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!

'Tis the Season!

The holidays are officially upon us & 'tis the season to celebrate! We are very excited as our WSHJA Year-End awards have been finalized and we have lots of fun prizes to go pick up from the banquet next month! An extra BIG congratulations to Aidan & Phalcon for their Reserve Championship in the Children's Hunter division this year! Aidan has been working very hard to move up into this division and it is a tough group of horses and riders - to do so well in her first year is amazing!! We are very excited and very proud of both of them! All that hard work pays off! We are also excited about our own Super Pony, Finesse, and her two riders Chelsea and Nicholas on their Reserve Championship in the .90M Open Jumper division. This was also Nicholas's first year moving up into the .90's and another large group of competitors. Of course, WE all know Finesse is amazing, but someone has to do all the riding too, so it's a great award for them both. Look for the Sundance ad in the Flying Changes next month showing off our star performers and, of course, our ad at the WSHJA banquet in January where we get to brag about all of our year-end success! As a side note, all of our riders participated in the National division of the WSHJA which is a larger and more competitive group - so give yourselves another "high five" for sticking it out against some tough competition!

Nicholas & Finesse strut their stuff at the Finals in Monroe. Thanks to  Pink's Pride Photography for this shot!

In barn news, all of the horses are up to date on their shots and we will start having their teeth done next week. Several horses made the list this time but we should have them all done by the end of the month. A happy horse is a healthy horse! Thanks to all of our vet and shoeing support teams out there that keep the ponies in tip top shape! We are planning on getting Sam back out to see the horses after the holidays to start the year off with a nice adjustment as well - 2012 getting off on the right foot - or hoof!

In other news, the yearly barn holiday party is NEXT Saturday the 17th! Make sure you put this one on your calendar! We have a lot of fun every year and it is always exciting to get to have a horse party INSIDE during the chilly weather. Bring a gift for the gift exchange if you think you are up to the cut throat, "happy holidays, no I want that sweater", competitive gift giving! It is always exciting to see what you may go home with at the end of the evening!

The last two weeks of this month are horse "down time" and a great opportunity for you to come out & spend some extra time with your favorite equine! Let us know if you want to get some extra practice rides in on your pony (or our's!) during the holiday season. Now is a great time to practice all of the skills you've been working on AND stay in shape for that pending no stirrups lesson!

Speaking of no stirrups; Toby and Katherine just came back from the George Morris clinic in Wilsonville, OR. They had a great time and George loved Toby calling him "A GREAT horse" "Smart" "Catty" "Careful and Brave". All pretty high praise for a horse that started the year in the .90M division. We are very excited for Toby and are looking forward to share all the challenges George put them through with all of our riders at home! We are very excited to see how our riders have stepped it up this winter by attending clinics and working hard at home - your dedication to your sport is what makes it fun for us!

As we get to the end of the year, start thinking about your goals for the 2012 season and make sure you take the time to chat with your trainers about them! We want to help you get where you want to go in 2012!
Stay bundled up this month and we will see you all out at the barn!!

Well, Howdy!

Boy, it sure has been awhile! It's time to get your barn updated after a very busy show and Fall season!

September had us showing down at Donida for Octoberfest as well as up in Monroe for the Northwest Autumn Finals. Both shows were a hit, with Ella and Pink bringing home the ribbons at Octoberfest, as well as moving up a division and Toby and Chelsea making their debut ride in a Mini Prix against some tough competitors and bringing home a 6th place finish! It was a great show, and for anyone not sure how to break into the show ring in 2012, a good show to put on your list!

Horses aren't the only things we ride!

The Finals show was fun as well, with all of the horses bring home ribbons - including a Championship for Toby in the 1.15M division as well as a win in the 1.20 age group class, and another Championship for Farley in the .90's, just edging out Finesse who brought home a very nice Reserve Champion ribbon as well. Both Toby and Phalcon participated in the big USHJA hunter class - Phalcon had an amazing round, but a couple of rails kept him out of the ribbons, so Toby represented the barn in the 2nd half of the competition, showing those hunters how to make the turns, and coming in 10th out of 27 rides - pretty good for a jumper! All of the horses and riders earned points toward their year-end awards, so, if you haven't looked them up yet, take the time to check them out now! Points for the WSHJA are FINAL as of 11/30/11, so make sure they have all your ribbons accounted for before they are set in stone. We have some horses and riders looking to get some neat ribbons in the National division, which is great! Look for an update on their final placings soon!

At home we had our annual barn work party. Thanks to everyone who attended - this was an incredibly productive day with jumps being painted, the hill getting weeded, pasture wires restrung and just an all over good time. We always appreciate everyone coming out to help keep the barn looking great!

The weather has turned chilly now and horses (and riders!) are bundled up against the chill. We've started body clipping, so if your horse hasn't lost their puffy fur coat yet, don't be surprised if you show up to a pretty fancy looking horse in the next week or two! All of the horses made the list this year, so your horse may be next! We'll be changing blankets again at the end of the month, so keep an eye out for updates on the SE Facebook page!

We have several horses and riders participating in the Jeff Cook clinic next weekend. We are very proud of all of our riders who signed up for this opportunity as well as those of you who will be auditing. This is an incredible learning experience for both horse and rider, as well as the chance to show your trainers how committed you are to your sport! Kudos to you all in advance!

We were also invited to participate in the George Morris clinic in Wilsonville, OR this year. Katherine and Toby will be riding in the 1.20M division with George which is a great chance to get input from one of "the greats", as well as getting the chance to see other, top of the line riders, in a very intense, learning weekend. Make sure to check your calendar and head down for the weekend or the day.

With the holidays approaching we are making plans for our annual Holiday Party! This is a great - indoor! - event with your fellow riders, food, and one ridiculous present swapping game. Come on out and see what mystery may hide beneath the SE Christmas tree! We will also be handing out our yearly "Most Improved" and "Sportsmanship" awards - fortunately for us, you have all made it very hard to choose this year's winners!

We had a fun new addition to the barn this last week - Chelsea (and Danika) are the proud owners of a brand new SE trunk! Check it out - but don't touch (kidding!)!! We're excited to see another beautiful trunk in our midst. If you are interested in ordering one, let Katherine know and we'll set you up through Olson's. Sometimes we are able to get used trunks as well, so if budget is a concern, let us know and we'll see if we can dig one up for you. If you don't have a trunk cover, make sure you put that on your Christmas list as well - outside of looking great, they protect your trunk both at home and the shows.

Lastly we just did a big coat order for the barn and are excited to see a bunch of new SE jackets in our midst! Go Team Sundance!

We want to thank you all for your support and enthusiasm throughout the show season this last year - we hope you all had a great time and enjoyed all the learning and improving you did as much as we enjoyed helping you get there! Don't forget, now's the time to start thinking about your goals for 2012! Make sure you take the time to sit down with Katherine or Chelsea and chat with them about where you want you and your horse to be next year!

See you out at the barn!

Welcome Back!

Well, it's been busy! The last two months have found us showing, playing & doing lots of riding. Hopefully everyone is having a chance to enjoy the sun this month - while it's here! This summer has not been the sunniest!

June found us showing up at Thunderbird again, with Maia continuing to get her miles in the .90's and Toby moving up to the 1.20 classes for the first time as he and Katherine participated in the Ride & Rally - a fun class over jumps and driving a golf cart through cones. They turned in a very exciting round over fences (Chelsea says Katherine needs to learn to speed up in her driving!) and wound up 4th overall in a very competitive and fun class. Maia also enjoyed a chance in the Grand Prix field in a Young Horse Class over 1.00 jumps and was great at handling all the excitement of the Thunderbird Grand Prix field. If you haven't had a chance to see the grounds at Thunderbird in person, put a drive up North on your agenda and check out their show grounds - we are lucky to have something so great so close to home!

July was the month of the Emerald Classic and a large group head down South to Auburn to play in the sun (minus one very wet hour!). All the horses were great  - including a 1st place for Mexico and Amelia, a Championship for Aidan and Phalcon and Nicholas and Finesse. Phalcon also participated in the Hunter Derby and earned a Reserve in the class after negotiating some very scary rocks. Toby and Maia continued in the jumper ring and Chelsea got to ride Toby in the 1.15's for the first time - having one rail and the fastest time for the class - pretty fun day! Sundancers enjoyed dinner under the tents together and enjoyed a fun week of showing.

July also meant our yearly trip to Wild Waves! We had some really nice warm weather which meant time in the water without the normal freeze. Sundancers enjoyed the play day and came home charged up and ready to head to the Evergreen Classic in August.

Farley & Katherine at a previous Evergreen Classic

Evergreen was a lot of fun this year. Farley showed everyone how the old pros do it and came home with a Reserve Champion in the .90's ring out of a large group of competitors. Aidan and Phalcon made their official debut into the Children's Hunter ring, a goal Aidan has been excited to reach for a long time and we were all delighted by her wonderful rounds. They've both worked super hard to get there and it was great to see all that time and energy pay off for them! Phalcon also had the chance to show in the Grand Hunter Ring in the Bunny Coffin Memorial Hunter Derby. The class was as big as the name with over 30 riders and large jumps. Phalcon was amazing and wound up getting a 7th for the class - we couldn't have been prouder! Toby finished up the show going into his first Mini Prix (his 3rd official 1.20 class!) and turning in a very nice round.

At home, Alex took over the barn job for Thomas and has been putting in long hours cleaning the place up and making everything nice for horses and riders. As the show season settles down, we are looking ahead at some more barn projects coming up for this fall and are excited to get to work at home polishing up our favorite place!

We have two more shows coming up in September with Octoberfest at Donida and then the NW Autumn Classic in Monroe. If you aren't showing, make sure you stop by to cheer on your Sundance Team! After that we have our annual barn work party, so make sure you put that on your calendars so you can come out and help with jump painting and (as always!) weeding the hill so we can make things pretty for winter (yes, winter... sigh...).

Hope you are all enjoying the sun - the horses are getting some great, blanket free days before the rain returns!

See you at the barn!!

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!