Horse Trial Recap!

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

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

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

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!

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!

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...

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!

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!

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