Big Results at Glanbrook Trillium Show June 4

4 Horses and Riders represented Kirkridge at the Glanbrook Trillium Show in Brantford. The competition was held at Langford Church Stables, which is a new facility for the Glanbrook Shows. It's a lovely facility! Ample parking, and a good show ring. A little humor was added in the indoor arena with a donkey occasionally "braying"!
The judge was Don Barnes, who also really liked this new facility!
The weather held out; I got wet before my test, but when I passed the judges' booth to start my test; the sun began to shine! I guess it was a good omen.
Thanks to all of my students who came out to support us. Our results show that although the entries were fairly light, we could have placed just as well at any show that had twice the number of competitors.
Here are the Results of the Kirkridge Riders:

Rosemarie Greer and Chellis:
Training Level Test 1 AA: 1st Place 64.09%
Training Level Test 2 AA: 2nd Place 60.00%

Sean Wismer and Kenkari:
Training Level Test 1 AA: 3rd Place 60.90%
Training Level Test 2 AA: 1st Place 60.38%

Sara Pederson and Barra's Destiny:
Third Level Test 1: 1st Place 63.06%
Third Level Test 2: 1st Place 65.24%

Elaine Ward and KF Almaz+//
Training Level Test 1 Open: 1st Place 66.81%
Training Level Test 2 Open: 1st Place 65.00%
First Level Test 1 Open : 1st Place 62.59%
First Level Test 2 Open : 1st Place 65.29%

Lauren Bailey and ESP Two Moon Junction+/ competed at the London Dressage Association Trillium Show on the same day. Where the weather was great for the Glanbrook Show, the LDA show was a mud bog!
Here is the e-mail I received from her father Bill this morning:
"Hi Elaine,
Lauren's results were Lev. 1 Test 3 - 62.00, Test 4 - 61.67 , Lev. 2 Test 1 - 57.89, Test 2 - 59.72. The Lev. 2 Test 2 was the only test done in ring 1 but she was not accurate in a lot of the details which cost her. The other 3 tests were done in a lower ring that had 6 - 8" of mud throughout with a lot of standing water. The judge was not very considerate of this to all competitors. The test sheets had the same comment about 20 times that the horse lacked energy & wasn't forward enough. In retrospect I don't know if it was worth while going in to the ring. There were a number who didn't. It was a rather frustrating day."

Kim Fisher Photography Rocks!

Absolutely some of the best pics I have had taken of my horses! Visit the link on the title to check out Kim's website with her proofs from the Milestone Show.

CCF Porshah

Here is a pic that I took of Porshah at the last show and got a little artistic with the digital imaging editing programmes.

Porshah the Wonder Horse!

After only 7 weeks under saddle, CCF Porshah was entered in the AHAEC Youth/Amateur show at Blacks' Equine Center on Mothers' Day.
From the very beginning, Porshah took to the new surroundings in stride, acting like a veteran!
Suzanne could not be happier with the results; even beating seasoned horses, 4 times her age!
Here are Porshahs' placings:
1st H/A Sport Horse Mares in Hand (75%)Defeated last years Reg 18 Champion.
1st H/A Hunter Pleasure Limit Horse
2nd H/A Hunter Pleasure Ladies to Ride
3rd H/A Hunter Pleasure AAOTR
4th H/A Hunter Pleasure Championship- probably would have won the class, but she did a flying change right in front of the judge!
5th H/A Sport Horse Under Saddle- A little on the "muscle" according to the judge!
So, it's some time to let Po hang out in the green pastures, and work on her dressage stuff again.
Not bad for a 3 year old!

GEN CUSTER aka MAVI at Milestone

So, I was looking through the AHA Handbook and figured something else out; With just one show under our belts, Mavi has also qualified for Canadian and US National Sport Horse Championships. It won't be this year, as the US Nationals are in Nampa Idaho, but maybe next year.

Here's a Good Photo of Chellis

Thanks Rosemarie for sending this pic of Chellis at the LDA Trillium Show last weekend. You can look out for Chellis at the Niagara and Glanbrook Trillium Shows this season at Training Level.

Kirkridge "Dun Good" Part 2

Not only was Saturday a hectic day, 2 riders attended the London Dressage Association Trillium Show on Sunday. Rosemarie Greer and Chellis of the Far Side, and Lauren Bailey with ESP Two Moon Junction had a fabulous day.
Here are the Results:
Rosemarie and Chellis Training Level Test 1AA (Her debut at Trillium) 59.09% 3rd
Training Level Test 2AA Redemption! 65.38% 1st

Lauren Bailey and Moon: First Level Test 3 Junior 60.86% 1st
First Level Test 4 Junior 62.50% 1st
Second Level Test 1 Junior 64.74% 1st
Second Level Test 2 Junior 62.70% 1st

Team Kirkridge "Dun Good"

Milestone Arabian Dressage Competition was held May 6th. Although Kirkridge only competed with 2 horses, they held their own!
Lauren Bailey and ESP Two Moon Junction dominated 1st and 2nd Level, plus the Half-Arabian Sport Horse Classes. Elaine and Mavi competed at 4th and Prix St.George. Yeah Mavi! Maybe Elaine should ride him more- 12 rides before the show! Oh well, Mav still got a 62.62% at 4th Level and 58.75% at Prix St. George! Elaine now has Maverick qualified for the Region 18 Championships..........how about Intermediate 1 in July? Could prove interesting!
Thanks to everyone who came to Milestone to cheer and help! Jacquie, Dana, Judy, Sue and Les. It was wonderful to have a group of people with us! Thanks to Judy for the wonderful pics!

Interesting Editorial of Types of Coaches

Click on the title of this blog and you will find a very interesting article on types of coaches in dressage.
HMMM I think I am Mary Poppins!

Porshah is Making Great Progress

Here's a photo of Sue and Porshah from yesterday in the arena. I am really thrilled with the progress of this mare, and she will definitely be a real looker in the shows this year. Hopefully tomorrow, we can get a better photo shoot outside.

What a Difference a Couple of Weeks Make!

Check out these pics of the farm. The snowy one is the one that the Weather Network aired. The second one is the farm yesterday. The paddocks have been scraped, the back ring levelled, and the outside rings are almost dry!

New AHAEC Blog

There is a new feature for the Arabian Horse Association of Eastern Canada. It's the AHAEC Dressage Blog.
You can find show dates for Open and Arabian Dressage shows, as well as information for dressage members.
Click on the title of this blog above to access it.

A Horse for Sue!

It took us almost 3 months to find the perfect horse for Sue........calling all over the US and Canada, travelling through blinding snow storms, and getting totally aggravated with horse shopping.
Along came CCF Porshah.......a beautiful Anglo-Arabian mare, just turning 3 years old, with the movement and power of a Porshe and a puppy dog personality.
I loved this mare from the moment I saw her.
Why a Palomino?. I could say, a friend for Mav! (only joking) Well, her daddy is Guaranteed Gold, a cremello Registered Thoroughbred! Talk about rare colour, with her mothers colour scattered throughout her body in spots! Porshah is unique, and is definitely going to be an eye catcher. She has already been a Top 5 in Halter as a yearling at the Region 18 Championships.
Porsha's good looks and elegant movement should put her at the Top in Sport Horse in Hand and Under Saddle, and Dressage.
Porshah is in full training with me at Kirkridge,and will be shown lightly this year!

Kirkridge on the Weather Network!

Today we were hit with a freak snowstorm. Grass green as anything down towards Hamilton according to the MTO traffic cameras near the QEW and 403 (Burlington area), and very little towards Cambridge. There was 20cms of snow that came down in 3 hours! So, I got this brilliant idea to take some pics and send it to the Weather Network Channel. Much to my surprise they used these 3 pics on the air! How cool is that????
The horses in the field are Thea, Aruba, and Misty.

AHAEC Banquet Update

The Arabian Horse Association Banquet was held this past weekend at the Hilton Hotel in Niagara Falls.
The annual general meeting was very informative and included an interesting discussion on how to increase the number of participants at these shows.
I will be helping conduct a "Sport Horse Seminar" at the AHAEC Youth and Amatuer show on Mothers' Day weekend at Blacks Equestrian Centre in Hamilton.
I am now a Director for the Association, so if you have any questions, please e-mail or phone me with your comments and concerns regarding AHAEC, and I will bring your concerns up at the directors meetings.
Renowned judge Peter Cameron gave an informative and humerous talk at the Banquet about his experiences judging all over North America. I wish he would write a memoir of his memories! Peter Cameron is one of the most highly respected breed judges of all time! He is in the Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, and the Arabian Hall of Fame.
Now retired, Mr.Cameron still resides in St. Catherines Ontario.
Pictured; Sean Wismer and Briggs at the Snowflake Dressage Series at RCRA in Newmarket last Month

More Awards and Nominations!

Caitlyn and Allie at the Empire Arabian Show May 2005
Congratulations to Caitlyn Parisi in being nominated for Junior Horse Person of the Year with the Arabian Horse Association of Eastern Canada. The final votes will be tallied, and the award given at the AHAEC Banquet next Saturday.
Rob Punter and Maid of the Mist (Misty) are the AHAEC Purebred 2 year old mares and over Champions.
KF Almaz+// is the Rivendell Dressage Award Winner for AHAEC.
New students Sean and Sarah from Milton competed at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy's (RCRA-formerly York Equestrian Centre) Snowflake Dressage Series. This was a note from Sean: "Hi Elaine just wanted to let you know the show went very good for Sara and I. Sara got two 2nds with a 60.45 and 63.46, and I got two 2nds with a 57.5 and 59.5. Briggs stayed round the whole test and Joey went very good as well."

KF Almaz+// is a Cover Girl!

Allie has finally made the front cover of a magazine. I knew this photo was pretty "hot" but wow! Thanks again to Jenni Imeson of Red Deer Alberta (long time student and friend) for taking the photo at the opportune moment at the Canadian Nationals in Regina last year. And, of course to myself, for doing some touch ups.... Really, Allie had whiskers!
Thanks to the Canadian Trakehner Society for choosing this special photo for their publication.

More Results for KF Almaz+//

Hot off the press:
More results from 2005! KF Almaz+// is the Ontario Trillium Training Level Open Champion, and the Ontario Trillium First Level Open Reserve Champion!
Lauren Bailey with ESP Two Moon Junction +/ is the Ontario Trillium Junior First Level Reserve Champion.
Pictured at Niagara Trillium Dressage June 2005. Too Hot for Jackets!

Clinic Dates for 2006

The following are my clinic dates so far for 2006:
Feb 26: Windsor Farms, Leamington Ontario
March 18/19: Windsor Farms, Leamington Ontario
Mar 26: Dressage Niagara, Sasha Arabians and Gillaforte Farm
April 1/2:Windsor Farms, Leamington Ontario

And the Results Keep Coming In!

Well, I was surfing around the net last night and came up with this! I never realized, but all the great results that I had with KF Almaz+// has put me in 8th place in the Arabian Horse Association Horse of the Year Standings! Albeit lower than the top horses in points, this accomplishment includes EVERY horse in the United States and Canada in every possible class that has shown in the Arabian/Half Arabian Circuit. Pretty Cool eh?
2005 High Point Horse Award
CURRENT STANDINGS
Enroll your horse in the Achievement Awards program now and be eligible for this year's High Point Award! Only points that are earned in 2005 will count toward the Year-End award!

Rank Horse Registry Owner Points
1 TCE BALASTRANA +++// IAHA 312105 BURWELL, MERCY
BRENTWOOD, MO 388
2 D A ONE PERFECT MELODY +++// CPAR AA00479 SURERUS, JODIE
LA GLACE, AB 368
3 NJUEPIC ++// CPAR 1A02161 SURERUS, JODIE
LA GLACE, AB 346.5
4 TOUCH OF VANITY +// AAHR 9038 WOOD, LAURA J
BROOKSVILLE, FL 271.5
5 OKW ENTRIGUE ++// AHR 548543 WERTHEIMER, MARY JO
WOODINVILLE, WA 227
6 RODEO SS +// AHR 550486 BUTTERWORTH, JO CATHERINE
DINWIDDIE, VA 185
7 MIDNIGHT SUN OA +/ AHR 510273 DEROUSIE, CYNTHIA
BELLEVILLE, MI 174
8 KF ALMAZ +// CPAR 1A04007 WARD-TURCOTTE, ELAINE J
ST GEORGE, ON 172.5
9 MM NAMATURIA ++// AHR 465631 MELL, MARILYN E
REDDICK, FL 160
10 SW SUN DANCE +++// AHR 505737 CARR, NANCY A
CLERMONT, FL 150