. Chelsea says it is because of all the exercise riding she does on him....

We also had the chance to introduce everyone to the new barn mascots - Bacardi and Shooter joined the Sundance Team  and have been working hard at keeping the entire staff wide awake for all hours of the evening. If your trainers have seemed a little punchy lately, talk to the puppies!! Big thanks to Michelle for the large crate as the two dogs seem to enjoy cuddling up together at night, and even slept for a whole 6 hours in a row the other night - a red letter event for all! We are excited to have them here and introduce them to the world of horses and showing. We appreciate everyone's patience and help as we bring the pups to the barn and teach them all about sharing their new home with horses AND humans! It has been exhausting, but fun.

A rare moment of sleep 

The end of April also had us all filling out show forms! We have a lot of horses and riders heading off to the Monroe show this month, as well as a two week trip to Canada for our jumper crew. Check with Staff about any scheduling questions you may have during that time period. We are excited to get to go to the show with everyone and hope that you are all looking forward to it as well!

June Thunderbird forms will be due soon as well so if you had been considering trying that show, make sure you touch base with Staff in the next week as we'll need to have your information organized before we leave town for Canada. This is a great horse show so even if you aren't able to show, make sure you set aside some time while we are gone to come up and cheer on Team Sundance! Plus, there will be puppies needing some love......

Dr. Bergevin will be out to the barn on Monday so the horses will get the day off for shots and wormer. He will be checking teeth as well and we will have a list of horses that will need to get their teeth done. If your horse is on the list after Monday we will let you know.

In an attempt to fool the weather into Spring, we have officially moved to lighter clothes for our horses. It is still too chilly to go without, but we have enjoyed a couple of nice warm days - followed, of course, by rain. We have our fingers and hooves crossed for some sun during the horse shows!

April also found us taking Abby to her new home! After living here with us and having a great time giving lessons and supporting a lease, Abby has found a new little girl to love her. We wish Kenzie and the folks out at Woodside Stables all the best and hope to see them at the shows!

Sadly, April was also our last month with Javier. Javier worked at Sundance for 5 years and has been a great addition to the Team and will be greatly missed. We are in the process of trying to find a replacement, so if you know of someone looking for a part time job with horses, let us know! It is not work for the faint of heart, so, as much as small kids may think it is "fun" to work with the horses, we are looking for someone who will be able to drive the tractor and lift trunks as well!! Keep your ears to the ground and let us know if you hear of someone who might be a match!

That's the latest for now - we hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!

See you 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!

They're Here!

Well, it's official - as of this afternoon both Farley and Ella settled into their stalls and introduced (or re-introduced) themselves to the rest of the gang. Farley seemed glad to be home, and quickly marched down the path and strolled across the arena in that "Yes, yes I'm back, you may all resume your worshiping" way that he has. Good thing he's modest.... Ella seems to be settling in as well. Sue brought some blankets out for her today and she'll head to work tomorrow getting used to the new routine. It'll be fun to see what she has to offer!

In barn news we have some events coming up, so make sure you put them on your calendar! We are doing Dinner and a Horse Show on the 23rd of April. This is a great event with food and horses - what could be better? And this year, a special treat, in that Jill will be showing her two horses in the Grand Prix to give them some "inside" exposure so we'll have a chance to cheer her on again! Everyone can check out Katherine's (secret) favorite horse, Poppy, in the ring - shhh, don't tell the other horses!!

We have a couple of shows that we are looking at doing, so make sure you touch base with your trainers ASAP if you are interested so we put them on the calendar as "for sure". GCEC has a hunter show in April (30th) that we are considering, and then there is the Mother's Day Classic in Wilsonville (9th-15th) and, of course, the Pacific Northwest Hunter/Jumper show (16th-22nd) in Monroe. Both shows are in May, but forms will be due soon, so if you're interested in either show, let us know now so we can work toward getting you there.

We will be going to Thunderbird the end of May/beginning of June (5/23-6/5) to give the jumpers a chance to get some miles up there. If this is a show you're interested in, let us know. The show runs for 2 weeks, but horses can go for 1 week if you are unable to do both weeks - let us know and we'll help work out the details with you.

Nimh enjoys the view!

We're still working on doing some bowling (May 1st) - remember, if you are interested in joining the bowling team, let us know! It's a great way to spend a Sunday and a good cause as well!
Hope you have all been able to make it out to the barn through all the rain. The horses haven't minded staying in a bit during all the liquid sunshine - we have all our fingers and hooves crossed for some solid sun later this week.
Stay warm and dry and we'll see you out 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!

Summertime at the barn

Well, we are back from Thunderbird and getting ready to head off to The Emerald Classic! This is our first year showing at Emerald, so we are excited to see how the show goes!

Thunderbird was a ton of fun - not only in the show ring, but at the exhibitor's bar-b-que and bull riding and the horseless foot race as well! Our group won in both the bull riding and the foot race so we had some other fancy items to add to our Thunderbird weeks - as well as 3 Reserve Championships: Chelsea and Finesse in the .90's, Vera and Finesse in the Pony Jumpers and Aidan and Phalcon in the Short Stirrup Hunters - a great couple of weeks for all!

At home, Farley continues his struggle with his "lumps". He is quite bumpy for anyone who hasn't seen him, but is under the care of several different vets - hopefully they can all decide on what will return him to show form before the shows are over for the year! We are truly blessed to have Finesse to take over for him while he recovers.

Jasmine tried her hand out in the Grand Prix field at Thunderbird - although she was quite sure some of those jumps were out to get her, the experience, over-all, was a good one and hopefully we will get some fun pictures out of it as well!

Titan/Sinatra has progressed so much on the line! We are so exited about him! He is now able to canter calmly and quietly as well as trot like an old pro -we are all very proud of him and the work the Danika and Chelsea have put into him. With the addition of his new bridle, we were able to add the rig into his routine this week - readjusting him to work with bridle and tack in order to prepare for the day we can hop on for real! Danika is planning on trying to raise some more money in order to purchase a girth to fit her saddle - if anyone has a size 40 that they would like to donate or loan to a good cause, we'd love it!

Everyone else is getting ready for the Emerald Classic this coming week, followed by Wild Waves on August 6th and The Evergreen Classic in August - make sure you get signed up at the barn if you haven't already!!

We are breaking out the fly masks and fly spray so that means summer is officially here! Enjoy it while it lasts!!

See you all out at the barn!

Horse Shows are here!

It was cold, wet and rainy - but it was almost June - what else were we to expect at the Gold Creek Show on May 29th? Despite the wet weather, however, horses and riders had a good day - lots of horse show ups & downs, but a good time was had by all!

Chelsea's horse, Maia, proved to us all that she isn't just a silly baby, and she went out in her Walk/Trot classes with Danika and cleaned house! She was super cute as she trotted around and whinnied her concern at being alone, but not one bad horse moment out there and she won each class she was in and brought home the Championship for the day!

Cookie and Finesse were both fired up - yes, Cookie too! and they greeted the wet weather with enthusiasm! Both mares showed in the 2' division with Aly and Caroline who were moving up to this division for the first time. Both girls brought home some nice ribbons - a couple of firsts for Aly and some seconds for Caroline - and also learned some lessons about remembering your course and keeping that paint mare cantering ALL the way to the fences! But overall the girls did well and the horses had fun.

Lisa also showed at her first show, taking Cookie into the 2'3" division where they did everything from Hunter Hack, flat classes and Over Fences. Cookie, unlike her normal self, continued her speedy ways, but Lisa did a great job working on the walk in her flat classes and keeping Cookie organized for the jumping ones - they had a great first show and placed in all of their classes and, by the end of the day, Cookie remembered she had done this all before and was settled into her happy place - just in time to head home!

In other barn news, Sinatra/Titan has continued to enjoy his time off. He is so quiet you hardly know he is there sometimes and he is just waiting to get his feet trimmed so he is good to go. We are going to test him out on the line again and see if he is feeling 100% again. No new tack on the horizon yet as Danika wasn't able to show and sell cookies at the horse show BUT, Vera donated a bridle that we are going to try & see if it fits. Fingers crossed as it would be great to get to do something with that little guy! He also manged to tear up his sheet as well (it was just too big & finally got tangled) so he will have to add that to his growing shopping list. But otherwise, he is great - happy and hoping to get noticed out there so someone will give him a permanent home!

Barry continued to work on the  burn pile while it wasn't raining and, with that gone, we are hoping to finally spread the dirt up there by the parking lot. We know some kids will miss playing "King of the Hill" on it, but we are excited to see it go! One step closer to more turn out paddocks!

Bainbridge Island horse show is next week, and we are doing Thunderbird show forms this week so check your calendars and sign up to join us at a horse show! That is what summer is for after all!

See you all at the barn!!