Team Strawson's Excellent Adventures

Team Strawson’s Excellent Winter Adventures

2011-03-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Is it Spring yet? What another unbelievable winter…cold temps and some crazy storms. Things have been running here at TPF despite the strange weather. This farm is beautiful no matter what time of year. Enjoy some of our winter pictures. My favorite is of the early January morning!

In spite of the inclement weather, we have accomplished a lot this winter! We made use of the cozy fireplace in the farmhouse to host EquiChord in the first of the freestyle clinic series. Our first ‘brunchinar’ (brunch served by EquiChord followed by the seminar) by the warm fire focused on the basics of freestyle creation, the wonderful benefits of riding to music at all levels, as well as viewing the current top freestyles in the world. Join us for the next in the series on March 26^th, where we actually start creating our freestyles.

The horses in training have made leaps and bounds in their training. Danika and Brooke went on their first outing off the farm to school at a local jumping show. Dani loved being out and behaved like a pro! At 24 years old, Morgan (owned by Janice Alperin) showed that 24 is the new 10! He went along to provide moral support for Dani.

Several of our Team Strawson riders will be testing their new skills at a show at Morven Park in mid March, in preparation for our show season starting in April. Check out our web calendar for our show dates.

While not on the farm teaching and training, I have been busy up in Pennsylvania, teaching for a day in February and then again in March at Sue Neilson’s Happily Ever After Farm.

Days on the farm (and off) have been mixed in with some nice warm nights by the fire (sometimes without power…). It is the fireplace that makes the winter bearable!

This winter was also time to say goodbye to some old friends. Degas, who has been a part of the family for the past 2-½ years, made the trip to Germany to be with his real parents – Marianne Campano and Clay Chilcoat. While we are so sad to see Degas go and will miss him very much, it is wonderful to see their family back together again. They are all loving Germany! We will have to visit very soon. I am so honored and feel very fortunate to have worked with Degas over the past couple of years, and look forward to see his continued success with Marianne and Clay.

On a sadder note, my sister and I had to say goodbye to Hawthorne, who was euthanized a couple of weeks ago. Hawthorne was a Hilltop Farm Stallion by Cocktail, who I competed through Intermediare for Hilltop. We were schooling Grand Prix when we went to Germany to train with Nicole. When Hawthorne had to be retired from competition, my sister Joan became his new mother and gave him a wonderful home over the last several years. He was a horse who gave his heart and soul, and he touched everybody who knew him. We will all miss him. Thank you Joan for all the wonderful care you have given ‘Herschel’.

At this reflective time, once again I think of how fortunate I am to have horses in my life. They bring so much joy and, of course, there is sadness at times as well. But these cycles only make me more appreciative of what I have. I am reminded to be grateful for every moment with these beautiful animals.

As spring approaches, I will gaze in gratitude for all my experiences and look forward to taking these into new beginnings.

We are looking to welcoming spring when Nicole Uphoff-Selke joins us April 22 – 24 and hopefully, by the time the Boot Camp arrives in May, we will have had lots of warm balmy days!!!

Happy Spring!

Barbara

Day 5 At The WEGs - Our Last Day

2010-10-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Last day in Kentucky for us! Eagerly anticipating the freestyles. We spent the afternoon at the WEG grounds checking out the vendors. Especially popular was the EQ -Equisense Systems booth. This new ‘equestrian training system’ has EQ enhanced tack that can be put on your horse (at the WEG there was a horse simulator) and can sense your movement - it feeds it wirelessly into a screen where the instructor can analyze your aides. There is even an iPhone app for the system. Another intriguing idea - we wanted to put the EQ tack on Amerika and go for a ride.

We enjoyed visiting the USDF and USEF buildings. It was wonderful to see the history of dressage in America at USDF building and especially the USDF Hall of Fame.

And finally the big event everyone was waiting for. It was amazing to see the number of people attending the sold out freestyle event. We couldn’t believe our good fortune that evening when trying to find a ticket for Susan - whose flight out of KY on Friday afternoon had been cancelled. It would have been horrible to be stranded in Lexington and not be able to watch the freestyles! Just as we were on the phone telling her the bad news that we could find NO ticket anywhere, a man passed us by and said “anybody need tickets for tonight?” We couldn’t believe that this generous man wouldn’t even let us pay him for the tickets.

We weren’t disappointed with fabulous rides from Edward Gal, Lauren Bechtolsheimer and of course the USA’s Steffen Peters…… go Steffen!!!!! But I have to share that my secret favorite was Juan Manuel Muñoz Diaz. He rode a mesmerizing freestyle …. He knows all about riding with precision, performance and passion to his music. He and his horse were perfectly in time to the music, his technical quality was wonderful, and he had fun – what a showman. The crowd yelled so loudly at the end that he practically fell of his horse (not really, but his horse was pretty startled). Ashley Holzer also put in a wonderful performance. You could see how well she and her horse knew the music. What a great evening and a great way to end a wonderful week. It really was an honor to watch such fabulous horses and riders and get to have so many goose bump moments!

In addition to the riding, the volunteers at the WEG were so friendly. Having been Chair for the PVDA Ride for Life Dancing Horse Challenge, I have an inkling of understanding what a monumental task it can be to put together an event and gather volunteers. Every day we attended I was amazed at the ‘troop’ of volunteers gathered at their stations. Everywhere you looked, there was a volunteer - I can’t even imagine how many there were. Many had taken vacation to come to the event and were from all over the country. Every single one was so friendly. You will see a photo of a new friend we met during the week.

Our last adventure at the WEG was leaving on Friday night. The cars were piled high. It took us 1 ½ hours to get out of the parking lot. We spent one full hour in a stationary spot. But we finally made it out and made it back safely to get a couple of hours rest before our drive back home the next day. It was worth every minute.

And now I am happy to be back home to see all the ‘ponies’ and continue my journey to ride in the WEG myself one day.

Day 4 At The WEGs - September 30th

2010-10-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

We had a break from competition today so Brian, Dona and I thought we would check out the International Equestrian Festival. This was held in the convention hall in downtown Lexington. This was a huge trade fair of over 300 vendors. We had a crazy and fun day checking out all of the newest horsey fads as well as the old tried and true horse products. From insoles to wear while you are teaching to crazy hats…..we saw it all! Brian was especially fascinated with ‘Amerika’ the riding simulator. Check out the pictures; there is one of Brian practicing for Friday night’s freestyle………

The simulator is an interesting idea - riders can get a lesson on Amerika to learn how to give the proper aides and correct position. Later, they are able to transfer what they felt on a real horse.

The WEGs - Pictures at an Exhibition

2010-09-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures that we have taken so far while at the WEGs. Stay tuned as we continue our visit!

Day One - Barb & Dona Ruth

Let the Games begin!

Some folks will go anywhere for a
good parking space

The art of the grandstands

Brian, Barb & Dona Ruth
at the WEGs

Competitive shopping
at the WEGs!

Even at the WEGs, it's a good idea to have
your ducks in a row.

Into every competition,
a little rain must fall...

Steffen Peters in action!

Juan Manuel Muñoz Diaz in action!

Day Three - Team Spirit

2010-09-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

Barb & Dona Ruth display their
USA Team Spirit!

Another fantastic day at the WEGs, with fabulous weather to go with it. With each ride better than the last, it was just amazing to see these fabulous horses again. Riders were pushing the envelope…some with great success and for others, not. Riders who were getting everything out of their horses the days before, were now asking for more. Bringing the horses to the very edge worked for some, yet for others it brought them too far over the edge, causing them to make too many mistakes. In the competition today, one could really understand what it meant to ride that line.

We were all so proud of our American riders, and tried to show some team spirit. Of course, we were all so proud to see Steffen win the bronze medal with his absolutely stunning ride, and it was exciting to be a part of it. And again, Edward and Laura did not disappoint us with their rides. These three horses are truly amazing to watch. We are waiting in anticipation of the musical freestyles on Friday night.

Day Two - Desperate Dressage Enthusiasts Seeking Starbucks...

2010-09-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

This spot reserved...

Brought to their knees due to the "Fisher-Price" sandwiches and lack of hot drinks, several dressage enthusiasts were found frequenting a local Starbucks prior to the second day of the Team Dressage competition at the WEG 2010. When apprehended, suspects were found coveting Starbucks’ tea bags in their pockets for use later during the competition. They will also be charged for parking in undesignated parking spots…. The competition officials are still trying to uncover the mystery of how they circumvented the parking officials, who are most cheerfully guiding spectators to their parking spaces with Luke Skywalker laser sticks…………

This way, people!

Day Two of the team competition held even more excitement than the first. You could just feel the energy of the crowd anticipating the arrival of Totilas and then, of course, Steffen Peters as the final rider to go. As I am sure everyone has, I heard that Totilas was even more impressive in person than on video. So I had high expectations and did not want to be disappointed. We had already been disappointed when two horses were excused from the competition; it was just heartbreaking.

So later in the afternoon we were all waiting like teenagers - waiting for a rock star to appear….and there are just no words to describe the privilege of watching Totilas. When that horse entered the ring and halted, it was like magic. While so many of the movements were spectacular, even the most basic movements took your breath away. In the halt by C, the horse just landed into the halt with such elegant precision, that the whole crowd took a breath….the whole thing was so amazing.

We were all feeling sorry for the rider to go after Totilas, but there was no need. Juan Manuel Muñoz Diaz was up to the task. He had a spectacular ride which said, ”Here I Am”, and that demeanor brought him into second place. I would love to know how he prepared mentally for that ride. And then we had Laura Bechtolsheimer from Great Britain who had a ride just as breathtaking as Edward Gal’s. She rode with such beauty and precision that I had goose bumps the entire time. And then, of course, there was the last rider to go that day, Steffen Peters, who was just so amazing that we were all practically in tears…what a rider!

It was such an emotional day, with such highs and lows. It was such a privilege to watch all of these horses and riders, and to be reminded of how difficult and exhilarating that journey can be.

Team Strawson at the WEGs - Day One!

2010-09-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Team Strawson’s Excellent Adventures continue at the WEG 2010…………

Life is what you make of it, and so far we have turned everything into a fun adventure! It started on our trip down where each stop was an adventure….stopping in old fashioned grocery stores, laughing so hard telling stories, our trip from the hotel to the WEG grounds the first day where we took an unexpected detour through Indiana - so far it has been nonstop fun - almost……………

As long as you forget sitting in the pouring rain, not being able to get a hot cup of chocolate or tea, the cold, cold breakfast sandwich on an untoasted English muffin (we expected a cozy kiosk with lots of hot drinks since the website told us to get there 2 ½ hours early---not), not being able to leave the stadium area in the morning to see the vendors or find something hot to drink…….if you laugh about these things and turn them into an adventure, then you can have a great time.

And what can be better than watching the top dressage equestrians in the world. We had a full day of watching the riders complete the Grand Prix, the first half of the team competition. The first two USA riders, Todd Flettrich and Katherine Bateson-Chandler did a super job. Todd had one of the best piaffes we saw all day, scoring a 9 from one of the judges. Katherine did a great job, finishing in 5^th place overall with a lovely, elegant ride. There were a lot of nice horses and riders, but the two stand outs of the day were the two Dutch riders who were able to ride ‘a heck of a test’. They rode with accuracy and purpose to get everything out of their horses. My favorite was Imke Schellekens-Bartels who had the whole package – nice horse, beautiful rider, horse was good in all gaits - she rode with purpose and accuracy while looking elegant - putting everything together. Of note were her extended canter and canter pirouettes; you just don’t see canter pirouettes like that too often.

So, all in all it was a great day. We will be getting an early start again tomorrow (5:30 am) and will make room for a stop at Starbucks this time!

A Special Day

2010-09-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

With so many sad things happening this year – most recently the loss of Cabana Boy – it seems natural to evaluate where you are and where you are going. I believe it is important to allow yourself to feel the sadness and know that it takes time for these feelings to dissipate. I believe that it is also important to be grateful for each day and be mindful of your own role in the world. I sometimes find this hard to remember when in the midst of day-to-day craziness, but then something happens to remind me of what life is truly all about.

This week provided me one of those days when ‘something happens’ that completely places life’s meaningful aspects into focus. Actually, there were a couple of poignant moments that have caused me to think about it all through the evening.

The first was this past Monday morning while riding in the outdoor arena. A man who worked at picking up recycling materials for the county stopped by the road to watch me ride. He watched for a while and, when I finished, got out of his truck to talk with me. He told me that he had seen me riding before, and had been fortunate enough to visit a neighboring farm this past weekend with his family to meet the horses. He told me how amazed and how comfortable he was when he actually got to meet them. He realized what incredible animals they are – how loveable, sensitive, powerful and intelligent they are – in addition to being beautiful. He said that when he watched me ride, he saw how proud and powerful my horse was, and realized what a special connection I must have with a horse to perform as we did. He went on to tell me how thankful he was that he took his family out on Sunday afternoon, instead of staying at their house. He said the journey to the farm, particularly connecting with the horses, brought his family closer together. He then thanked me for doing what I do, and said that he is going to continue to take his family out in nature like this so that they can get closer together. I could only reply that yes, horses do heal your heart.

I was just stunned – this man and his family ‘got it’ – this county worker who drives by the farm every week actually got the essence of horses simply by watching their beauty – and it made a positive impact on his family. And for these moments, it is all worth it.

But not only did I have this one moment on Monday; I was fortunate enough to have yet another instance to appreciate the beauty of horses, nature, and music. In the early evening hours, I was warming up to practice my freestyle. The sun was starting to set, and it was a very quiet time of day. While I was riding, the Maddlones put on a piece of music that I had never heard before; it was the most beautiful music I had heard in a long time. As I was riding with the sun going down, hearing beautiful music, and sharing this idyllic moment with friends, I felt so fortunate and grateful to be doing what I do.

For the rest of the day and evening, I was in such a better place – thanks to those two, simple experiences. They were moments that I wanted to share with you in the hopes that, as you ride on those special days, you will take a minute to realize the magic and blessings they contain on so many levels.

Transformations at the Boot Camp!

2010-08-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe the Transformational Boot Camp has come and gone! What an inspirational weekend it was. Stay tuned for testimonials from the participants and videos of the workshops. Personally, the boot camp far exceeded my expectations. I was so happy and privileged to work alongside the other practitioners in providing education and healing to both the riders and horses. I learned so much from the other practitioners as well as the participants. The camaraderie of the whole group was refreshing and inspiring. Special thanks go out to Kim Lankford for her awesome Pilates sessions, Marjorie Lewis for her wonderful massages, and Norma Lynn Fox and Frank Maddlone for their invigorating hiking expertise. And a big "thank you!" to each participant for being open and willing to learn and have fun! Last but not least, special thanks go out to Equichord for capturing the weekend's events on video, and to Brian for helping all of us throughout the weekend.

The Dream of Champions

2010-07-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the USET Headquarters in New Jersey, where I was privileged to take part in the USEF Dressage Rider Talent Search with Debbie McDonald. Approximately 33 horse/rider combinations rode for Debbie in one day, and two were chosen to stay for the Developing Rider Clinic. While Trust Me and I were not selected to stay, we both had a great experience. Debbie gave us a great evaluation, and essentially told us we were on the right track with the training program. Coming out of the session, I felt very positive and upbeat about our ride and our progress in general. Debbie was very friendly and helpful. The day was filled with amazing combinations of horses and riders both professional and amateur. It was an honor to be invited to attend this program (which is just getting started) and, as always, an honor to be at Gladstone and be a part of the team spirit and old time aura of the facility. It is amazing to see the trophy room filled with photos and results of past Champions from all disciplines. The ambience hasn’t changed since my first time riding there as a young rider, when I attended a week-long training session preparing for the Young Rider Championships. More pictures from this wonderful adventure will follow soon!

Nicole Uphoff-Selke Clinic Coming in July!

2010-06-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

That's right; Nicole Uphoff-Selke, the four-time German Olympic gold medal winner in team and individual dressage, is coming back to join us at Turning Point Farm for a three-day clinic! We are so proud and happy to host Nicole each year; her clinics are a wonderful and unique opportunity to train with one of the most prolific and insightful dressage trainers of her generation. She will be joining us for three days (July 23, 24 and 25), sharing her knowledge and experience in ways that are truly transformational. For more information and sign-up regarding this wonderful clinic, be sure to visit my website (http://barbarastrawson.com/pdf/nicole-uphoff-july2010.pdf). Looking forward to seeing you there!

A Day in the World - World Dressage Masters in FL

2010-02-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I feel pretty guilty being down here in Wellington when we are supposed to get the ‘snow storm of the century’ back in DC. At first they were saying 12 inches, and I thought ‘piece of cake’ compared to our snowstorm back in December. But now I think we are we expecting an accumulation of 24 inches and ‘white out’ conditions.

I have such a wonderful team back home who are ‘holding down the fort’ while I take time for my professional development. Thank you Lauren, Judi, Brian, Frank, CeCe, Jennifer, Norma Lynn, Janice, Nancy, Susan and Crispin.

In spite of the feelings of guilt, I can’t deny that sitting in that warm sun watching Steffen Peters ride in the World Dressage Masters was a welcome respite from the winter chill!

I have never seen this pair in person. I last saw Steffen ride at the WEGs in 2006. I was disappointed when he and Florianus were just out of the medals; they were such a joy to watch. Now, seeing Steffen on Ravel, I am impressed again with Steffen’s harmony and precision in the ring. The pair were certainly a joy to watch, and what I saw today will certainly be a picture that comes to mind when I think of what ‘dressage’ should be.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see all of the pairs today. Just a couple of days after I bought my plane ticket, the start time changed from 3 pm to 1 pm, so I missed half of the class. Ashley Holzer and Pop Art have been a favorite pair of mine, so I was sorry to miss them. But I will look forward to seeing the freestyle on Saturday. I was also sad to miss Isabell and Satchmo – seeing this pair at the 2006 WEGs in the GPS was the most amazing thing - I still remember grabbing Brian’s arm with my mouth dropped open as Satchmo half passed…..there was an ‘audible’ silence from the crowd as the horse lifted his shoulders and crossed over in the most incredible half pass I have ever seen.

So there will be a lot to look forward to in the next days!

I also have to admit I was feeling a bit of nostalgia – missing being here with Degas last year.

But it was a beautiful day and I ran into several nice people, from the car rental guy (he says cool beans), to the girl who picked me up in her golf cart right outside my car at the equestrian center and dropped me at the ring - must have been 5 miles ;) , to the dinner delivery guy. And, of course, it was wonderful to run into some old friends.

I will look forward to what tomorrow brings!

Words to Live By

2010-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau

Now, there is a quote to live by! I was very excited to learn over the weekend that I had received the USDF Region 1 award for the 2009 Outstanding Achievement at the FEI Levels! It is an honor to be singled out for such an award, given all the talented riders in this category whom I admire and respect. I want to thank the PVDA for their submission, and also thank everyone who has supported me throughout the year - I couldn’t have done it without my team!

But wait; there’s more! That’s right - just after I heard about the FEI Achievement award, CeCe brought to my attention that Degas and I had placed 3rd in the country at the Intermediare 1 Freestyle (Open Division) level for the 2009 USDF All-Breeds Winners (Hanoverians)! 2009 was quite the musical success for us, having won the GAIGs and BLMs in the I-1 freestyle competition, so this award from the USDF was just a wonderful culmination to the year’s events. I want to thank CeCe & Frank Maddlone from EquiChord for all the work they have done to help make these musical dreams come true!

We are all very excited about what is ahead for 2010 - stay tuned to Team Strawson as we continue our journey to excellence. To paraphrase Thoreau, our team will be marching “in the direction of our dreams”.

Tempus Fugit

2010-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

Who says winter is a slow time of year?? Many businesses may have a slow period, but that just doesn’t seem to happen here. Turning Point Farm is hopping this January! We have planned a lot of activities for winter fun to break up the monotony of long, cold winter days and having to ride inside. Last weekend we had group lessons and everyone switched horses. It was a blast and very educational! This weekend, each rider will come to their lesson with a very specific goal and, at the end of the lesson, we will video ‘the goal’. Immediately following the lesson, we will evaluate each rider’s video for instant feedback. Coming up will be freestyle riding, fix a test and more!!! Also, stay tuned to the website for the 2010 schedule.

Christmas Ode to Dressage

2010-01-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Remember to stabilize your core."

On the second day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Follow with your arms"
"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the third day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the fourth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the fifth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the sixth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the sixth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And Remember to stabilize your core."

On the seventh day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Keep your body straight"

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the eighth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Ride all your corners"

"Keep your body straight"

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the ninth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Outside rein is crucial"

"Ride all your corners"

"Keep your body straight"

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core.

On the tenth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Keep your horse forward"

"Outside rein is crucial"

"Ride all your corners"

"Keep your body straight"

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Always keep a smile"

"Keep your horse forward"

"Outside rein is crucial"

"Ride all your corners"

"Keep your body straight"

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

My trainer said to me:

"Straighten out your horse"

"Always keep a smile"

"Keep your horse forward"

"Outside rein is crucial"

"Ride all your corners"

"Keep your body straight"

"Proper use of half halts"

"Inside leg to outside rein!"

"Always ride the rhythm"

"Keep your heels down"

"Follow with your arms"

"And remember to stabilize your core."

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

As 2009 comes to a close, I am sitting here reflecting on the past year as well as the past several ones. It is sometimes hard to imagine how quickly time goes by. I so often get caught up in a busy life and getting things done, that I forget to reflect on how grateful I am for what I have. I forget the importance of each moment and living it - not just for the sake of getting it done so I can move on to the next. I remind myself that each and every moment are the things that carry us through life, whether they be successes or disappointments. When I experience disappointments, I try to remember that where one door closes, another one opens. When I celebrate successes, I try to be mindful of how blessed I am and how many people were involved in making them happen.

This holiday season, while it has been very busy, I have tried to be mindful of how grateful I am for this past year, as well as feel excitement for the coming year. We loved having our family over (all 35 of them!) for Christmas at the new farm. We also had plenty of help on hand to take care of the horses on Christmas day! We are so lucky to have so many wonderful family and friends, as well as a barn full of amazing horses after just a few short months here (as you can see in the attached photo, we are getting a lot of riding done - Jennifer cleaned all those bridles by the way, so Lauren could take care of the rest of the barn on Wednesday).

I would like to take this moment to thank all of you who have been an integral part of making this happen, and I look forward to seeing everyone reach their riding goals in 2010.

To inspire you with reaching your goals, Equichord asked me to share the riding tips that my students have been working on. From that, they wrote everyone a new Christmas carol. We hope you will all be singing this merry tune throughout the year! Happy New Year!

A White Christmas

2009-12-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

We survived the first snowstorm at the new farm! We had a dedicated crew that got to work in spite of the snow. Many thanks to Crispin who helps with the morning horse care, Charlotte who is visiting us from Germany, and Brian and Lauren for helping us through the weekend. On Saturday morning Brian, Charlotte and I made our way down to the barn - bundling up as much as possible. You can see a photo of Charlotte and I before we headed out. This is when it looked like any ‘ole snow storm. Crispin made sure the horses were fed and stalls cleaned, Charlotte and I spent the whole day helping to shovel out and exercise the horses, and Brian spent the day into the evening plowing the barn and house driveways! And the next day he went out for more, helping to plow out several of the neighbor’s driveways. The horses are loving the snow.

We are now ready for the freezing rain that has been forecasted for tonight on Christmas Eve……………..bah humbag

Surprises, Galore!

2009-12-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

With the sun shining in the picture here you can't really tell how cold it is, but we are starting to have some really cold days!! Degas and I are here imagining we are in the Florida sunshine. I will get some photos of the new farm up soon, but you can see a little in the background.

We also got a nice surprise in the mail today. There was a package from the Eastern States Dressage Association Garden Classic Horse show. This was the show that hosted the BLM Championships this year. Degas won the Winslow Therapeutic Riding Unlimited Perpetual Trophy for having the high score at
Intermediaire I for the entire show. It was a wonderful reminder of the fantastic season we just had. And great inspiration for moving on to piaffe, passage and one tempis......

We're Baackkk!

2009-12-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know I have been off the radar for 3 months now! But our team has been accomplishing some very important things!!!! Within the last 3 months I have moved my house, my business and the horses, won 3 championships and 2 reserves, taken 4 new horses in training, hosted another clinic with Nicole Uphoff, taken Degas in his first Intermediare II and taken Jennifer and Furley to a special USEF Jr/Yr clinic with Michael Barisone AND in addition to all this, my husband has taken a new job. Talk about good stress!!!

I am so excited with the new changes in my life. My husband and I are leasing Turning Point Farm in Clarksburg, MD. It is wonderful to be living on a farm once again. For years I grew up living in the country, and always lived on a farm until my return from Germany in 2005. We enjoyed living in the small town of Poolesville, where the grocery store is 1 minute away. However, living on the farm again, in the most cute, rustic log house with a beautiful view of the pastures and barn has made Brian and I the happiest we have been in a very long time.

The horses also love it here. They are so relaxed and really seem to enjoy the cozy atmosphere. The people at the barn are also very relaxed and are having a great time. I feel very lucky because Lauren, in addition to her riding talents, is lending her talent as barn manager to help me keep the farm up and running.

At Turning Point, we are looking forward to having some fun educational events, working on some cool projects and in addition having some plain ‘ole fun.

Our first educational event was with Nicole Uphoff-Selke. She came for a 3 day clinic. She loved the facility so much, that she plans on bringing her family for a 2 week vacation this summer, while also teaching and training here.

Several students here at the barn rode in the clinic. First though, I have to brag about Degas, who Nicole thought had improved immensely in all of his work, especially the piaffe and passage. Grand Prix here we come! Jennifer and Furley also made huge strides in just the few months since Nicole was here last - she said to keep up the good work we have been doing in recent months. Judi and Zivona both looked like a ‘million bucks’!! Nancy also asked me to ride Sundance in the clinic for an evaluation. Nancy said the weekend was ‘magical’. Several of our trailer-in students also rode in the clinic. It was great to see Doris and Whispy, Dona and Gracie and Kim and Coco join us for the weekend. Our students Paulette with her horse Donna also joined us from Ohio as well as Paulette’s husband Andy with his horse ‘Z’. We had other clinic regulars join us coming from Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

It was a great inspirational weekend and a great kick off clinic at the new facility!

Just one week later, Jennifer and I ventured to New Jersey for the USEF Youth/Pony pilot program clinic with Michael Barisone. Jennifer was selected to ride in the clinic based on her scores at first level this year. We had a great weekend with lots of fun, education and inspiration from Michael. He is filled with educational facts and fun stories that really make the learning process fun.

So as you can see we have kept ourselves very busy over the last 3 months. Stay tuned for more excitement from Team Strawson’s Excellent Adventures.

The Journey to Excellence Reaches a Turning Point and Wins

2009-12-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

JOURNEYtoExcellence

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Journey to Excellence Reaches a Turning Point and Wins

Clarksburg, Maryland - December 14, 2009 - On the heels of relocating to her new training facilities at Turning Point Farm in Clarksburg, Maryland, Barbara Strawson, FEI Dressage Competitor and Trainer, went on the road to garner three prestigious year-end championships and two reserve championships. Within a two week span, Strawson won the Intermediare 1 Freestyle Final at both the Colonel Bengt Ljungquist Memorial Championships, as well as the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Championships (Region 1). At the CBLM she also brought home the Intermediare 1 championship. Strawson was Reserve in the Prix St George Final at both the CBLM and GAIG/USDF Championship. Aboard Degas, the impressive 18-hand Hanoverian owned by Marianne Campano, Strawson also capped off the season by receiving the “Most Elegant Rider Award” for the second year in a row at the CBLM.

In a recent DNN (DressageNewsNetwork) interview, Strawson commented on her Freestyle success. "EquiChord has been practicing with me for a whole year on this Freestyle - I had never ridden a freestyle before, so the progression was really nice to see. To have taken him along and then to end up winning at the BLMs and GAIGS was very rewarding." Strawson also credits the support of her team and the overall philosophy of her training system - a program she recently brought to her new location.

"Our goal is to provide each horse and rider with a balanced and consistent system based on individual goals," says Strawson. "We offer quality care and attention to detail in all aspects - horse care, training, teaching, relationships. The team is always available to attend to the needs of horses and owners alike. We will be experimenting with a mix of programs at our new location, spanning from our basic full training to short term training for people who are in need of a tune-up or an intensive training period. For horses and riders alike, we provide a program that encompasses a variety of integrative methods to enhance the learning process. For example, riders will receive an evaluation and, in addition to traditional lessons, may receive lunge lessons, Balimo™, Pilates, or massage work, and/or workshops in developing their freestyles, goal setting, etc. Horses also receive a variety of cross training and body work."

Barbara Strawson, LLC, a corporation established in 2005, offers 20+ years of experience in training and competing horses from USDF Training Level through FEI Grand Prix. Earning her USDF Bronze and Silver medals as well as her USDF Silver Freestyle Medal, Barbara continues to seek out and provide excellent levels of education. Through her degree in Psychology from the University of Delaware and her certification in Balimo™, Barbara exceeds the expectations and the varying training needs of both her riders and horses by providing each the necessary tools to achieve their goals. As an active competitor, Barbara has studied and competed in Europe under the tutelage of four-time Olympic gold medal winner, Nicole Uphoff-Selke, and is working towards representing her country internationally.

For more information, please contact:

charlie@equichord.com

888-229-8975

Nicole Uphoff-Selke Clinic for August 2009

2009-09-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic weekend with Nicole!!!

We are usually lucky to make it from the airport to the house though. The weekend started off with a latte for Nicole and a hot tea for me from Starbucks, which is outside the International terminal at the airport. I usually bring ‘Nicole’s’ truck – the F350, which is still a novelty for her since there aren’t many of those in Germany.

Once fortified with coffee and tea, we needed to make the trek home.

This time, I told her we couldn’t talk until we got onto the correct highway. Back in April, we were talking so much I wasn’t paying attention to the road --- and we had a nice sightseeing tour of Virginia. We didn’t feel like another tour, so this time we behaved ourselves until we were on the right road. Unfortunately, we got distracted on the Ferry ride, and forgot to get off the ferry right away! Luckily, everyone was patient, and we didn’t end up taking several trips.

The rides went fabulous, as tends to happen when Nicole is ringside. I really needed her help though. Since the last clinic, we were going through a remedial stage – it was as if I had never done one tempis before. When I told her this on the drive from the airport, she knows me so well, that she knew immediately what my problem was.

Once I got back into the correct rhythm, we had it nailed. And I have been able to repeat them this week! We also had to work on keeping the correct rhythm in the piaffe - sometimes it’s hard to get all the pieces (mine) coordinated.

On Friday of the clinic we had a lunch discussion, which was a question and answer period, and on Saturday evening we had a barbeque at the farm.

This weekend was the perfect way to finish the summer. We are looking forward to Nicole’s next visit, which we hope will be Thanksgiving weekend. Stay posted for the confirmed dates.

You can see some pictures of everyone enjoying the barbeque. Here also is a picture of the new Kerrits breeches that I am test wearing.

Summertime Fun!

2009-08-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

We are having NO Summertime Blues here in hot, hot, hot Dickerson, MD. Today, Degas, in spite of his monumental size, had plenty of energy and was ready for more (I however, was looking forward to a cold drink). Everyone is hanging in there though, and preferring the heat to the extreme cold winter temperature (well, maybe not everyone).

The summer is just flying by, as usual. We are all eagerly preparing for Nicole’s visit in 1 ½ weeks (Aug 28 -30). Nicole has full lesson days with 9 – 11 riders each day! Friday’s riders, auditors and boarders at Dominion Stables will get to enjoy a question/answer period with Nicole during lunch on Friday, as well as a barbecue on Saturday night.

This past weekend, the Goal Setting Clinic was a ton of fun. It was great to do another format! We had a discussion and workshop on Friday night and the riders set their goal for the following day. The next day’s lesson was focused on the goal for the day and how to carry that out through the warm up, training phase, and cool down portion of the ride. Thanks to Dona Ruth and Ships Quarters Farm for hosting and organizing the clinic!

Jennifer Foulon and Hilary were actually able to get away from the heat. They took the long drive up to New York for Lendon Gray’s Youth Festival. Jennifer and Furley again did an awesome job. Thank you Hilary for taking the long drive and coaching them there! I remember taking several young rider’s there when I was the assistant trainer at Hilltop. It was a great experience for the young riders, and something I wanted Jennifer to experience as many times as possible. I believe Jennifer had a great time, as she is already talking about next year! Her final standings were overall 4^th in the training level and 7^th in the first level division in her age group. Quite an accomplishment for the first time out Jennifer! Congratulations! Jennifer shared a couple of pictures, which you can see here.

On The Road Again

2009-07-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Have to brag about Jennifer and Shannon one more time, they got a 81.45% in their pas de deux last weekend at the Youth Team Competition. We are all so proud of them!!! Here are a few pictures.

I will be signing out for a week! Yes, there are still places in the world where you have no cell phone or internet access.

I think it is about time for a vacation..... Today on our drive I was on the phone to the USPS trying put a hold on our mail. I was following all the instructions just like I was supposed to do, and after about 10 min (at least it seemed like it, or 20 min), I finally lost it. I could feel it welling up, that terrible, terrible feeling of uncontrollable...... LAUGHTER. I am sitting

on the friking phone having a (seems like) 20 min conversation with a COMPUTER! When it finally asked my name, I could barely squeak out the letters... B (ha ha) A (ha ha) R (ha ha). When the computer asked if the name "BAR" was correct, she/it got SO frustrated with me when I couldn't say "NO", that she had to connect me with...guess what? A REAL CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE!

I finally had to put Brian on the phone to make sure we knew what was going to happen to our mail.

OK everyone, have a good week!

Summertime, And The Ridin' Is Easy

2009-07-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Ok…..so you have to have a little fun right???? Judi and I decided the other day to take the horses out to ‘work’ in the field. As we were ‘playing’ one of the boarders comes out with her young daughter and said “we are coming to watch the big girls”, and I looked over and said OK, that’s great, the ‘big’ girls are playing ‘Simon Says’ today!!!! So then the big and little girls continued playing Simon says out in the field together.

Meanwhile, the not so big girls as us, young riders Shannon and Jennifer, were at the Youth Team Championships having a blast! You can see their results in the twitter column to the right. We are ALL so proud of them.

We had two great weekends in a row, with Lexington and then the Youth Team Competition. It has been a great summer so far.

Greetings from Lexington!

2009-07-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

The weekend in Lexington has been fun but busy. I'll have some stories to share soon.......in the meantime, check out our progress on Twitter!

Photos from the Ride for Life

2009-07-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos I promised. As you can see, Norma Lynn, Jennifer and Shannon were busy at the Ride for Life, in addition to volunteering for the Dancing Horse Committee. Shannon, Jennifer and I also made an exchange - I coached them for their pas de deux before the show, in exchange for doing all the feeding, mucking

and watching over Degas at the show. As you can see in one of the pictures, they had some early mornings (and/or late nights??)

They also pitched in when Norma Lynn hurt her ankle (yes, she rode and won with a hurt ankle!!). They braided Floete and took care of her. Norma Lynn appreciated this with sponsoring them for Debbie McDonald’s Fireside Chat! Thanks everyone for all of your hard work and generosity. Go Team!

Norma Lynn on Floete

Shannon on Secret

Jennifer on Morgen

More from the Ride for Life

2009-07-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Ride for Life was such a special event! This year, we were honored to have Debbie McDonald as the guest speaker. She is incredibly generous, something that was wonderful to learn about her while organizing the Ride for Life activities with her. First of all, she donated a one day clinic, all proceeds going to Johns Hopkins. We decided to auction off the clinic on eBay. This turned out to be a great idea! The auction brought in $8500!!!!! The best part is that the clinic will be used for para-equestrian riders.

Of course, she gave in other ways besides taking up 3 days of her time to come to the Ride for Life. The Fireside Chats were a big hit, and everyone seemed to love having some personal time to learn more about Debbie, Brentina and her philosophies. It was also an honor to hear about the little girl who came to Debbie through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and to hear how instrumental Brentina was to her recovery.

Debbie is such a down to earth person. She was so friendly to everyone, and seemed to have a good time being part of the gang. Here is a picture of Debbie, Me and Mercedes (who was the ‘Debbie Minder’ for the weekend). As you look at the picture, I just want to let you all know one thing….. long legs are not always what they are cracked up to be….but Nicole never took this as an excuse from me for not having my leg on the horse (yes, sometimes your legs feel too long for the horse)

You will also see a photo of the Dancing Horse Challenge committee with Debbie. Unfortunately the whole committee couldn’t be there on Sunday during the photos. However, Degas made it and seemed to enjoy being part of the gang and gave Debbie some extra kisses.

The next photo is of the Caravan for the Cure with Debbie. Those of you who don’t know, the Caravan is from North Carolina, and come up every year for the Ride for Life. They raised over $20,000 by themselves!!!! As a thank you for all their dedication and hard work, we arranged a private ‘chat’ with them and Debbie. When I walked out of the Fireside Chat room and found them all waiting in their Caravan t-shirts it was such a great sight!!! What an energetic, positive and fun group of people! Their group inspired many of us during the year as things got busy and tiring.

Look soon for more photos of the Tribute ride.

Pictures From An Exhibition

2009-07-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some pictures from the Dancing Horse Challenge. As you can imagine, there were many details to be tended to prior to the show! In this first shot, Brian is helping me get ready for the tribute ride. Part of the fun is being able to dress up in costume for the performance - something we never get to do in competition!

Of course, my arena companion, Degas, had quite a costume fitting of his own for the ride! Here you can see the wonderful touches done by Lauren to make Degas look perfect for his ride during the tribute's "Fields of Gold".

Finally, here is Lauren Sirrine proudly displaying her ribbon awarded from the Dancing Horse Challenge - we are so grateful to her and the other wonderful riders who helped make the evening a special and unforgettable one!

Memories from the Ride for Life

2009-07-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

There were so many memorable events during this year’s Ride for Life. I want to share a few special moments from the horse show. We had a few students showing this year in addition to us all organizing the Dancing Horse Challenge.

Norma Lynn won all of her Intro classes! But the special one was the last class on Sunday when Norma Lynn and Floete had their best test ever. Congratulations Norma Lynn! It is so great coming out of the ring with this feeling!

The other really exciting class was ridden by Jennifer Foulon on Janice Alperin’s Morgan, and Shannon Zik, on her own Secret. Yes, they performed their first pas de deux! I felt like a proud parent watching both of them perform. I got all teary eyed when they nailed all their transitions. I walked out of there not caring what score they got, but thought it had to be good…………and it sure was - they got a 78%!!!!!!!!!!!! How exciting!!!

The weekend ended with a flourish as both Paulette Ziegler and Donna Fortuna each received a 64% in the Second level test 4 and placing 2nd! We were all so excited. Paulette joined us from Ohio for the whole week before the Ride for Life and came with us to the show. We had such a good time having her with us and it was great to see her rewarded for all her hard work. With that performance hopefully she had enough adrenalin to help her make the 7 hour trip home that night.

The Ride for Life

2009-07-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Ride for Life and in particular, the Dancing Horse Challenge, was a night to remember. It is amazing to have months of work play out in one short night.

As hard as I could have imagined, I would never have guessed how much hard work and

dedication went into organizing something like this. At each turn I was amazed at the people on my committee - amazed at their dedication, tenacity, patience and creativity. My deepest heartfelt thanks go out to everyone on our committee who made this evening possible.

As much as we planned, we could not have imagined what things could possibly happen. Up until minutes before show time, everyone on the committee was coming up with new plans…. We had gotten to plan Z, and then started the alphabet again with plan AA! As with horses and life in general, anything can happen, and we feel like everything was thrown at us! Up un

til the day before the performance, we had injured horses, riders and much more. But with the creativity, dedication, and generosity of many people, we were able to put on a great performance.

I would like to congratulate Belinda Nairn-Wertmann who was the Land Rover Trophy first place winner, and Jennifer Sirrine, who was the Dover/Nutrena People’s Choice winner. I would also like to thank and congratulate each rider who made this the best Dancing Horse Challenge Performance yet. Many thanks to Courtney King-Dye, Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel, Lauren Sprieser, Jules Anderson, Becky Langwost-Barlow and Jaralyn Finn. Also many thanks to Betsy Steiner, Michael Barisone, and Cathy Morelli who were scheduled to perform and for reasons out of their control were unable to attend. We appreciate that Betsy and Jessie Steiner were able to attend without their horse!

My special thanks go to those who worked together to create the tribute. It was such an honor to perform the tribute with Degas and also with our very special guests, the dancers from Bowen McCauley Dance. Degas made new friends in Dustin Kimball, Alicia Curtis, Brooke Urguhart, Suzanne Creedon and their choreographer Fran Ichijo. We hope to see them again soon! It was amazing how Degas took to the Dancers. He seemed to love every minute. It was such an inspiration to work together with these artists. Of course, my very special thanks go to Frank and Cece Maddlone of Equichord who created such an awe-inspiring tribute.

This quote sent about the tribute says it all…….” The tribute was stunning and something I will always remember. Maybe because I am a person of faith, the spiritual aspect that the dancers brought made it so special. To me they were angels or spirits and represented those gone to a better place. The symbolism of Degas acknowledging and saying farewell to each of them is still replaying in my mind. I'm sure that many - as I did - mentally placed their lost loved one in that circle. As Degas rode between the dancers it was a great joining of one of God's greatest creatures with man and angels.”

I am posting what pictures I have for the moment. Please come back to see more photos and hear more about the Ride for Life Weekend!

The Twitterverse

2009-06-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

I have joined the Twitterverse! Frank sent detailed instructions on how to join, so it was very simple to do. When I found out I can update it with text messages from my phone, I got really excited (I like text messages). So we have started. In Twitter, all you have to do is fill in the box that says “what are you doing”. I have to admit that it was quite fun tweeting while I was at the TV station telling everyone ‘what I was doing’. You can now see my most recent "tweets" right here on my blog (over there, on the right). Or, if you'd like, you can join me over on Twitter - see you there!

One Week Until the Ride for Life!

2009-06-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it is less than one week until the Ride for Life! Everyone is working so hard to make it such a great show, their dedication is just amazing.

We had the Tribute practice today with the dancers. Degas proved once again just what an amazing being he is. He watched them perform with such curiosity. When the dancers showed him their lifts, Degas just perked up his ears and started to walk toward them like he wanted to join in.

We watched the dancers perform before we did it all together. I have to say that I just lost it - the song is so beautiful and the dancers looked so beautiful performing it. It looked like they were acting out the song. Degas joined in with them like a champ.

Hopefully you will be able to join us at the Prince George's Equestrian Center on June 27^th!

Barb's TV Blitz!

2009-06-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Frank and Cece and Hilary have been working their hearts out marketing the Ride for Life. They have set up all sorts of things for me to do - you can check out my news page to see the busy schedule that they have me on! Thank goodness for them and everyone else in the barn who have prepared me and given me pep talks about being on TV.

You might have already read about my first interview with HorseGirlTV, and now it is up and running! It is strange to see the finished version. I think Angelea did a great job.

Our next adventure was Channel 25 in Hagerstown. I have to

admit I was pretty nervous. Frank and Cece ‘held my hand’ the whole way through, except of course when the cameras were rolling and then I had to be on my own. Well, it sounds a little like riding a dressage test doesn’t it????? They said it sounded great (good answer), but we will know for sure this coming Tuesday (June 23rd) at 9:55am - don't miss it!

Thank goodness I had done this taped interview before I had to do the live one on Channel 9 in DC! This was pretty nerve-racking, but I survived. It was kind of like a roller coaster ride - you don’t want to do it, you do want to do it, you’re scared, and after it is all over you say…”that was kind of fun, let’s do it again”. Hilary had the interview organized, and Judi came with me as my consultant. You know, she had to tell me a million times that my shirt was in place, my lipstick was ok, my hair was in place etc… etc…. etc…. It had to be a tough job. She got me there on time and kept me calm….even when my phone broke and I wanted to send a text message with a smiley face. Well, I couldn’t get the smiley face to work and I was getting upset. Judi assured me it was fine to send the message without the smiley face, and of course I assured her that “I want the da___ smiley face!”

We actually had a great time. The weather man Howard was bouncing around being friendly to everyone. We met Andrea Roane as soon as we arrived, and she and her assistant seemed happy to meet the dressage ladies. Andrea was so nice before and after the interview. She loved the Ride for Life pin I was wearing and mentioned it on the air. Afterward, she took time to talk with Judi and I about a few things, especially some of the breast cancer research.

It was exciting to see how the news room worked, with everyone running around and cameras running around by themselves. It has to be a pretty exciting, but pretty stressful job. I felt like a kid on the school field trip.

It was also fun to hear that people we don’t know saw it! Yesterday, Janice told me that she was talking to someone about the Ride for Life, and they said, "Oh, I just saw a woman on the news the other day talking about it……………!"

Summertime is Here!

2009-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

It’s the longest day of the year! I always love summertime..…especially the warm weather and extra daylight. The summer is getting off to a great start.

The show season is continuing to go great. We are all really excited because, at the last show at Morven Park, Hilary and Furley won their First Third level class ever! (Furley’s first, not Hilary’s). As a matter of fact, with this score, Hilary has gotten her USDF Bronze Medal! You go Hilary! I am very proud of them both.

That weekend Judi rode Zivona and got

her first qualifying scores for the regional finals; she also did a fantastic job of riding Zivona - and

she has just barely turned 5. I also rode Norma Lynn’s horse, Floete; she got her first qualifying score for her mare performance test, in addition to qualifying for the BLMs. We hope she will get more 70% at Lexington in July!

Final Results from the NC CDI

2009-06-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

The weekend ended with a bang! We got a 69.650 and 3rd place in the Intermediare I Freestyle.

I was excited about this, especially after our Intermediare I ride on Saturday, where Degas had a very uncharacteristic spook and we blew two scores. Our full pirouettes also weren't what I would like (nor the judges). We ended up getting a 63% in this class, and 9th place.

After studying my videos of the clinic with Nicole on Saturday night, I was happy we were able to refocus our efforts, improve our pirouettes (7s on both sides) and have a really nice freestyle.

Here are some pictures of the awards ceremony, as well as the best groom of the whole weekend!!

It was a great weekend overall, and I was really happy to have another chance to get out there on the 'small tour'. We ended the day with a celebration dinner with my Dad and sister.

You Never Look at a Tree the Same Way Again

2009-05-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great night that I just had to share. Brian and I were on our way to the competitor?s party before the Grand Prix competition tonight, when we ran into THE CARAVAN FOR THE CURE!!!!

The Caravan for the cure is an awesome group from North Carolina who are raising money for breast cancer research in support of the Ride for Life. They are doing all kinds of fund raisers. For example they have had a schooling show, sold t-shirts and more!!! As you will see in the picture, we are all wearing Caravan For the Cure armbands which they are selling here at the Raleigh CDI. One woman said she made $106 from the armbands today. They wholeheartedly welcomed Brian and I and gave me an armband. The good groom that he is, Brian bought his own armband.

Later in the evening they found us, so they could give us the Caravan for the Cure T-Shirts. You will see those in the pictures also - front and back. If you were wondering what the pink writing is, you will have to buy a shirt. Just kidding?.. well, not, please buy a shirt!

The shirt says "Maryland is for Breasts"? oh, I mean crabs?The best part, is when we went back to the barn, and asked our neighbor to take our picture, she was so happy to see what we were all doing, that she shared her story about being an 11 year cancer survivor.

She told us several times through the story that after you go through that, you "never look at a tree the same way again". A good reminder to all of us to cherish each moment. She also encouraged all survivors to tell their stories, to give people hope. Giving people hope was the reason she loved this year's Ride for Life theme the "Celebration of Life".

News from the Raleigh CDI

2009-05-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great morning! Degas and I ended up 3rd in the Prix St George at the Raleigh CDI. I was the second rider to go, so was very pleased with my 66.491%, just a breadth away from second! I told Brian, who also happens to be my groom for the weekend, that Degas didnt feel as 'Zippy' as he has been feeling at home. So I was pretty happy for not being too 'zippy'.

Speaking of grooming, I happen to have a very good one this weekend (however, Lauren is a very tough act to follow). He did a superb job of setting up Degas' fan in the corner of the stall facing down. So good that all the other husbands are being asked to do the fans "just like that one". Brian is worried that all the husband and fathers will hate him now!

Speaking of fathers, the reason I say this, is that we happen to be in the Young Rider Isle. We are surrounded by young riders with their families. I must be there because of my 'glowing and young complexion'....

Yesterday was a great day. Frank filled you in on my HorsegirlTV experience. I had a great time, and it was great practice for being on the news on June 17th!

I will find out my ride times later tonight. If I don't ride at the crack of dawn my father and sister will come up to see!

Lights, Camera - Action!

2009-05-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. We made it safely down to NC! You won't believe that I ride at 8:09 on friday AM, like I had to at the FL CDIs.

I have a lot to share from today, but since I have to get my beauty rest for 2mrw, I will let Frank give you a preview...

Thanks, Barb! Well, her trip started out with a "Hollywood" treatment over at HorseGirlTV Headquarters, where Barb was interviewed by Angelea Kelly Walkup - the host and CEO (Chief Equine Officer) at HorseGirlTV. The webisode is all about the upcoming Ride for Life and Dancing Horse Challenge being held at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro MD, and about ways that you can help to give back to your community through wonderful associations like the Ride for Life. The webisode will be coming out soon, so stay posted for details!

As Barb noted above, she'll be hitting the arena tomorrow @ 8:09am - stay tuned for further developments from NC!

More from the Nicole Uphoff-Selke Clinic

2009-05-24T15:37:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of great shots taken during Nicole's clinic this past April. We all had a wonderful time, and are looking forward to Nicole's next visit!

Barb on Degas - with Nicole's reflection in the mirror.

(Photo courtesy of BS Photography)

Jennifer Foulon on Furley with Nicole

(Photo courtesy of BS Photography)

Strawson's Spring News

2009-05-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe how the time flies! So much has happened in the past few weeks that I want to share. I will try and be brief.

First we have to announce the safe arrival of Janice Alperin’s new partner Legacy! He arrived on May 1^st, and is settling in wonderfully. They are going to make a great team. Congratulations.

Janice, Lauren & Hilary on Legacy's first day!

The whole team with Legacy: Barb, Janice, Lauren & Hilary (Photo courtesy of Judi Rosenfeld)

Congratulations are also due to Hilary, who is now a qualified USDF Associate Instructor after completing her USDF Workshops in Riding, Lungeing, and Teaching.

There are still more congratulations for the results of our team this past weekend at the PVDA !

Jennifer Foulon rode Janice Alperin’s Morgan and her own horse, Ferrero in training level test 3 and 4. Jennifer did a wonderful job with Morgan and was 5^th in the Training for one day, and the second day got a 64.4% and placed 4^th, giving her one qualifying score for the Regional finals.

Jennifer had amazing results on Furley, placing in 4^th in 2 classes with a very large field of riders! But we are especially excited about her 76.8%, which brought her also the Training level high score of the show. Congrats to Jennifer and Hilary (her main instructor)! (she also qualified for the BLMs and has one score for the Region 1 finals)

I was lucky to ride Judi Rosenfeld’s horse, Zivona ISF in first 1 and 2. She won 3 out of her 4 classes. We were especially happy with the 69.444% in First 2. Judi will have her first outing of the season the first weekend of June.

Jennifer, Hilary & Judi at Morven Park

The next show will be the Raleigh CDI for Degas and I. We will do the PSG, Intermediare I and Intermediare Freestyle. Brian will be driving down with me, and will be my groom for the weekend.

The next show for our group will be the Morven Park show the weekend of June 6 and 7.

There is one more really important thing I want to share. We are in full swing preparing for this year's Ride for Life, and we need everyone's support. You can help us and the cause in several ways:

1. Check out the IRide Million hits campaign!!!! Please view these videos, subscribe to the Youtube channel and post comments! www.youtube.com/user/iride4l

2. Come to the Jill Hassler-Scoop Dancing Horse Challenge on June 27^th and bring several friends with you! It is at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. There is a $15 suggested donation at the door. Check it out at www.pvdarideforlife.org

A Weekend of Firsts from the Nicole Uphoff-Selke Clinic

2009-05-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

The clinic with Nicole was an inspiration as always! Everyone had done their homework so well, Nicole was impressed with the progress everyone had made. Usually there is a theme which runs through many of the lessons…. this was the weekend of ‘firsts’… I will share some of them starting with Degas

Degas and I did 11 one tempis and piaffe-passage transitions for the first time! Yea!

Judi and Zivona did their first walk canter transitions!

Norma Lynn and Floete did their first leg yields!

Jennifer and Furley did their first canter-walk-canter transitions AND their first counter canter!

There were many more fabulous rides and everyone did a fantastic job.

Ginger Dietsch did a superb job of organizing the clinic and EquiChord organized the sound and is producing edited videos for the riders. One professional said that this was the best training video/tool they had ever had.

One other exciting event of the weekend, was that our training assistant, Hilary Moore attended her teaching workshop with Lendon Gray. This is in preparation for her USDF Instructors certification. Hilary passed the teaching exam with flying colors, and has now passed all workshops and will be able to go for her testing! We are very proud of her.

Go Team!

We have one more exciting thing to share. We are getting a new addition today. Janice Alperin has found her partner in Legacy. A Hanoverian gelding she has purchased from Esther Noiles of WoodsLane Farm. We are excited for all of them and wait for his arrival today! Pictures will follow.

Nicole Uphoff-Selke Clinic

2009-04-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

The first day of Nicole’s clinic was a great success. We had a full day with 8 riders. Here is a photo of several of us at the end of the day. Will send more details later. It is always interesting to see how the common themes of the rides develop.

Degas had a great ride. Nicole wanted to review the Prix St. George and Intermediare I, the basics as she put it, so we could focus on the Grand Prix the rest of the weekend. Degas felt better than ever. We got huge changes. He has always had really nice changes, and gets 7s and sometimes 8s. So now I will set my expectations even higher!

More later.

2009-04-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

It has been a full week now since Degas and I have been settled back in at home. While the FL weather was wonderful and the show circuit exciting, I am happy to be home!

Before continuing, I want to thank everyone again for their support. You can’t imagine how much everyone’s well wishes, belief in me, and support inspire me each day. I want to especially thank Hilary Moore, and Lauren Peacox for keeping up the home front while I was gone. They did a fabulous job of seeing to the training of the horses and riders. Every horse and rider showed significant improvements while I was gone, so I was happy to see that EVERYONE did their homework.

I wanted to give a summary of my last days in Florida. In addition to the exciting show results, it was a great weekend all around. It was wonderful to have part of the team with me in Florida this last weekend. Lauren, our apprentice trainer and groom, came down to help at the show, and help with the drive home. Frank and Cece Maddlone (Equichord) also came down to help with a special video project. Our special project was for the PVDA Ride for Life, Dressage show to benefit breast cancer.

Kris Zagoria of Moxie Interactive, a digital advertising agency, graciously offered to feature the Riders who will be in the Dancing Horse Challenge, in a high tech video. She sent a video team (Doug and Erik of UpThink) for the weekend, and Frank and Cece of Equichord came to conduct the interviews and help with the videoing. It is hard to describe what a great experience it was working together with such a great team of professionals. The creative teams of Doug and Erik, with Frank and Cece, brought out candidness and a sense of fun in the riders. We were privileged to interview Cesar Parra, Betsy Steiner, Courtney King, Jane Hannigan and Michael Barrisone who is Kris’ trainer. The riders, while busy competing at ‘Dressage at Equestrian Estates’ were so generous with their time and are so dedicated to the cause. It is wonderful to see how all of these professionals appreciate the importance of giving back!

I also need to share a very exciting part of my trip to FL. Every day in FL, I passed the entrance to the Lion Country Safari, which was right next door to where I was living. I was excited to see it, but hadn’t made the time yet. Well, it wasn’t too hard to convince Lauren, Frank and Cece to come with me on the Monday after the show. We spent Monday morning finishing up videos, packing and getting ready for the trip. Then we were able to spend a couple of hours in the afternoon enjoying the ‘wild’ animals. We hope you enjoy the pictures!!

Now that this installment of Barb and Degas Excellent Adventure is over, we will look forward to the next part of the journey. Please continue to check my blog to see the exciting things we are doing at Barbara Strawson, LLC! I will be sharing about the upcoming show season and other exciting events and happenings on Team Strawson’s journey. Frank and Cece Maddlone of Equichord and Hilary Moore will be keeping me on the ‘cutting edge’ of technology. Stay tuned while I learn to ‘vlog’ and ‘tweet’.

2009-04-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

We arrived home VERY late on Tuesday night, after hitting a lot of traffic on our way up.
I will post more photos from the trip and Degas settling back in at home, once we unpack.

What a great time in Florida!

Stop in South Carolina! 10 am

2009-03-31T07:52:00.001-07:00

The Georgia sky at 7 am!

2009-03-31T06:19:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T06:06:00.000-07:00

Leaving Loxahatchee, FL at 1 am. 21 hours to go!

2009-03-30T16:20:00.001-07:00

We are packed and ready to go! I will send more details and pictures from the weekend when we get back. I wanted to share a picture of a few friends we made at the Lion Country Safari today. We had a great day!

2009-03-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

With Degas at the last show of the winter season:

What a wonderful weekend to end "Barb and Degas' Excellent Adventure"!

Warming up for the PSG on Friday:

We had great rides, great friends, great weather! I couldn?t sum the success of the journey any better than Marianne, Degas owner : she said, "It's that great team of people that Degas loves having take care of him and around him." She is absolutely right, it takes the whole team to be able to have such a successful journey!

Lauren and Degas:

The only thing that could make it better is if all of you were here.

So today, the freestyle, as Judi put it, is the icing on the cake. We are going to go out and show everyone how beautiful Degas is... AND... tell Florida to look for us in the Grand Prix ring next year!

2009-03-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Fri am at the show. Degas likes his new stall guard.

2009-03-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Complete results of the:
Prix St. Georges - Open, GAIG, BLM
(C) Humphrey,
251 Barbara Strawson Degas FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 267 70.263% 1
489 Bill Warren Leiden FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 267 70.263% 2
448 Betsy Steiner Fino FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 266 70.000% 3
286 Marie Pettersson Mir FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 261 68.684% 4
427 Betsy Steiner Findlay's Titaan FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 256 67.368% 5
422 Elizabeth Campbell Royal Diamant FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 256 67.368% 6
435 Jennifer Marchand Mystras FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 255 67.105%
405 Melissa Jackson Jagger FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 254 66.842%
486 Jennifer Roth Walker 34 FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 254 66.842%
456 Lauren Chumley Millennium FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 247 65.000%
439 Jennifer Baumert Okidokie FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 246 64.737%
443 Barton Patrick Phoenix Gwyngalet FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 245 64.474%
258 Virginia Leary Kells FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 244 64.211%
460 Kelley Corrigan Robinson 286 FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 241 63.421%
270 Aurelia Tansey Tacoma M FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 241 63.421%
476 Gary Lane Cardou FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 240 63.158%
315 Elizabeth Hotchkiss Royal Dancer FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Open 229 60.263%
455 Lila Chase Nanu Nana 004 FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Adult Amateur 224 58.947%

Top 6 finishers in the:
Intermediaire I - Open, GAIG, BLM
(C) Humphrey,
486 Jennifer Roth Walker 34 FEI Intermediate I 2009 Open 258 67.895% 1
251 Barbara Strawson Degas FEI Intermediate I 2009 Open 258 67.895% 2
410 Stacy Parvey-Larsson High & Mighty FEI Intermediate I 2009 Open 253 66.579% 3
460 Kelley Corrigan Robinson 286 FEI Intermediate I 2009 Open 251 66.053% 4
270 Aurelia Tansey Tacoma M FEI Intermediate I 2009 Open 249 65.526% 5
435 Jennifer Marchand Mystras FEI Intermediate I 2009 Open 247 65.000% 6

First Place, First Place and Second!

2009-03-28T04:40:00.001-07:00

Friday: Degas Won the Prix St. Georges with a 70.2%!
Saturday: Second in the Intermediare I - 67.895%
Sunday: First in the I-1 Freestyle, 66.750%

After a long day of showing, we relax and then celebrate!:

Lauren is here

2009-03-28T04:39:00.001-07:00

Last show this weekend!

Lauren got here Wednesday night to help at the show this weekend, and to help drive back on Monday night. Lauren seems to be enjoying the Florida life already. She is impressed by how busy it is-- horses, and people, farms everywhere, yet the atmosphere is very relaxing. Must be the warm weather.

Lauren is teasing me about my thin skin, having adjusted to the Florida weather I need to wear a jacket in the evening while Lauren can't believe how warm it is.It was fun, because Lauren could see a change in Degas ? muscling and she also noticed a lot more expression in his gaits.

Degas was also happy to see Lauren - you can see in the picture that he is looking over to her when she called to him.

2009-03-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

This week has gotten off to a great start. the horses had off on Monday, and I had no other plans, so I took a drive up to palm beach. I enjoyed a walk on the beach and lunch overlooking the water. Resting up for the big week.

Lauren, my groom and apprentice trainer will be joining me on Wednesday, to come see the Florida scene, help at teh show, and then help drive Degas back to Maryland on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

An added bonus: Frank and Cece Maddlone will be coming for the weekend! Kris Zagoria, will be providing a camera crew from her advertising company, and Frank and Cece will be conducting interviews, of the riders who will be a part of this years Dancing Horse Challenge. It will be a great weekend.

Here are my times:

Friday 3:21 Prix St George

Saturday 2:01 Intermediare I

Sunday 11:25 Intermediare I freestyle

As I predicted, the time has gone by extremely fast. But I will also be happy to get home again.

Saturday show results

2009-03-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back to White Fences I and II
FEI Prix St. Georges:
67.368% and 5th place

Saturday, March 21

2009-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

I decided not to show Degas today because he has been doing such a good job. Chris and I decided it best to save his energy for next weekend. So I did a light ride on degas, went for my pilates lesson and now am back at the show enjoying the weather and rides. It is such a different perspective than the first weekend I was here, since now I have been showing and am part of the 'scene'. This is the White Fences show that I first sent photos of in february. Right now, George Williams is in the ring doing his PSG test.

Friday, March 20

2009-03-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

I made a quick trip home Sunday and Monday after having a great show last week. We are reposting the results and my summary of the week and pictures, as they seem to have disappeared into cyberspace or on the blog site somewhere!

It was great to see everyone and horses at home. I have to admit, it was nice going back to the warm weather, however, I did bring some clouds and rain with me.

Degas enjoyed his 3 day holiday and was fresh and ready to go when I got back. Degas and I both did some bodywork this week, me continuing with Pilates, and he had a massage today with 'Sal'.We have a show this weekend. I do the PSG at 11:43 Saturday and the Intermediare I at 3:40 on Sunday. It is possible, depending on his energy level, that we will only do one day, as our biggest goal is to have him peaking for the Dressage at Equestrian Estates show next weekend.

2009-03-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

GP Awards Ceremony

2009-03-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center

2009-03-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

This week has been a whirlwind. Judi and I couldn't believe how quickly it went by. The show was a great success! Degas and I were up against some stiff competition and we were in the thick of it. After being 7th in the Intermediare I on Thursday, the icing on the cake as Judi put it, was getting to do our freestyle on Friday. We had a grand time, and look forward to the next show.

Tuesday: Arriving to the WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, was like getting to Disney World. There was so much around us, and it took awhile to get our bearings. By the time we got there, and unloaded, it was time to braid for the vet check.

The jog started at 3 pm. Luckily, Degas was number 12, and so we knew we would be at the beginning. We weren't allowed to ride until after the jog was completed at 5 pm. So Chris helped me, after he rode Cabana Boy. I think we were done riding about 7 pm.

Here are some pictures of Tuesday's festivities!

Wednesday: I couldn't believe I was the third rider to go! Degas was a wonderful boy - walking to the ring amongst the jumpers and commotion. The only thing he really seemed scared of was a speed bump! The jumpers, water trucks, golf carts, bikes, scooters, horses, dogs, people everywhere didn?t phase him.The weather is perfect. On Wednesday evening we also had a gorgeous view from the FEI barn. The picture doesn't quite capture the moment, but you can get the idea.

Thursday: You can't imagine my surprise/dismay when I drew the 8 am time slot for Thursday. I couldn't believe it! The positive side, is that 8 am in Florida is a beautiful time of day to ride.When it turned out that I was in the running for 6th place, Judi and I had to go into turbo mode. I had taken Degas' braids out, so I went back and put in quick braids in 15 minutes. I was in 6th place until the last rider to go, who was Marco Bernal. He had won the CDI at the Palm Beach Derby two weeks ago. But since the day before, he had only been about a percentage above me, we figured we had better be prepared. So I was up waiting by the stall during the final rides. Richard, Chris' friend, was nice enough to keep me posted by text message. The whole drama of it was quite exciting. Richard kept me posted "you are only .5 behind, you are very close".

Judi finally ran down to the ring (no small feat because of the distance) to see what was going on. Judi was sitting on the golf cart with the ring steward waiting for the final score. We already had the provisional score on the electronic score board. But the scores were so close, Judi said they spent a long time checking and rechecking them. Unfortunately, Marco edged us out by .2%. I was still thrilled, and the excitement of being so close was worth it.

We had a lot to celebrate, so we attended a barbeque held by Nancy Later, owner of the farm where Degas is staying. Judi and I had a great time.

They just don't do normal barbeques here in FL, remember the one at Chris' farm which was like a gourmet meal? Same at Nancy's farm, she had marinated shrimp and all sorts of good things. In the picture, you will see me in between Arial and Jess, who are taking wonderful care of Degas while he is here in FL.

Friday: Judi and I couldn't understand how two people taking care of one horse could be so exhausted. But then as we thought about it, we realized that each day, we were probably walking about 10 miles! The distance to the ring and secretary office was pretty far. Not as far as I had imagined from all the Wellington stories I had heard, but after you do it several times a day you are pretty tired.

Plus, to get into the FEI stabling area, you had to take a long circuit around the fence from the car. So while the car was parked right next to our stable, we had to walk quite far to get in. Not good if you forgot something.Another interesting thing was the security. It was much more official than even at Devon. It felt like "big brother" was watching you. As you left the ring, you heard in the walkie talkie "number 12 returning"and then as you entered the stabling area they marked you down. If you went in after hours (6 pm) you had to sign in and out.

The show had a great ending. I rode my freestyle and Degas loved it. We had made some changes in difficulty, so I still need to smooth those out, but it was the first time to show it.

We couldn't complain with a 65% and 5th place!

He even had some new fans clapping for him as he left the ring, and he seemed to really perk up at this attention. Judi and I were both sad it is over. We ended our week with a wonderful dinner at Players which is near the polo club. Judi got on a plane Saturday morning.

After watching the freestyle Saturday night, I will fly home for two days Sunday morning.

More pictures from the GP Freestyle show!

2009-03-14T18:56:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of Jodie Kelly riding Manhattan. She got a 65.5%.

Wellington GP Freestyle Scores!

2009-03-14T18:40:00.001-07:00

Well, the scores are in - here's the line-up for the evening:

1st - Ashley Holzer on Pop Art with a 77.30% - Congratulations, Ashley!

2nd - Lar Petersen on Succes with a 74.50%

3rd - Mikala Munter Gundersen on Leonberg with a 73.65%

4th - Reese Koffler-Stanfield on Jamaica with a 70.4%

5th - Tuny Page on Wild One with a 68.8%

6th - Cathy Morelli on Bese with a 68.1%

7th - Michael Barisone on Olympus with a 67.75%

8th - Danielle Gallagher-Legriff on Galloways Abrikos with a 67.7%

What an incredible night!

GP Freestyle Night in Wellington!

2009-03-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

I am here at the GP freestyle evening. Rocher was first to go. Will send scores as we get them. Here's a picture of the arena before the competition began.

WEF - CDI, FEI Intermediare I

2009-03-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

Degas and I earned a 64.7% in the Intermediare I, qualifying us for the freestyle tomorrow.

2009-03-11T18:19:00.001-07:00

Judi and Barb after a great day. I ended 9th in a competitive field with a 64.526 percent. I ride the Int I tomorrow at 8 am

2009-03-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

Degas got a 64.4% today!

2009-03-11T06:21:00.002-07:00

Tuesday:
we had a busy day settling in at show, doing jog and riding! It is like disney world here. Degas was a star, only scared of a speed bump.

Thursday Ride Time: 8:15 a.m.

2009-03-11T06:21:00.001-07:00

Had an awesome ride on Degas with Chris Wednesday! We worked on improving the loftiness/bounce in his gaits. Having greater power and expression is going to increase our points overall. We worked on creating this in trot through active passage like steps. Especially asking for these with half halts in the corner, and blending this power out of the corner into his collected trot. In the canter, we asked for this bounce through forward and back transitions, especially within lateral work. When I can guide all the pieces correctly in this work, then the technicalities that we have been working on, for example, in the canter pirouettes, become much easier. (And breathing also still helps!)

2009-03-11T06:20:00.001-07:00

My pilates instructor came to watch me ride Degas today and we had a great time. She was able to gain more insight into what exercises I need. We also did an exercise on the horse, which many of you are familiar with, I call it "Spider legs". She had another new exercise, and I don't remember the name, but everyone better watch out, boy am I feeling it in my hip flexors! (Not to mention all the groaning abs from Sunday's session)Another really important thing we did was breath... thats right. I thought I did that pretty well. But I found out otherwise. Remember how I said that I have been working on my canter pirouettes...especially to the left? This is where I lost a lot of points in the Int I. Well, I did the pirouette for Kim and she said, 'why don't you try breathing?" Well, wouldn't you know it - when I breathed the pirouette was about 75% better. !*!*! :)Lesson with Chris tomorrow.... more later

2009-03-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for all their support this weekend!

I could feel all that positive energy coming my way. It was a good showing for our first time out in Florida and Degas and I both had a great time. We had great comments from the judges, and know what we are going to work on for the next one.

I have a bunch of supporters down here already as well. Tony, who is taking care of other horses at the stable, kindly offered to come help me at the show.

Everyone at the barn here has been so friendly, and some of them also made it to the show to watch. Degas has a little break Monday and back to work on Tuesday.

I had my third Pilates lesson, and it is going very well. Kim, my instructor, is going to come watch me ride Degas Tuesday, so she can give me some additional exercises.

I had another interesting experience today doing horse laundry at the Laundromat. In our area, you are not usually allowed to do horse laundry, but here they have special machines for it because of all the horses here.

2009-03-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

International team wins by .5 with a score of 95.5 at the 2009 Challenge of the Americas.

2009-03-07T16:48:00.001-08:00

Ok. Jane Hannigan stole the show for her costume!! Not to mention her perfect extensions and then one tempis to Soccers Run for Life music. The Amreican Team got a 95!!! And we r waiting foe the International team results

Challenge of the Americas

2009-03-07T15:39:00.001-08:00

Judi and I just arriving to Challenge of the Americas.

Hilltop BBQ

2009-03-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

Judi's coming to visit today! I am excited to show her everything.

Tonight we plan to go the 'Challenge of the America's', the breast cancer benefit.

Last night I went to a fun barbeque with the Hilltop Florida crew, with some of the best food I have ever seen at a barbeque.

See the pictures of Chris Hickey, Jane, owner of Hilltop Farm and I.

Degas also has made some new turn out buddies, look for them in the picture.

2009-03-05T17:10:00.001-08:00

2009-03-03T18:36:00.001-08:00

2009-03-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for all their support this weekend! I could feel all that positive energy coming my way. It was a good showing for our first time out in Florida and Degas and I both had a great time. We had great comments from the judges, and know what we are going to work on for the next one. I have a bunch of supporters down here already as well. Tony, who is taking care of other horses at the stable, kindly offered to come help me at the show. Everyone at the barn here has been so friendly, and some of them also made it to the show to watch.Degas has a little break Monday and back to work on Tuesday.I had my third Pilates lesson, and it is going very well. Kim, my instructor, is going to come watch me ride Degas Tuesday, so she can give me some additional exercises.I had another interesting experience today ?. doing horse laundry at the Laundromat. In our area, you are not usually allowed to do horse laundry, but here they have special machines for it because of all the horses here.

2009-02-28T19:27:00.001-08:00

Intermediare I - 63%

Friday Results

2009-02-28T19:26:00.002-08:00

Open Prix St. Georges - Palm Beach Dressage Derby:
65.789%

2009-02-28T19:26:00.001-08:00

Big show day today! I am going now to go beautify Degas (though he is always beautiful - but he does need braids)He loved going to the show grounds yesterday, he had a lot of energy. We went over for some coaching. We are trailering in each day because we are only 20 min from the show grounds. Walking around the show, I couldnt help but notice that Degas was almost as tall as some of the palm trees!We had a good session. Chris is really impressed with how much he has developed even since the fall.One of my friends who is at the stable (she is from Virginia), came over to watch the lesson. She commented on how nice Degas pirouettes were.... this really pleased me because we have really been working on them.

Palm Beach Dressage Derby

2009-02-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

Degas after his bath and getting ready for braiding. He is being a bit of a pill as I think you can see in his expression - he knows something is going on. And he can't wait to get there!

2009-02-26T07:10:00.000-08:00

First show in 2 days!
My times this weekend are Friday @ 2:19, the Prix St George, and on Saturday @ 3:56 the Intermediare I. Thank you everybody for all of your inspiration and well wishes!!!

and of course the special reminder from Judi.. put on the blush and lipstick (her going away gift).

Lawrence of Arabia!!!!!

First lesson with Chris

2009-02-24T05:58:00.001-08:00

I had my first lesson with Chris Monday. We worked on exercises to keep Degas connected through the canter pirouettes - this also helped in the half pass work. We also worked through the new Int 1 trot work, and did some exercises which will help to increase my points here. As always, proper gymnastic work and use of the exercises, helps you to control the finer details when it comes to riding the test movements.So after requesting goals from all of my students while I am gone, I have my own goals this week in preparing for the big show day?. FRIDAY!Saw something today I have never seen before? you can buy salt blocks, electrolytes and fly spray in the grocery store!!!

White Fences

2009-02-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back to White Fences

2009-02-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday was another great day.

I attended the Welcome Back to White Fences Show.

Actually, the show was quite similar to shows in our area.

I met Chris there, and we set up our first lesson for Monday, so we will let you know how that goes.

Later, I was invited to an Art Show, hosted by Gisela Pferdekamper, who established White Fences . It was a great event with a lot of horse people, beautiful art, and beautiful animals.

See the attached photos of visitors from Busch Gardens.

Oh, and how could I forget?.I had my first pilates lesson today. I went to an instructor who Betsy Steiner recommended. It was a great session, and something I obviously need to keep up with!

Anne Gribbons

2009-02-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday was another exciting day. I drove 3 hours with Andreas Stano, the executive director of DressageClinic.com. He was filming Anne Gribbons for his website.

We had a wonderful day watching Anne ride and teach.

She was also a wonderful hostess. At the end of the day I enjoyed as she gave us a tour of the photos in her office. She talked about each horse in the photo, it was great to have an insight into some of these famous horses.

She also had a cool quote in her office:

"The quality of a person?s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."

2009-02-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe so much has happened in 3 days!

First of all, with an impending birthday coming up, I have to share 2 big compliments. Especially since the week before I left, Hilary was teasing me about my "experience".

Yesterday someone told me that I looked like a little girl on such a big horse. Now 20 years ago, this may not have been so complimentary, but now, I'll take it!

And today, as I was filling up on diesel, a man was asked me what gas mileage I got "on that big truck". After telling him, I commented on how much I loved driving it anyway, and he said " yea, that was nice of your Daddy to let you take it out for the night!"

Ok, the last few days have been action packed! On Friday I got to see Michael Barisone and Juan Matute coaching some top riders. Michael gave a lot of great insight into riding the Grand Prix test, as well as several great exercises for strengthening the horse through half steps. There was also a technique for making a half halt which I tried on Degas today I think it will be very useful.

Juan Matute was also very interesting to watch. I found the most interesting thing was the in hand work. He asked the rider to get off, and he did piaffe work in hand. You could see the horse immediately feel confidence in Juan. When the rider was on, as soon as Juan took the reins, and whip as if he were working in hand, you could see the horse become immediately more confident and secure. It was very interesting to see how Juan used his hands in this work.

2009-02-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

Degas settled in well, and now starting to get to serious work. will keep everyone posted as we start working with Chris and prepare for our first show in the end of February.I am hoping to spend some time today watching some other training in action. will let everyone know how that goes.Degas needed a new fly sheet, so you can see more beauty photos of him. Everyone seems to love him. he earned rights to be turned out in the BIG field, since he doesnt rip up the grass. He is now the barn baby sitter, since he is so good outside.

Tuesday

2009-02-18T06:10:00.003-08:00

I rode Degas for the first time today, and he seems really happy. It is hard not to be happy with a little sunshine. Brian got to watch me ride, before heading off to the airport. He likes to watch me working and riding. I told him we could go do something fun, like the Lion Safari, and I could ride later, but he prefered to watch me working. He did this in Germany too...always wanted to see me working.... hmmmmmm.

It is like one big horse show down here! Everywhere you go, you run into someone you know. It is amazing. It shouldn't be that surprising, but you are not expecting to see people you know show up where you are living, and the barn you have your horse at on your first day in FL. I am renting a room in a house, at a small farm in Loxahatchee. the farm is right down the road from White Fences.

There are trainers everywhere.I have already been warned not to expect great scores my first season showing in Florida. People who consistently get scores of 70% are saying that down here they are getting in the high 50 percents or low 60s.

So we have our work cut out for us!!!!

Sunday/Monday

2009-02-18T06:10:00.001-08:00

It was so hectic getting ready to leave for FL, and then being anxious to get Degas there safely, I didnt have time to be excited. But on Sunday night, after we dropped Degas off, and headed to my new home, I started to get excited.I couldnt even sleep sunday night, because I was excited to start out, and of course anxious that Degas faired his first evening well.But Degas was fat and happy on Monday morning. He was doing all the things a healthy horse should do. He loved getting turned out the first time, he just rolled and rolled and was so happy. The cutest was when he rolled, and then came over to check in with me and Brian, and then went out to roll again!Monday morning we already met two visitors! Nathalie had come down over the weekend for some horse shopping, with Deb. They scouted out the horses on Saturday, and then took me to evaluate the favorites on Monday. There were some great prospects, so we will let you know how Nathalie makes out.In the afternoon, Brian helped me to unpack and clean the trailer up, so Degas and I were all settled in. Then Brian took me grocery shopping to make sure I was all stocked there. Felt like I was going away to college!

2009-02-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Final destination Loxahatchee! 8 am 12 hours after arrival. Degas happy and ready to go.

FLORIDA!

2009-02-16T06:06:00.000-08:00

Finally! Some FL warmth. No sunshine however. ETA 7 pm.

Georgia

2009-02-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

Got Georgia on my mind!! FL sunshine coming soon. Its NOT warm yet.

South Carolina

2009-02-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

The sun is coming up and we are in South Carolina.
I think degas just realized we are in it for the 'long haul'.

Oh jeez, am I dense ... I just realized that the "chicken" that was left in my front seat was actually a fake pigeon. Written on the side was "ALL of us will miss you" (that includes the pigeons in the ring that are constantly getting in my way when I ride). I won't miss ALL of you... I will everyone, except the winged ones!

North Carolina

2009-02-16T05:56:00.000-08:00

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Virginia!

2009-02-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

11 p.m. departure

2009-02-16T05:47:00.001-08:00

Florida departure time: Saturday, 2/14 at 11 p.m.

Thx for all of the going away gifts everyone!
Yes, I opened the m & ms immediately upon entering the vehicle, can't wait to use the iPod earphones, and especially loved the chicken!

Brian and I are enjoying valentines dinner of turkey sandwhiches and lots of chocolate!

More later