An Update for Ireland

I had a moment this morning to catch up with Jess & James during schooling in the indoor.  For me, this was my first time to really watch James and Jess together in action!  I was able to snap a few photos.....but I apologize for the blurry resolution, but my flash starting smoking during the schooling!!

They did look fantastic & are in great spirits, ready to represent their country.  Tomorrow they will ride their individual test in front of the judges, as a warm up round.  They compete on Thursday, and I would like to ask for anyone to submit photos to me for the blog, as I unfortunately will be returning home.

Please send all photo submissions to Lisa@midatlanticeqservices.com

More later on Missy, Becca & the US Team!!  LT

Last Day at the KER!

Missy & the Para crew have been down at the Kentucky Equine Research center (barn entrance pictured above) in Versailles now for 9 days.  They initially went through the team processing & opening ceremonies, and then quickly settled into a daily training routine.  Every training day has been very specific to each horse & rider combination.  Missy’s role as Chef D’Equipe requires that she acts as “captain of the ship”, but many of the riders are here with their dedicated trainers, thus Missy steps in as needed and everyone is working well as a team.

As a side bar comment, the USA Para Olympic riders are allowed 10 total riders as the host country, which consists of 1 team of 4 and 6 individual riders.  There are several different grades for the Para riders; 1a being walk only, up through a Grade 4, which is the most able bodied rider, equivalent to 3rd or 4th level in able bodied competitions.

Yesterday they competitors held a mock show, where they had a dress rehearsal for the competition, braiding & get in full dress.  Janet Foy from Colorado acted as our judge, critiquing their rides & giving them pointers for game day.

Tomorrow the team will be moving to the horse park & schedules will get very specific, so each country gets their alotted practice time in the ring.   Several team supporters will be sending in more pictures, so stay tuned for more updates.

Many thanks to everyone at the Kentucky Equine Research Center for their amazing hospitality!!

To read more about the Para Games, visit the WEG website.

Becca Gets Some Good Karma from EN!

I have total "WEGitus"....it creeps up on your slowly and then finally one becomes completely consumed with nothing else but getting to Ky!!

I was just out on Eventing Nation & noticed this great picture of Becca & a note of good luck from Samantha.  I hope everyone is having a great time & see you on Thursday!

http://eventingnation.com/home/2010/09/samantha-clarks-opening-weekend-report.html

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO WEG!

We’re in the final moments leading up to our riders’ departure for WEG, and the barn is buzzing with excitement and anticipation for both James’ and Becca’s departure this week. I had a moment to visit them this Sunday after Missy’s solid 3rd place finish on Fantastik (pictured) this weekend at Plantation Field.

James will be leaving with his horse Orlando (Ben in the barn) on Saturday the 25th, to make his solo mission down to Kentucky. Unfortunately he will be riding just as an individual for his home country of Ireland, as his fellow rider, Eilish Burn on Youri had to withdraw her horse due to recent minor strain. James is now feeling a bit of a dis-advantage because he won’t be able to ride the team test prior to his individual, but he has been in front of 3 of the judges in Canada & at the American trials.....so his confidence is strong.

The highlight of James’ season came originally in March when he did his first CDI able bodied test in Palm Beach, where he placed a very respectable 12th out of 30 or so horses. In addition, this summer at Windreach International CPEDI 3* in Toronto, he won the overall Championships & scored a 76 on his freestyle! James’ last competition was August 11th at Morven park, where he did his individual championship test (scoring a 72) & his freestyle test (scoring a 71). He made one noted mistake by forgetting his second simple change, so as he says, “I have to wake up” in preparation for the games. At home, James has continued his daily lessons with Jess & has been practicing the test to improve his half passes & the fluidness of the finer points and movements.

Once they arrive in Kentucky, Ben will be staying with Reese K. Stanfield at Maple Crest Farm in Georgetown, Ky. Reese is a Grand Prix dressage rider herself and placed in the top 5 last year at the Championships at Gladstone & her sister Lindsay has been a longtime student of Jessica’s.

 James’ dutiful groom this year at WEG will also be Kerri Sowers, who has been very involved with BHF through the generous loan of her long time partner, Kazan, to Becca Hart for this year’s USEF Para Championships.


This summer was a great one for Becca, winning the USEF National Para Champion on Kazan & USEF National Reserve Champion on Pippin (Norteassa). Kazan, owned by Kerri Sowers of Egg Harbor City NJ, competed Kazan in the Young Riders at PSG (about 9 years ago) and then progressed to the Intermediare II level. He’s been in & out of semi retirement for the past 5 years due to Kerri’s hectic schedule as a Physical Therapist and her dutiful commitment to helping out the riders at BHF. In addition Kerri is also busy bringing along her next young horse to follow in Kazan’s footsteps!

Becca is also gearing up for her big trip down south by continuing her training with Missy at home. In preparation for the WEG, Becca is in lessons 6 days a week on Pippin, remaining focused on her consistency, flow and increased brilliance with bringing Pippin’s poll up and out.

A big thank you goes out to Becca’s partial sponsor, Starbucks Corporation, in Kennett Square. They have given her a flexible schedule which has allowed Becca to focus on the games, and they are helping her fulfill her financial obligations required to make her way to Kentucky!!! She and Becca will be leaving on Wednesday the 22nd, driving straight through to the Kentucky Equine Research Center, who has generously sponsored the US Para Team and provides their four legged partners with stabling up until they move over to the equestrian center.

Let’s also not forget another key person on the team, her groom Alex Philpin, who is a long time friend of Missy's, has groomed professionally for years and has accompanied Becca to the World Championships and Hong Kong in the past.

Best of luck to both these extremely talented riders. We are proud of everyone involved here at Blue Hill Farm & we promise to keep in touch with regular updates reporting live from the WEG!!!

An Update From Jessica

Blue Hill Farm has been very busy with the Para riders. First was a long but successful trip to Toronto, Canada for a the Windreach 3 star dressage competition for our riders. We were very proud of Becca Hart, who placed 2nd in all three of her classes, right behind the Canadian Olympic gold medalist!

James Dwyer won two of his three tests and nicely qualified for the WEG, for his home country of Ireland. Our wonderful, colorful Carlingford JD, an Irish Sport horse of color, won all of his classes at grade 1A with his para rider, Laura Goldman, new to competition. She qualified for the US para selection trials, held at the end of June in Illinois. JD’s owner, Trudy Phillips, was kind enough to offer him to Laura for the ride.

The next important event was the Selection Trials in Illinois at the beautiful Lamplight Equestrian Facility. Becca outdid herself riding two horses; her own Nortessa and a new ride on Kazan, offered by Kerri Sowers (one of Jessica’s long time students). Nortessa, otherwise known as “Pippin”, Becca’s Para-Olympic mount, was just back from resting a slight strain. He placed just behind Kazan, who Kerri successfully rode to the Individual Bronze Medal at the 2001 Young Rider Championships. Kerri also kindly groomed for Kazan and James’ horse, Orlando, in Canada and at the Trials. Becca was really on top of her game, with her first place on Kazan and second with Nortessa, She became overall Champion and Reserve! 


James, competing for Ireland, rode at the Selection Trials in an open class, but had the same international judges. His scores in the Grade IV Division were the highest of all Grade IV riders! Carlingford JD again won all 3 classes at the 1A Grade Level, which put him squarely in the group of riders able to ride at the WEG. What a weekend for Blue Hill!

With these long trips behind us, we returned home for a two week rest before showing again at the NJ Horse Park. During the two weeks at home, I made a short trip to Florida to give a judging and short riding clinic for the riders from the Dominican Republic preparing for the Central American Games. These riders were hard working and dedicated to their sport. My purpose was to provide judging analysis through the Prix St George level tests, and to facilitate a clinic on how to raise their test scores on movements that were easiest to improve.

July 16th - 18th we were at the NJ Horse Park where the Blue Hill riders did very well in their 1st, 2nd and 3rd Level tests. Missy rode Taldi at 2nd Level, placing 1st in three out of her four rides and on Saturday was Reserve Champion. Rachel won all three of her rides and was Champion at 3rd Level, riding Carlingford JD.


Elizabeth Baries on Margarita was Reserve Champion at 1st Level on Saturday, winning one of her tests, placing 2nd on another and then taking two 3rd place prizes as well. We were very proud of her, considering this was Elizabeth’s first recognized show! Kerri Sowers rode her young horse Amigo, placing first in one of her First Level tests, and Silva Martin rode a powerful Grand Prix test on Jeff the Chef, scoring a 63% and placing second! Our Para riders stayed home to prepare for the Morven Park Dressage Show, which is taking place this upcoming weekend.

When reflecting on our efforts in Canada and Illinois, were were very pleased that three of the WEG judges got their eyes on our riders at these competitions. It was an important effort to show the judges that our riders were working to improve their tests, and we hope that the judges kind words and helpful insights will be remembered while competing at the WEG!!

Hart Places First And Second In 2010 USEF Para-Equestrian National Championships

Rewritten with Permission of the Chronicle of the Horse June 27, 2010

Hart Places First And Second In 2010 USEF Para-Equestrian National Championships
By: Lisa Slade (More Photos)

She placed first and second in the Para-Equestrian Selection Trials to put her in a strong position for the U.S. team for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Rebecca Hart remained unbeaten at the Para-Equestrian Selection Trials for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2010 USEF Para-Equestrian National Championships by placing first and second on Kazan and Norteassa, respectively, in today’s freestyle test for Grade I, II and III riders, and then sweeping the overall championship with Kazan (69.74%). The Para-Equestrian National Championships were held in conjunction with the Selection Trials at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill.

“I was really happy with him because it’s a relatively new ride,” Hart said of Kerri Sower’s Kazan. “It was only the second time we did our freestyle. The music suits him so well—it’s dainty, it’s jumpy and it’s nice.”

Norteassa, Hart’s partner of almost eight years, was reserve champion in the Para-Equestrian National Championship on 69.01 percent and second in the freestyle for Grade I, II and III riders on 72.50 percent.

“He was just kind of consistent and went in and did what he needed to do,” Hart said.

Next Hart, 25, will head back to trainer and Para-Equestrian coach Missy Ransehousen’s farm in Unionville, Pa., for additional training before the WEG.

“Missy has been fabulous, just getting the conditioning and working on getting them both ready to go through an entire week like this,” Hart said. “These can be incredibly grueling and long weeks, especially when it’s hot and humid like this.”

Robin Brueckmann, Summerfield, N.C., and Elly Schobel’s Raison D’Etre finished first in today’s freestyle test for Grade IV riders (69.83%) and third overall in the USEF Para-Equestrian National Championship.

“The walk was really good,” Brueckmann said of her freestyle ride. “I had some trouble with the changes, and that was my fault—I needed to have set him up better. We went out back in the warm-up, and it was all wonderful, so it’s only going to get better from here.”

Brueckmann used Simon & Garfunkel music from a freestyle she created for her previous Grand Prix horse, Richmond.

“[The music] is light and airy and fluffy and elegant, and so is he,” Brueckmann said of Raison D’Etre. “It’s really good music for him.”

The official list of team members and individual competitors for the World Equestrian Games will be released in approximately four to six weeks. There are four team spots and six individual spots available. The first seven will likely be filled from the top seven finishers in the National Championships, and the others are left up to the discretion of the selectors.

Results for the 2010 Para-Equestrian National Championships

Please help Support the PARA-WEBATHON for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games!!

Join us on June 8, 2010 at 7PM Eastern and support these inspiring athletes!

This is the first ever Para-Webathon to raise funds and awareness for Para-Equestrians on their Journey to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. All monies raised will be funneled through the United States Para Equestrian Association to offset the costs of the 10 United States Para-Equestrians and their horses attending the Games. Hosted by the Horse Radio Network at the Alltech studios in Kentucky.


• Phone number to donate on June 8, 2010 (7pm-9PM Eastern)  888-334-2991

• Link to donate by web
http://www.uspea.org/default.aspx?id=donate
• Send checks to USPEA, 3940 Verde Vista Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

• Thank you to the following for helping organize this event:
o The Horse Radio Network
o Alltech
o USPEA
o EZSignsOnline for providing signage
o Central Kentucky Riding for Hope