Course Brook Farm

Eventers in Paradise!

2012-02-29T13:52:00.004-08:00

Those of you (meaning ALL of you, I'm sure) who follow Course Brook on Facebook will recall that our own Rica T. and Janet M. made all of us jealous by taking a riding vacation in Costa Rica this month. They had a blast, as you will see in the guest blog report that they kindly wrote for today's post. It sounds like they had an amazing experience. Take it away, ladies!

*********

Casy asked Janet (Dev’s mom) and I (Jazz and Ginger’s mom) to share a little about our riding vacation in early February to Costa Rica. We flew into Liberia, rented a car and drove about an hour to a little village on the Pacific coast called Playa Junquillal (hoon-kee-al).

Janet had been there before and arranged our trip with Erika a German transplant to Costa Rica for 16 years (www.paradiseriding.com) Susan, our guide, was from Switzerland and spoke English, Spanish, and German. Each day we rode for about 6 hours, including lunch. We had the same horses every day. I rode a nice quiet bay with a floppy ear called Bugs Bunny and Janet’s horse, Fandango, was a frisky grey. They were criollo, the local breed, and somewhere around 14 – 15 hands.

The first day we rode along the beach to the north. We rode through Playa Junquillal, Playa Blanca (white sand), Playa Negra (black sand) and Playa Avellana (pink sand). There was no one on the beach in Playa Junquillal and Playa Blanca so once we were acquainted with our horses we did a nice gallop along the beach. The saddles were endurance ones and the horses’ trot and canter were so comfortable – even I could sit to them. Playa Negra and Avellana are big surfing beaches, so we rode along the beach watching the surfers catching waves and wiping out. In Avellana we rode through a little estuary and went onto to the road to stop for lunch-fresh mahi mahi the fisherman caught that morning! We went to a restaurant, tied up the horses up to a tree, gave them some water and their treats - bananas.

After lunch we saddled back up and rode through the towns. The highlight was seeing the howling monkeys at a creek along the side of the road. We were lucky and saw a baby monkey that looked pretty young – only 5 inches or so. ( The howling monkeys make this incredible noise – the first night it was a little unnerving.)

The second day we rode inland into the hills. Since most of the roads around the area are unpaved, we rode on the roads. We saw some of the indigenous trees such as guancaste (also the name of the province we were in) that are huge and grow in clearings, acacia, and a wide variety of papaya trees. We stopped for lunch at this lady’s farm where she grows and cooks all the food herself- some of the chickens lost their buddies for our lunch. She had picnic tables and chairs and the some of the locals stopped by for lunch as well. The food was delicious, but surprisingly enough, it was not spicy. On our way back, we saw two kids riding a horse back to school – no saddle, books tied with a piece of string hanging over their shoulder.

When we got back, I think all 3 of us were pretty sore. Thank goodness the next day was a day off from riding. Janet and I went zip lining and boogie boarding.

Thursday was our last day of riding. We rode along the beach to the south. The beaches were absolutely deserted and we had some incredible views of crashing waves on volcanic mountains. We passed a few fishing villages and noticed a few families out on the rocks harvesting some type of scallops or mollusks from the ocean. This ride had quite a bit of cantering along the beach – we went about 30 kilometers in 4 hours. Portions of the ride included going over rocks and the horses were amazingly sure-footed. Throughout the rides Janet and I noticed how incredible the horses were. They handled all sorts of terrain so well – deep sand, packed sand, up steep hills / trails, rocks, waves, trucks, motorcycles, cows, and even other free roaming horses. This ride ended with lunch at a restaurant and the horses were trailered back home. Interestingly enough, the trailer is just a pick up truck with a large enclosed bed. They back the truck up to a hilly area and the horses just walk on. They thought it was funny that we have trailers with ramps and even $150 coconut fiber pads for the horses to walk onto the trailer. Lunch again was amazing - they’re very much into the organic, local food movement and everything is incredibly fresh.

The rest of vacation was spent snorkeling and boogie boarding at the beach. Hotel was terrific and in a location with infinity pool and hot tub. Local bars were really fun with people from all over the world. If anyone is interested stop by and talk to us. --Rica

Spotlight on Jennifer Dow Olsen

2012-02-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today we have the next installment in our spotlight series where we feature a member of the Course Brook Farm community. Jennifer Dow Olsen is slightly in the minority at CBF as she's a hunter/jumper rider, and a very successful one at that. She has two horses of her own at Course Brook, A Priori (a.k.a. Lucy) and Big Man on Campus (a.k.a. Fitz), as well as a handful of students and their own horses. We are, of course, welcoming of all disciplines, so I'm pleased to feature Jennifer in this blog.

Jennifer and A Priori in the pre-green hunters at Vermont Summer Festival in 2011

Jennifer grew up riding at her family’s hunter/jumper farm, the Westbrook Hunt Club in Westbrook, CT and trained there with Jane Dow. Jennifer has also had the unique pleasure of training with the great Hall of Fame trainer, Victor Hugo-Vidal, as well as being invited to teach alongside him as a professional. She had a successful Junior career, including qualifying for Indoors with her Junior Jumper, Hill Street. Jennifer stayed on at Westbrook Hunt Club after turning professional, continuing to bring along young horses from basic ground work to competing on the “A” circuit and teaching students to numerous championships. She has competed up to level 7 in the jumpers with horses like Westbrook and Hill Street. Jennifer has shown successfully in the hunter and jumper rings at both local CHJA and NEHC levels, as well as winning Year End Zone Championships on the National Circuit from Pre-green through the Regular Working Hunter divisions. Most recently, Jennifer qualified for the 2011 World Championship Hunter Rider’s emerging pro finals at Capital Challenge with A Priori, a horse she has trained since she was a 3 year-old. Jennifer has trained riders of all levels, in Equitation, Hunters, and Jumpers from start to year-end championships and to finals.

Jennifer was kind enough to respond to a few of the questions that I like to pose to our featured riders. Thanks for sharing, Jennifer.

1. How old were you when you first started riding? I was far younger than my memory. My family always says with a chuckle that it was before I could walk.

2. What is your greatest extravagance? My horses.

3. What other talent besides riding would you most like to have? I wish I could dance. I think those that are familiar with my dancing enjoy the entertainment value of bad dancing, but I have a great appreciation for people that can dance well.

4. What do you consider your greatest achievement (riding or otherwise)? The family my husband and I have created together.

5. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be? A Grand Prix horse. I'd love to experience what it feels like to be that powerfully athletic, brave and careful, and tremendous heart.

6. What is your most treasured possession? My grandmother's horse head necklace. She wore it every day and it reminds me of her great strength, will, and positive thinking that made her successful.

7. Who are your favorite writers/artists/riders? W. B. Yeats is my favorite poet. There are so many great riders I admire. Scott Stewart and Sandy Ferrell are my favorite hunter riders. Beezie Madden is my favorite jumper rider.

8. What is your motto? All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.

9. Have you ever ridden sidesaddle? No.

10. What is your favorite riding moment (competition or anything else)? My favorite riding moments are always had in the summer time, riding as the sun is just coming up, just me and my horse.

11. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I'm not sure I could do better on how fortunate I am to live in such a great area.

12. If you could do any job besides teaching/training, what would it be (doesn't need to be realistic). Novelist.

Jennifer is accepting students and horses in training. She can be reached at: olsenjennifer@me.com.

Winter is here!

2012-01-21T15:57:00.001-08:00

Brush Hill Road, like the olden days.

Well, it's official. Winter is finally here. Today we got anywhere from 2-4 inches of snow and I guess we can't complain since it's been such a mild winter so far. As usual, the horses don't seem to mind nearly as much as we humans do, probably because they're four-wheel-drive and we're not.

Everyone has been deep into the usual wintertime activities (besides shoveling snow): working on gymnastic exercises with Stephie and Erika, lots of dressage, and I've seen plenty of riding without stirrups going on in the indoor recently. I know I'm not the only one feeling jealous of the small herd of CBF boarders who will be heading south in the next week. Nici with Minga, Janet with Pogue and Jamie, and Ashley with Paddy, among others, will be heading to Florida and Aiken and they've got the smug smiles on their faces to prove it. Of course, the rest of us wish them the best for their winter show season down south, even if we are incredibly, profoundly jealous. They're going to miss out on some wicked snowshoeing and sledding!

We finally had our CBF "holiday" party last weekend, and although the holiday season was technically over, we still managed to have a good time and completely overeat. We also had a small but strong showing for the Yankee Swap and I'm happy to say that Janet S. was successfully matched with the purple polos for her new girly girl mare, Cleo. Adorable. All in all, it was a good time. I'm always blown away by the caliber of cooks that we have at Course Brook. We're very, very lucky.

In totally unrelated news, I'm extremely happy to announce that one of our favorite people, Phoebe, and her husband Russ have had a baby boy! Congratulations to you both and we can't wait to meet Avery.

Finally, for you Bostonians who aren't heading south, but would like to have an indoor and fun people to play with, we are currently offering a winter boarding promotion: for new boarders, your first month is half price! Please contact us at info@coursebrookfarm.com for more information. We'd love to have you.

Until next time,

Casy

Erika Hawkes on showing in Singapore, Kate Middleton, and, of course, Mark Todd

2012-01-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

This is the first installment in a series of features on some of the people who make Course Brook Farm the vibrant place that it is. It's only natural that we begin the series with our resident trainer, Erika Hawkes. Erika agreed to answer some questions for me and share some insights into what drives her personally and professionally. I've included her bio below, but let me just say that Erika is one of the most patient and thoughtful instructors and trainers that I have ever met. I don't think I've ever seen her lose her temper, and she really does embody what all horse people should aspire to: a calm and quiet approach to teaching and riding. Thank you, Erika!

-- Casy

Erika is a MA licensed instructor with over 20 years of teaching/training experience. She is a graduate Pony Clubber who has competed through Intermediate level eventing and successfully completed several CCI*'s including an 8th Place at Radnor. She has started and trained several ex-race horses to be successful eventers. Erika teaches Tuesday-Saturday and is available for coaching at shows. Training packages are availa

ble and beginners are welcome. For more info on working with Erika at CBF, see: http://coursebrookfarm.com/instructors.htm

1.How old were you when you first started riding? I was seven when I started taking lessons in Laguna Beach, California.

2.What is your greatest extravagance? You mean besides my horses?! Probably getting my hair done.

3.Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Probably “again.” I seem to find myself saying that a lot while I am teaching.

4. If you could do any job besides teaching/training, what would it be (doesn’t need to be realistic)? I have always wanted to write so being a novelist would really appeal to me.

5.What other talent besides riding would you most like to have? Singing opera or playing the piano. I am always amazed at people who possess those gifts. I mean where does that come from?

6.What do you consider your greatest achievement (riding or otherwise)? Running my own business.

7.If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be? Kate Middleton!

8.What is your most treasured possession? Can a dog be a possession because it would definitely be my dog!

9.Who are your favorite writers/artists/riders? I love to read all sorts of things, but one of my most recent favorites is Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle. I love Andrew Wyeth as an artist because I basically spent a lot of my childhood in Maine and love it dearly. One of my all time favorite riders is Torrance Watkins. She was just sooo classy. I also love Mark Todd.

10.Who are your heroes in life? Any surprise – horses! I really think they are truly heroes to do what they do for us. Also, my mom, my dad, my husband and of course our troops, of which my brother is one. I would also have to include my vet, Dr Liz Maloney, who has been unbelievable in helping me rehabilitate several OTTBs and turn them into successful eventers. She is the best.

11.What is your motto? Treat other people (and horses) the way you would want

them to treat you.

12.Have you ever ridden sidesaddle? No but have ridden bareback, western and done some driving.

13.What is your favorite riding moment (competition or anything else)? When I was fifteen, my father was working for a company that relocated us overseas to Singapore. I joined the riding club there and became part of the international team competing against other Southeastern Asian nations. Onetime we competed in Kuala Lumpur and we had to draw horses’ names out of a hat and then compete them in a 3’9” jumper class. I drew an awesome horse and ended up winning the class and beating my instructor! That was definitely a high point that stands out in my life. I also remember competing at Radnor Three Day Event and being thrilled after dressage and x-country to be in third place ahead of Karen (Lende) O’Connor!

14.If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Somewhere with a warm temperate climate all year round – maybe Southern California or Hawaii.

CBF fall USEA horse trials photo montage!

2011-11-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

The second-annual fall CBF USEA-recognized horse trials was a huge success this year! We were fully subscribed with entries, lucked out with fantastic weather, and everyone had a smile on their face at the end of the day.

We're already looking ahead to 2012 and thinking about what worked this year and what can be improved for the future. Our number one priority for our next competition will be to improve the footing in our grass show jumping field to make it firmer and hold up better under heavy use. We'll be sure to keep you updated on this and other improvements and additions to the plan for our third-annual recognized horse trials, tentatively scheduled for October, 2012.

For now, enjoy these photos of the day, courtesy of our own Lauren Murphy, Janet Sinclair, and Rica Trujillo…

A new addition to our show jumping course this year

One of our two dressage arenas

Don't forget to have your bit checked!

Our intrepid secretary, Erin.

She returned for a repeat performance this year, so she must like us at least a little bit!

One view of the show jumping track

Show jumping on the left, warm up on the right, spectators in the middle

One of our bank complexes on the left

A fabulous runner, doing what he does best

New last fences for novice and training

Our own Paige G. and her horse Sam

clearing the last fencing on the training course with room to spare

See you next year!

Karen W. steps into the hot seat

2011-09-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I challenged CBF boarder Karen W. to try to sneak a guest blog post about her trailer-buying experiences by me. Well, I am nothing if not gracious, so here you have the first installment of what promises to be an informative series of articles on buying a new rig (Spoiler alert: the story has a happy ending). Take it away, Karen!

Hello, I’ve been asked to write something from my horsey experiences for the Course Brook Blog. I’m a fifty-something, female boarder at CBF who is mostly interested in dressage and trail riding.

My most recent experience was this fall when I attempted to buy a used horse trailer.

Part 1: the Search

I talked to a few trailer experienced friends and read a few articles. Here is the link to a particularly good one: http://www.equispirit.com/info/articles.htm which stated that one should get the trailer before getting the tow vehicle, because you need to know the weight of the trailer plus horses and luggage in order to get a vehicle powerful enough to haul safely. It’s a lot of math so have a calculator handy. I also needed a trailer to show my husband that I was serious when said I needed a truck to replace my aging Jeep Cherokee.

Then I got on my computer and searched “used horse trailers”. I found many fine sites and then there is of course Craig’s List. I found some bargains, but remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I emailed a few—three to be precise—and the replies were almost identical: These trailers were purportedly owned by military personnel and even though were advertised as being in the Boston area, they were not. According to the email the military would ship the trailer to me for free and all I had to do was give them lots of personal information. On Craig’s List there is advice on how to avoid scams and apparently this is a typical one. Who knew that people would prey upon our patriotism and current love for the armed forces to scam prospective buyers of horse trailers? I do now. Fortunately I didn’t give out any info other than my email address.

Local sites like Equinesite.com were very helpful and I did not encounter any scams. But I did not move fast enough for many of the ads that I thought were good deals. By the time I made arrangements to go out and see them, usually more than an hour away, they had already been sold.

I stuck with Equinesite.com because they had the most listings in my location. One had listed several trailers and I inquired why. The reason was she turned out to be a consignment dealer so had a choice on hand. She was located in NH about three miles from my brother’s house where I was going the day before Thanksgiving to pick up my mother. How convenient for me! But the day before I went someone posted an ad for a ten-year-old Kingston with a dressing room and it was just one mile off Route 95, which is my path to NH. Since I ran out of time picking up Mom, I did not go to the consignment place. I ended up only seeing the one trailer, which I ended up buying the day after Thanksgiving, for better or for worse.

Stay turned for Part 2: Getting the trailer home.

And... we're back!

2011-08-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

After something of an extended summer vacation, the Course Brook Farm blog is back in action! As for the renegade post from March, if Karen wants to write about buying a horse trailer, she’s going to have to get through me first and I’m bigger than she is…

The most exciting piece of non-vehicular news around here is the fact that our October 8^th USEA-recognized horse trials are right around the corner. It seems like just yesterday that we were gathered around the back of the Gator, celebrating Erika’s birthday after the last competitor had gone home and eating cake with our fingers, but September is NEXT WEEK and that means horse show preparations are ramping up all over again. We’re offering BN-T levels again this year and entries are open now!

As the cross country course comes together over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting photos of some of the jumps, and maybe even a jump-by-jump course walk. The new footing in the large outdoor area that we added before last year’s horse trials is riding even better after wintering over, so no matter what the weatherman is calling for there will be good footing for dressage. Ozias has been building new stadium jumps, too. I can testify that the wings are incredibly fancy, and also incredibly heavy.

Also back and better than ever is volunteer coordinator, Janet Sinclair. You may remember her as the woman with the clipboard and purposeful walk if you volunteered at last year’s event. She’s basically a one-woman coordinating machine and thanks to her, all of last year’s volunteers were organized and deployed appropriately. I can attest to that since I was one. I can also attest to the awesomeness of the gift bags that Janet puts together for every volunteer.

If you’d like to come and volunteer, Janet has lots of jobs to fill, even for those who aren’t horsey. For instance, if you’re a kid who is planning on competing at the show, why not volunteer your parents? That will get them and their cameras away from the trailer on show day and maybe they’ll give you one of their free volunteer t-shirts when the day is over. That’s even better than a ribbon! If you want to volunteer yourself or a loved one, you can reach Janet at janetsinclair1@live.com. Operators are standing by.

That’s it for today. Stay tuned for photos, highlights of the boarders’ achievements through the summer show season, and some special guest bloggers in the coming weeks.

--Casy

News at the Farm

2011-03-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

Well, we're finally heading out of winter towards spring (I hope!) and it's time to start thinking about our summer schedule.

The big news is that we have booked Bobby Costello to come do a 2-day clinic on July 9th and 10th. Day one will be show jumping/gymnastics and day two will be x-country. Bobby is a Massachusetts native and currently resides in Southern Pines, NC. Bobby was a member of the 2000 Eventing Team at the Sydney Olympic Games and was part of the team that won gold at the 2003 Pan American Games. He is heavily involved in the governance of both the USEA and USEF. We look forward to having him and will have more info on signing up soon.

We will be running a Combined Test and Dressage Schooling Show on May 1st. This will be a great opportunity to get ready for your first recognized event or just to get out and do something fun!

And don't forget our annual Memorial Day X-Country Clinic with advanced level rider Stephie Baer. This is a chance to get quality instruction while schooling our x-country course before our sanctioned event.

Our next blog post will be written by one of our boarders, Karen, who will talk about the trailer buying process. Keep a look out for that!

Horse Trial Recap!

2010-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s taken a month, but I’m finally here to give you the skinny on CBF’s first annual USEA recognized horse trial! I’ve been travelling, I’m jet lagged, and I’m in the mood for a photo montage, so that’s what you’re going to get. All of the professional photos (you'll be able to tell the difference, trust me) are courtesy of Prestige Sport Shots (www.prestigesportshots.com). Michael and his crew are regulars at all of our events, large and small, and their work speaks for itself.

But before I get to the show, here is a picture of Jim Wofford, laying down the law at our clinic this summer:

If you turn your head and this is what you see as you’re getting ready to jump an exercise, you better turn up your hearing aid. Despite his intimidating appearance, Jim was very encouraging and positive to all of our riders. It also helps that he doesn’t freak out when a ride isn’t working out exactly as planned. I guess when you’ve been in the game as long as he has nothing surprises you anymore.

Now, to the show. As a dedicated reader of this blog, you already know that Course Brook Farm hosted our first-ever USEA nationally recognized horse trials on October 9. It was a huge production, and also a huge success. We had over 90 riders over the day, fantastic weather, and 4,000 pumpkins scattered about the property. In fact, they continue to appear here and there, emerging from secret hiding places.

All levity aside, it was a great day, mostly due to the dedication of our organizers, officials, and competitors. I saw a lot of smiles that day, and heard competitors saying that they would be coming back next year.

Of course none of it could have been possible without Matt and Nancy Mayo, the owners of the farm. We are all so lucky to be able to ride (and in some cases, live) on this beautiful piece of property, and all of us were proud to be able to share it with a bunch of new people.

Finally, BIG THANKS to everyone who volunteered! We know you didn’t do it just for the free hand sanitizer and t-shirt and we hope you’ll want to come back and help again next year.

Now, for the good stuff. Let’s start with some photos of the set-up process...

Here Laura and Ozias are painting showjumping rails and standards. As you can see, there were lots.

Reinaldo and Wilson were instrumental in making the farm look its best.

Assembling the new dressage arena was one of the crowning achievements of Laura’s life.

Having extra pieces left over is always a little worrying.

Moving on to the professional shots of the day of the show...

Outside the porta-potty next to stadium warm up was apparently the place to see and be seen.

Stephie Baer teaches at Course Brook weekly, and brought several horses to compete. Here’s her training level ride.

Our neighbor and honorary boarder Caroline Twining competed her horse Robin in the BN division.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more in the coming weeks!

--Casy

Horse trials, goodbyes, and hellos

2010-08-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to an end, and this year the change in seasons means a couple of things. First of all, it means that our first USEA-recognized horse trials is coming up. Entries are now being accepted for the October 9 competition, which will offer beginner novice through training-level. Hacking around the farm, I’ve noticed not only the beautiful new jumps that are being constructed, but also all of the hard work that’s being done to ensure that the footing is excellent. Everyone involved in the preparation for the horse trials is determined to make our first recognized competition a success, and from the looks of things, it’s going to be fantastic.

Speaking of getting involved, our volunteer coordinator, Janet Sinclair, is well into the recruiting phase for any and all volunteers. Horse experience is preferred, but there are always jobs for the non-horsey set. You’ll receive a t-shirt, lunch, and the privilege of telling your grandchildren that you were a part of Course Brook’s first recognized horse trials! Volunteering is a great way to learn about our sport and to support its growth. If you’re interested in getting involved, contact Janet at janetsinclair1@live.com.

For many families, September means it’s time to go back to school, and at Course Brook we’re sad to say that three of our favorite people will be heading off to college. Kendra and Dash have already departed for Pennsylvania, where Kendra will be studying at Gettysburg College and Dash will be continuing her education in eventing. They had a great summer season, and I’m sure they will continue to shine in their new home.

Samantha will be heading to study in Seville, Spain, for three months before beginning college in Miami, Florida. We’re going to miss her, and we’re all pretty jealous, too.

Elena is leaving for Stanford in a few weeks, although we did tell her we would be happy to grant her a BA in tack cleaning and horse care if she wanted to stick around. Surprisingly, she didn’t take us up on the offer, but I’m sure she’ll get something out of her time at Stanford.

We’re going to miss all three of them, and hope that they will come back and visit us frequently (and in Sam’s case, bring us some nice souvenirs from Spain). Good luck to all of you!

To end on a positive note, we’re very happy to introduce Payton and Paige, who have moved to the area from Maine. They bring with them their two lovely event horses, Sam and Ben. Also hello to Brianna and Chunky Monkey, who is--despite what his name implies--a lovely dark bay thoroughbred without an obvious weight problem. Welcome!

--Casy

Wofford Wrap Up

2010-07-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Jim Wofford clinic at CBF last weekend was a great success. Much like the Pony Express of old, Laura and Erika braved pouring rain and scorching heat to put together a fantastic two-day clinic and they have the soggy socks and bizarre tan lines to prove it.

From the novice riders to the training/prelim group, Jim focused on the basics. He emphasized that, especially at the lower levels, inexperienced horses and riders should not expect to see distances accurately. Rather than ride for a distance, he advised everyone to ride a rhythm, and to be helpful to your horse by staying out of his way and letting him do his job with as little interference as possible. He talked about the three or four stride moment, or the point in front of a jump where—with adjustment—three or four strides could produce an acceptable jump. If the rider isn’t seeing a distance, he advised they half-halt, rebalance, and add up, rather than pushing for the long spot, and getting what Jim called a “lawn dart” style jump (an image I think we all recognize with a cringe). The balanced approach is the safer approach until horse and rider become experienced enough to ride different distances accurately and safely.

Jim also had a little recommended reading for the riders: Training Hunters, Jumpers, and Hacks by Brig. Gen. Harry Chamberlain (available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Training-Hunters-Jumpers-Hacks-Second/dp/B000USUNPO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280249725&sr=8-1). A book that Jim said George Morris keeps under his pillow, it’s a must-read for anyone—event rider or otherwise—who wants to improve the technical quality of their jumping. I, for one, will be ordering it shortly (and will be happy to lend!).

True to his reputation, Jim was humorous and direct in his approach, making the concepts sound simple enough, until it came time to implement them. As the wise sages of horsemanship say, often times doing less is much more difficult than doing more, especially when it comes to jumping, and I can say from personal experience that correcting habits and impulses is one of the most challenging aspects of eventing. Jim’s calm manner did much to put horses and riders at ease, and I think everyone came away feeling educated and inspired.

Not to shift gears too quickly, but I can’t resist mentioning another major event that occurred over the weekend: CBF boarder Phoebe’s (aka Likely’s Mom) wedding! She earns extra points for coming out to ride Likely early Monday morning, as usual. Congratulations, Phoebe!

One final note on hellos and goodbyes. We’re really pleased to welcome Ari (short for Armando), a German import who has come to CBF as a school horse. Laura is half-leasing him, but we’ll be looking for someone who would be interested in leasing the other half of this lovely horse. He’s had tons of training and experience in dressage and jumping, and I can attest first-hand that he’s fantastic to ride. If you’re interested, get in touch with Laura at info@coursebrookfarm.com.

A goodbye for now to Heather Maytham, who just graduated from Boston College and left for Ireland on Monday. She’ll be working until October with top eventer Eric Smiley, and although we’ll miss her around the farm, we know she’ll have an amazing time and come back with lots of cool training tips, and maybe a fake Irish accent. We’re glad she’ll be back just in time for our recognized horse trails on October 9, but until then we’ll have to settle for e-mail updates. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on her adventures.

--Casy

2010-07-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

With temperatures well into the 90s, I’m beginning to wonder if I am still living below the Mason-Dixon Line. From my air conditioned office, I heartily salute the riders that are preparing for their horse trials this weekend.

With all the heat, the big news around the barn is… not so big. The newest additions to the CBF family are two kittens: Fiona and Finn. They’re brother and sister, and have made themselves very comfortable in the barn. One thing we’re hoping they become less comfortable with is the horses, as they seem to have no sense of the disparity in size between themselves and their equine friends. Luckily, the horses have been tolerant of their antics in the aisle way. These siblings have already proven themselves by catching two mice! The only one among us who is not happy to meet Finn and Fiona is our current barn cat, Missy, who blames each and every one of us for the kittens’ arrival. Hopefully she’ll get over them soon, and go back to being her cheerful self.

I’d like to take a moment to welcome two new human additions and their horses to CBF, too. We’re happy to have Phoebe and her horse Likely, who have moved here from New Haven, CT. Likely is about the most relaxed horse you could wish for, and we’re very glad that he and Phoebe have come to the farm, especially since Phoebe is a fellow soccer fan and humors me by discussing the World Cup.

Another new face is Rebecca and her two bay geldings Andy and Boozer. I have yet to inquire as to the source of Boozer’s name, but I’m hoping there’s a good story behind it. The two boys have settled in nicely, and all three are a great addition to the main barn.

There are samples of the new CBF line of apparel hanging on the feed room door, and an order form on the bulletin board. I will also follow through on my promise to get photos up here soon if you’re not a regular visitor. You won’t want to be the only kid on the block not sporting a CBF cap, polo, fleece, or jacket, so take a look, even if the very sight of fleece makes you want to pass out from heat exhaustion.

Stay cool!

-- Casy

Photos!

2010-06-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

As promised, some photos of Team CBF from our June combined test. Images courtesy of Prestige Sportshots: www.prestigesportshots.com. Michael and his team are awesome photographers, as you can see.

Kendra and Dash are a cute pair, but don't let that smile fool you. They mean business in the show ring. Here they are on their way to winning their BN division.

Annette and Delicate Detail, enjoying themselves... and tearing up their novice division!

Our neighbor Caroline and her lovely horse Robin. They live so close that we consider them to be part of the CBF family!

Myself and Amiet.

-- Casy

CBF Combined Test: What you may have missed!

2010-06-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was our combined test, and it was a fantastic event. I saw many new faces (okay, almost every face is new to me), and it looked like everyone was having a great time. I even dipped my toe into the horse show pool, and rode the training level eventing test B on Ami, but didn’t jump as I’ve been slacking on that front for the past few months. The show jumping courses, designed by our own Erika Hawkes, rode well and it’s a credit to her that every level from pre-elementary to preliminary was challenging, yet appropriate to the level.

A big thank you is due to our tireless organizers, Laura Chandra and Erika, as well as to Matt, who seemed to be everywhere at once.

A number of CBF boarders were in force as volunteers, including Karen Whitney, who looked a little frazzled midmorning when it came to tallying scores and handing out ribbons, but that’s why we love her: she’s a perfectionist! Janet Menn was dressage judge Kari Allen’s scribe, and it was encouraging to see her smiling face as I rode down center line.

Linda York (aka Tift’s Mom) was on hand on Saturday to set up, and Janet Sinclair and Nadine Pellegrini deserve big kudos for sitting out on the grassy knoll in the sun and judging the show jumping. Susan Mann was an excellent dressage ring steward, and I heard her patiently explain several times that yes, the dressage ring was up the hill and behind the pool.

The big headline of the day was the fact that two CBF riders took home blue ribbons. Kendra Elliston rode her paint mare Dash in the beginner novice division, and despite a momentary lapse in dressage (Remember, Kendra, there are two twenty meter trot circles in the test!), won her division handily, and would have won best turned out—if there was such a thing—for getting Dash’s white parts so clean. If only we weren’t losing her to Gettysburg College in the fall.

Annette MacDonald riding her thoroughbred mare Delicate Detail (“Della” to her friends) also won their novice division. It should be mentioned that she and Della recently completed their first recognized horse trials together at Valinor Horse Trials a few weeks ago. They are definitely on a roll, and we expect to see great things from this pair.

On the horizon is the Jim Wofford clinic on July 24^th and 25^th. I can’t say enough about this man. If you don’t believe me, check out his blog: http://jimwofford.blogspot.com/. His writing is just about as good as his riding. If you’re interested in the clinic, e-mail Laura at info@coursebrookfarm.com, or go to www.coursebrookfarm.com and look for the headline about the clinic.

Stay tuned for some fashion shots of the new CBF polos, caps, fleeces, and jacket (although there is only one of those, and Laura is never going to take it off!).

--Casy

Memorial Day recap and more...

2010-06-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

It’s a rainy Sunday morning, so what could be a better activity than updating the CBF blog? Claude Boulard is teaching here all day today, as he usually does every other Sunday. Sadly, the lessons are in the indoor so far today, but maybe the weather will clear up before the day is over (or at least before my lesson at 11!). Claude is one of our most popular instructors, and has a background in international-level show jumping and dressage. I’ve been working with him for a couple of months, and I’ve been impressed with his quiet, positive attitude with horses and riders. Even when he’s been here in the heat, teaching six or seven lessons in a row, he’s always kind and patient. The horses understand this, and he has helped many of us get some of the best work out of them, especially in encouraging them to use themselves correctly on the flat and over fences. Hopefully, today will be no exception, although I’ve missed a couple of Claude lessons for other pressing activities such as going to ride on the beach with Laura, so I have a feeling I’ve got some hard work ahead of me today.

For those of you who missed it, the Memorial Day Stephie Baer clinic and BBQ was a great success. We had fantastic weather, and the farm was looking its springtime best. Stephie started with the beginner novice riders and finished the day with the training level group. By then, everyone had decided that it was time for some eating and drinking, so the last group had a large audience. There’s aren’t many better activities than eating hamburgers, drinking a little wine, and watching cross country, except actually riding cross country! Stephie was really creative with setting up standards in addition to the permanent cross country jumps, and had the riders tackling various corners, complex bank questions, coffins, and, of course, the water jump. Many thanks to everyone who came, and especially to those who brought food. I didn’t realize how many of our boarders knew how to cook, but now their secret is out and has been duly noted.

We’re all looking forward to our two-phase (“combined test” where I come from) on June 20th. We’re offering pre-elementary through prelim, so there’s something for everyone. I know I covered this last time, so check the website for more details, and make sure you register by June 14.

I also promised a sneak peek into our Jim Wofford clinic that is scheduled for July 24th and 25th. For those of you who haven’t heard the name, Jim is one of the top riders and trainers ever produced by the United States, and represented his country at numerous World Championships and Olympic Games. Since he retired from competition, he’s become best known as a coach and talent scout, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone at the top of the USEA’s leader board that hasn’t worked with Jim. He’s based in Virginia and doesn’t come up this way very often, so this clinic is a rare opportunity to ride with a true legend. The clinic is sure to fill up, so contact Laura at info@coursebrookfarm.com to register, or check our website for more information, under the calendar tab.

It’s almost time for my lesson, so I’m signing off for today. I’ll be posting photos from the Memorial Day clinic soon so those of you who didn’t make it can see what you missed!

2010-05-19T09:42:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the first official blog post for Course Brook Farm. This is also my first experience with blogging at all, so be prepared! I’m hoping to use this space to keep the boarders, friends, and fans of CBF up to date on everything that’s going on at the farm, and to share a little bit of what’s happening behind the scenes.

It was great looking out the window yesterday afternoon and seeing the horses enjoying the spring grass, and the boarders using the outdoor arenas, fields, and trails. It seems like so long ago that there was snow everywhere, especially since there are so many springtime activities going on around here.

Erika, Laura, Nici, and Matt have been working for months on planning our first USEA recognized horse trials, scheduled for October 9. If they aren’t hunched over a computer ordering dressage arenas, they’re tramping through the back fields, deciding where the new cross country fences are going to go. At this rate, they’re going to be qualified to organize any and all events, including large outdoor weddings! Their plans for the new cross country jumps look amazing; be on the lookout for photos soon. The closing date is a long way off, but be sure to put October 9 on your calendar, because if you’re not planning on competing, we’d love to have your help as a volunteer, and we promise you’ll have a good time.

You can expect a glimpse of the big time at our two-phase horse show on June 20^th. We’re offering pre-elementary through preliminary dressage and show jumping, so bring your babies and your upper level horses for a tune-up before the summer horse trials season. There will be a beautiful new dressage arena, as well as some fantastic show jumping questions, so don’t miss it!

Another sign that spring is here is the fact that no one has had to wear their neck-to-toe snowsuits for at least three weeks. I moved up here this year from Maryland, and was prepared for the worst, but now that spring is here I’ve almost forgotten about my Carhartt coveralls. Almost. In light of the beautiful weather, we’re going to be offering some short-sleeved polos and baseball caps with the Course Brook Farm logo so our biggest fans can show their support, and work on their farmer’s tans at the same time. What could be better? More on how to order these soon.

I think that’s enough for today. Remember to look us up on Facebook and Twitter, and to check our website www.coursebrookfarm.com for the latest and greatest announcements, like our Jim Wofford clinic coming up in July.

In the meantime, remember that Stephie Baer is holding her annual CBF cross country clinic on Memorial Day. She’ll be teaching small groups from elementary level through training/prelim. As usual, the barbeque will be fired up, so those who are not riding can expect to eat some good food while they watch the clinic (or when they’re finished riding!). There are still a few spaces left, so contact Laura at info@coursebrookfarm.com to register. This event is always a lot of fun and it has become one of our favorite annual traditions, so I hope you’ll come and join us.

--Casy

Welcome to the Course Brook Farm blog!

2010-05-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Check back frequently as we'll be making weekly updates on upcoming activities at the farm, profiles of our trainers, and boarder stories!