Crazy excited to announce that Wesley and I have moved to Elvenstar Farm with Jim Hagman in Moorpark, California to finish my last junior year. I cannot thank everyone enough at Thumbs Up Farm for being so supportive for the past two and a half years and to John Turner for making this move possible. I am thrilled to continue being a working student at Elvenstar and continue to learn and grow as a horseman. I look forward to showing along the west coast next year and making the most out of my final junior year. Again, none of this would have been possible without the endless support from the entire team at Thumbs Up Farm including John Turner, Quinn Partridge, Keri Bailey, and Gillian Baird. Of course, thank you also to my parents for allowing me to pursue this opportunity and supporting me throughout this journey. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what is to come in this next chapter of my riding career!
This show is not only special because it hosts the Maclay Regionals, but also because it is the first show that I officially own Wesley! I was so excited coming into this show, excited for Maclay Regionals and excited to be back at Meadow Wood. Warm-up days went well doing the 1.10s and the much anticipated Regional class was coming closer and closer. On Friday, Wesley and I won both of the equitation classes, which was a big confidence boost for the weekend. Also on Friday, the smoke from the wildfires started coming in which was concerning with the air quality getting worse for Saturday. My horse always comes first and if I ever felt like his health was being compromised then I would scratch without hesitation.
Saturday morning was filled with damp air and fog, we would have to wait for the fog the lift before being able to truly assess the air quality. Through the entire day Wesley was in his tent stall with a fan over him and access to water at all times. His breathing was never abnormal, he never coughed or sneezed and his nose never ran with any discharge. We continued to monitor the air throughout the day and when the time of the class came we felt that the horses were comfortable and healthy. We did a short warm-up and went into the Special Equitation class before the regional with confidence. Wesley felt amazing and we won the class, another great confidence boost. Another quick and easy warm-up and we went into the regional class. The course really complimented my horse. There were three left rollbacks which are a strong point for my horse and only on bending line off the right lead, our weak point. I went third so I was able to watch two rounds before mine to see how everything rode and I felt like it gave me an advantage because I was able to watch a couple rounds to watch the course but not watch too many to get nervous.
We went in for our round and it started with a left lead rollback, we nailed it and then came the one right lead bending line which was what I was most worried about. I structured the bending line into two parts, five strides each and it ended up working out beautifully. After nailing the bending line I was confident and the rest of the round came up in stride. I was thrilled with the round and ready for the flat phase. The flat came around and I could feel Wesley getting jazzed and he was a bit more up in the flat than in the class itself. He was strong through the class but it was manageable and I was able to hide it well. We lined up after the flat and they announced no further testing. This was nerve-wracking since then they go right into announcing the results. Going from last place to first, riders got excused one by one until it was only Wesley and I standing in the center. I was thrilled, what a great way to end the regular season! I can’t thank my trainers John Turner, Quinn Partridge, and Gillian Baird for all they have done this year to help us get to this point. Another special shout out to barn-mate Emily Steckler for placing third in the regional!
Looking ahead to the future, I don’t plan on going back East for Medal Finals since it is a weird year with COVID and we can only afford to go back East one year. Fingers crossed for next year! After this show and this class, Wesley will have some time off due to the poor air quality and will resume slowly coming back to work once the air clears. Hoping everyone stays healthy during these times, horse and human. Thank you to my mom for making this show possible and for everyone who has helped me along the way! Can’t wait to see what the future has to hold!
Photograph by Zoe Macbeth
SO excited about this announcement! My parents have been gracious to take the next step and purchase Wesley!! I am so grateful for this opportunity to own such a talented young horse and I am so excited to continue to learn and grow with him. Additionally, we changed his name from “Edesa’s Wesley” to “Wesley’s Theory,” sticking with the Wesley name. Huge thank you to Krystalle Glosser, Tanya Loverchick, Quinn Partridge, and John Turner for making this sale possible and for connecting us with Wesley.
Can’t wait to see what’s to come!!!
Week 2 here we come! Fresh out of a successful first week, I was feeling confident and excited for the second week of Wilsonville. We started the week off as usual, in the 1.10 jumpers for warm-up. We played around with adding and subtracting strides in lines and taking more inside turns, it was a lot of fun and got me excited for the weekend. The weekend came and we were schooling Wesley differently than the week before, trying different methods to help him keep his legs up over the jumps and not hit the rails. The main method we used was for me to lean up his neck so he would have to really pick up his legs to lift my weight over the jump. This method worked really well and Wesley was being very careful. When we went into the ring, Wesley was really thinking about our school and was more backed off than I was used to. This caused my eye to be a little off and it really showed in the first class. Distances that were usually right on were showing up too long or too short and overall the picture was off. The next day we addressed this and found a happy medium with how we schooled. Saturday went much better and we got back into our groove. I learned that changes in how we school are great and beneficial, but too drastic changes at the last minute can hinder us more than help up.
The rest of the weekend went well besides one spook from Wesley on Sunday. He takes care of me so much and has been so good that it’s unreasonable to be upset about one spook over the course of the past four shows. Once again, I was lucky enough to work for Casey Sorita and Ross Alexander with Therapy Corner Store. Special thanks to them for continuing to let me work and learn from them to make my horse feel better. Thank you of course to my trainers Quinn Partridge, John Turner, and Gillian Baird for making this week successful and to my dad for making this week possible! Now one week at home and then back to Meadow Wood!
Photography Courtesy of Zoe Macbeth
Back on the road again, this time to Wilsonville, Oregon for the Oregon Summer Classic. This horse show was a lot of fun, Wesley and I had found our groove and each class was better than the last. The schedule for the week was typical, we did the 1.10s on Wednesday and Thursday to warm up and he felt amazing, I’m starting to notice that when our 1.10s go well at the beginning of the week then it sets us up for success on the weekend. The weekend rolled around and we started the equitation with the Dover medal, it went very well for us and we tested back first. Next came the worst part of the weekend, which wasn’t that bad, the test of the Dover. I was confident, testing back first I only needed to complete the test and answer the questions given within it. The first jump was a single vertical, I wanted to be brilliant to it and meet it with some pace. I picked up my canter and was never happy with my canter so I kept accelerating, causing me to chip the hell out of the first jump. The rest of the test was great but that chip caused us to move down to fourth. I should have stayed conservative and played it safe to stay in first place.
After that class and the chip of the decade, the rest of the weekend went really well, we won all but one of our medals and had some of our best rounds yet. My proudest moment was the WIHS Jumper Phase where we completed the medal with no faults and a score of 85! I was super happy with how Wesley was going this week and proud of myself for how I was riding. Adrienne Berg also brought her green pony, Gayfield’s Smooth Criminal, to the show for me to show in the low 2’3” classes and she had some of her most consistent rounds yet at her second horse show ever. Thank you, Adrienne, for the opportunity to show such a talented pony!
In addition to showing, I was able to work for Casey Sorita of Therapy Corner Store once again after starting working for them in Sonoma. I really enjoyed finishing my evenings working with her and being with the horses when the showgrounds were quiet and everyone had gone home. Additionally, I learned more about equine bodywork and how to make my horse feel his best. Once again, thank you Casey Sorita and Ross Alexander of Therapy Corner Store for allowing me to work with you for the week! Thank you also to my trainers Quinn Partridge, John Turner, and Gillian Baird for making this week successful and to my dad for making it possible! Excited for next week!
Woohoo! Back to the comfort of our own home in Washington! I was really excited for this show. I haven’t been to this venue since I rode ponies. I have only had good memories of these grounds, from having good rounds to playing in the river with my friends. Since this show was so close to home, the pressure was off and after the mental fiasco of Sonoma, it was really nice to ride in a local, more low-pressure horse show. I was interested to see if I would ride better given that I wasn’t as nervous here, my guess was that I would.
The 1.10s at the beginning of the week went well, only one rail on each day so I was happy. My horse was going beautifully and I was confident in how I was riding. Since this show was smaller, all the equitation was on Saturday. Only three medals, the USEF Medal, the Maclay, and the WSHJA Good Hands and Seat 3’6”. The first class was the WSHJA and It went very well, I felt like I was riding the best I’ve ridden. After the WSHJA, the Maclay was next and after completing that course I had to run over to Hunter 2 where I was showing a green pony for Adrienne Berg, talk about height change! Adrienne’s Pony, Stella, was good and after finishing up with her I went back on over to Hunter 1 to flat the Maclay. During the Maclay flat, the judge asked for the extended trot. Being the overachiever I try to be, I asked Wesley for a big extended trot which he did beautifully. However, going down the long side I heard the sound of metal on metal, I thought nothing of it, assuming he just clipped his front shoe with his hind leg. Going around the ring again back to that spot where I heard the metal I saw a nice shiny horse shoe laying in the dirt. Definitely ours. We lined up from the flat and we won the Maclay, being the first ones out of the ring and sure enough, missing a shoe. The farrier wasted no time coming to the ring and tacking our shoe on for us before we went in for the USEF Medal.
The rest of the day went great, I had rounds that I am very proud of and my horse was amazing. I was also very happy with Adrienne Berg’s pony since it was her very first horse show and she took it all in stride. I’d like to offer a huge thank you to Adrienne for the opportunity of riding and helping develop such a talented pony! Of course, thank you to Quinn Partridge, John Turner, and my dad for making this week possible. Now we are home for a couple of weeks before hitting the road for Wilsonville!
In all honesty, I didn’t want to write about this show riding-wise. I don’t know if it was nerves or I got into my head but this show didn’t go very well for me. We started in the jumper ring, doing the 1.10 classes to get into the ring before the weekend. In our first class, we had four rails, 16 faults. I kept making the wrong decisions to the jump and asking my horse to take off in places where he should never have to take off from. Of course, my horse was more than amazing and saved me more times than I can count which I couldn’t ask for more from him. Anyway, the next day in the jumper ring it went a little better, we only had two rails as opposed to four the day before. Nonetheless, that’s two more rails than I would like to have. The WIHS Jumper Phase was on Friday, which was set 1.10 in the jumper ring and boy was I nervous about keeping the jumps up. We did the 1.10 class before the equitation class and we had two rails, great... Going into the class, I wasn’t expecting to go clear given our history at this show. Somehow, the stars aligned and we went clear, it was our best round of the show so far.
Even though we had just had one of our best rounds of the show, I was still having anxiety about keeping the rails up and making the right decisions. I was getting jumped loose over the jumps a bit in the 1.10 so I shortened my stirrups and that was a game-changer. Oh man, I felt like I was in a whole new world, I could stay with my horse easily and stay with the motion of the horse so much better. With shortening my stirrups and working one-on-one with my trainer, my confidence was slowly coming back. My rounds were getting better and better and from my first round on Wednesday to my last found on Sunday, there was a huge difference not only in my mindset but also in my riding. This has been one of the hardest horse shows for me mentally and I feel like it showed me a part of the psychological aspect of riding that I haven’t had to face yet.
On a note unrelated to showing, I got the privilege of working for Casey Sorita and Ross Alexander of Therapy Corner Store. For those that are unfamiliar, Therapy Corner Store is an equine therapy company that works to make our horses feel their best with therapies such as Equitape, Multiradiance Laser, Bemer, Aromatherapy, and Deep Muscle Stimulator just to name a few. I worked for them throughout the week after I was done riding and learned valuable information about the work they do. I was able to do basic tape patterns with the Equitape and learned about the releases and what those releases mean. I look forward to working more with them in the future and learning more about how I can make my horse feel better.
Once again, a big thank you to Casey Sorita of Therapy Corner Store for the opportunity to work with her. Of course, thank you to my trainers John Turner and Quinn Partridge and my mom for making this week possible. Now back home to Evergreen!
After a long hiatus from showing due to COVID-19, what better way to jump into horse shows than my first equitation final? All jokes aside, I was ecstatic to be able to compete in the Gladstone Cup this year and get my first equitation final under my belt. I was lucky to be able to continue riding through quarantine since I am an employee of Thumbs Up Farm so I felt fit and more than ready to get back in the ring. No doubt I was nervous about this show, I hadn’t shown in eight months, and this would be only my second time showing in California.
Nerves aside, I drove down to Sonoma with my mom on Wednesday to find our horses stabled in a quiet, shady corner of the showgrounds, perfect for the mid-day heat. I was intimidated at first by the size of the grounds but after the first few days of exploring, I became more comfortable and relaxed. This show was different than most not only because of the COVID protocol but also that there were only four horses so we were all able to get quality one-on-one time with our trainer. The warm-up days came and went and I did the two warm-up classes with Wesley to get into the Grand Prix ring before the Gladstone. Initially, I was worried about how spooky the jumps were and Wesley may hesitate at them but he proved me very wrong by confidently jumping everything without batting an eye. Him being so good and so ride-able gave me a boost of confidence going into the class on Friday.
Friday came, the big day of the class and I went middle of the order for the Gladstone, perfect. I was able to watch a handful of rounds and see how the course rode before getting on. I liked the course a lot, it was more of a hunter style course since this was a hunt-seat medal so there was nothing too tricky which I appreciate. I got on and could feel the nerves creeping in but I knew I had nothing to worry about, my horse was schooled and I was prepared for this class. We warmed up well, we didn’t need too many jumps before feeling ready to head in to the ring so off to the gate we went. At this point I was really feeling the nerves, I don’t know what it was, I am typically a confident rider but the combination of it being our first show back and an equitation final in California was getting to me.
We walked into the class and picked up our canter to the first jump, single oxer off the right lead, a weak spot for us. We found the jump well and continued the course, finding all of the jumps relatively well. I came out of the round relieved and happy with my round, my horse was awesome and I felt like I rode well. We made it into the handy round! The course for the handy round was a lot of fun and we walked in confidently, I was less nervous than before. The course went well, I was short out of one line, causing me to be long out of the next line but other than that I was happy. We didn’t get a ribbon but I was thrilled with how it went, Wesley was phenomenal and I couldn’t have asked better from him. We finished the weekend by doing the junior hunters since it was open to anyone this year. We had a whole lot of fun in Sonoma this weekend and I’m excited for the next week of showing!
Also a BIG shout out to barn-mate Emily Steckler! She was Overall Grand 3’3” Junior Hunter Champion and Older 3’3” Junior Hunter Champion with her mare Wonderland!! SO thrilled for you Emily! Thank you to everyone who made this weekend happen including Quinn Partridge, Efrain Gandara, John Turner, and my mom! Can’t wait for what’s to come!
A week after the Bernie Traurig clinic, I was lucky enough to attend the Julie Winkel Clinic within the Northwest Equestrian Expo hosted by Burkwood Farm. The Northwest Equestrian Expo was inaugurated this year at the Lynden Fairgrounds and hosted dressage, hunter/jumper, and western clinicians. Throughout the weekend, it was very fascinating to watch other clinics focusing on topics such as colt breaking, saddle fitting, dressage, and more as well as ride in the Julie Winkel Clinic. This expo was made possible by the ever hardworking crew of Burkwood Farm and their head trainer, Paige Wagter.
Wesley and I participated in the 3’6” section of this clinic, which was mainly focused on jumper style riding. I had never ridden with Julie before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The first day we focused on primarily flatwork with an emphasis on longitudinal exercises such as collecting and extending. These exercises really engaged our horses and set them up to jump well. Wesley felt great at the end when we ended by cantering up the center line and jumping a series of jumps that were set on an angle up the center of the arena. I really enjoyed how Julie taught us, the information she gave was simple and effective with an emphasis on thinking like the horse.
Day two was focused more on course work with some flatwork at the beginning consisting of side passes and shoulders in and haunches in. This led to work over fences on changing our track to either take the early track and save room on either side of the fence or take the later track to create more room before and after the fence. We incorporated these exercises in our course work as we jumped a jumper style course and had a mini competition based on time and touches of the fences, rather than rails. Wesley jumped great throughout the weekend and I am very lucky to learn with him as a partner.
Overall, I really enjoyed Julie’s teaching style and how she made things simple but effective. Additionally, I enjoyed watching her teach the green horse group and how she broke things down for the horses and progressively make everything fit together in a way that makes sense to the horse. I hope I can ride with Julie again in the future and I look forward to incorporating what I’ve learned from her in my every day riding. Once again, huge thank you to Burkwood Farm for hosting the Northwest Equestrian Expo this weekend. I look forward to attending this event again in the future. I’d also like to thank KC Cordell for making this weekend possible!
After attending the Bernie Traurig clinic in November at Farpoint Farm, I was eager to sign up for another session with Bernie in February. Once again hosted by Farpoint Farm, Wesley and I attended the three-day clinic in the 1.15+ jumpers section. Although I compete in the equitation, I have aspirations of competing in the bigger jumpers and more education on any aspect of my riding improves how I ride and how I think while on course.
Additionally to riding with Bernie, he was kind enough to agree to meet with me on Friday during the lunch break to discuss some questions I have about pursuing my professional career. I may as well take advantage of the knowledge of someone who has been in the industry for his whole lifetime. He was very insightful when it came to answering my questions about how to manage the financial side of becoming professional as well as what the best educational path would be to become the most well-rounded professional I can be.
As for the riding part of the clinic, Wesley was fantastic and jumped better and better throughout the weekend. I particularly enjoyed how Bernie had us play mock horse show on Sunday and let us think for ourselves in the warming up process of schooling jumps before the course. Furthermore, Bernie let me walk the course with him and walked me through step by step how he walks courses and how his method is simple and timely in the event of having a quick course walk. Historically, I’ve been confused while walking the course even in the equitation and his method really made sense to me and I’m excited to use it this season.
Once again, on Saturday night there was a Q&A hosted by Denise Youll. We discussed many topics including my question about how to manage finances as a professional. Many people had input on this topic and it eventually led to discussions on how the sport has gotten more financially difficult for the typical equestrian as well as discussions on the Thoroughbred horse and how we can make the sport more financially doable.
Overall, I’d like to thank Denise Youll once again for hosting Bernie Traurig as well as her assistant Sophie Geantz for making this weekend possible. As well as thank you to Bernie Traurig for coming out to rainy Washingon this weekend and for being kind enough to lend me his time and meeting with me on Friday. I’m looking forward to Bernie coming to Thumbs Up Farm December 4-6 and being in his clinic once again!!
As this year comes to a close, I’d like to reflect on the past 12 months and all the ups, downs, blood, sweat, and tears within it.
First and foremost, this has been a year full of “firsts.” As my first year training with and working for Thumbs Up farm, my first year in the 3’6” equitation, a goal I’ve had for a long time, and my first year showing in California, this year brought many new obstacles and opportunities that made it one to remember.
It started out on a high note, leasing Danner out to barn mate Zoe Macbeth and leasing Edesa’s Wesley from Edesa’s Promotions. I cannot thank Thumbs Up Farm enough for finding such a young, willing, and talented horse for me to grow with this season, he is truly more than I could ever ask for and I never could have imagined how far he would end up taking me in only our first six months together.
As the season started rolling and I got out of school, I began full-time working at Thumbs Up Farm as a working student since I no longer had to be in school all day. It took some getting used to their program and I made honest mistakes, learned from them, and now I feel very confident as a full-time working student of Thumbs Up Farm, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work off a portion of the endless stream of horse bills. Furthermore, I was lucky enough to receive opportunities to spend more time in the saddle due to Thumbs Up Farm and I appreciate the dedication they showed me this year to improve my riding.
I’d also like to acknowledge and welcome all the new clients who have joined the Thumbs Up Farm team this year. We are lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive group of juniors and amateurs that all contribute to one of the best barn client atmospheres I’ve ever experienced, and how lucky am I to get to ride at this barn??
Also, a HUGE shout out to the amateurs at Thumbs Up Farm for being the most supportive group of women a girl can ask for, you know who you are, thank you for being so amazing this year and supporting all of us juniors, we appreciate it more than you know.
This year, I also began working with Adrienne Berg’s pony project, Stella. I’m excited to possibly debut her in the Green Pony division of 2020, she really is something special. Thank you for the opportunity, Adrienne!!!
Highlights of this year include earning second place at Maclay Regionals, taking my first win in a medal, qualifying for the Hunterdon Cup 2020, and participating in the Bernie Traurig clinic.
Thank you to those who made this year’s success possible, including but not limited to my parents, Quinn Partridge, John Turner, Keri Bailey, Jessica Friedman, Casey Sorita, Adrienne Berg, KC Cordell, the Macbeth family, the Steckler family, Efrain Gandara, and Liz Smith.
This year brought more than I could have ever imagined and I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store!! Thank you mom and dad for allowing me to take this crazy journey and supporting me all the way through.
Happy New Year!!!!
photography courtesy of Viola Mitchell
One day, I was browsing Equestriancoach.com, and I decided to look at Bernie Traurig’s clinic sessions. Who knows? Maybe there’s a clinic near me. Much to my surprise, two weeks from then, there was a Bernie Traurig clinic at Farpoint Farms in Maltby, about a 30-minute drive from Thumbs Up Farm. I knew it was a long shot since it was such short notice, but I shot Denise Youll, the head trainer of Farpoint Farms, an email to see if there were any spots appropriate for me. Unsurprisingly, the clinic was full, so I said my thank yous, and if a place happened to open up to please let me know!
About a week and a half later, the Monday before the clinic, I get an email from Denise that a spot had opened up in the 3’-3’6” section! Perfect! I talked to my trainers on Tuesday, and they were flexible enough to figure out a way for Wesley and me to haul-in on Thursday and for me to take the weekend off from working at the barn.
I’m a big fan of clinics, any opportunity to get another set of educated eyes on your riding, especially someone with as much experience as Bernie, is beneficial. Going to this clinic, I expected to go, ride my best, and learn from what he had to say and take it home to improve. Thursday evening Quinn hauled Wesley into Farpoint, he hacked in the ring, my boots were shiny, and we were ready for the first day on Friday!
Friday went well. It was mostly flatwork with some low jumps worked in-between. The first comment Bernie had on my riding was my heel depth needs to be deeper, and he also suggested I go out and buy new stirrup pads since mine were quite worn and frankly hard to keep my foot in with my heel down. Aside from heel depth, he also cleared up some of my confusion on eye level and where I should be looking approaching the jumps, which was very helpful. On the positive, he complimented my release as well as my overall position, calling my angles very “correct.”
I was excited for Saturday. I was excited to ride, but there was also and Q&A in the evening with Bernie and John French, which I was very excited to attend. A night with two legends, how could you not? Saturday session went very well, and I was very proud of Wesley for being so good and answering all the questions asked of him. We worked on an exercise Bernie calls “the accordion.” Executed in the canter, collecting on the short ends and lengthening on the long sides to improve our quality of canter since we tend to get strung-out on course. The jumping part of Saturday went very well. Bernie had many compliments on my release and compared one of the courses I did for him to Dominis Gibb’s 98 at USET finals! What an honor!
Then, at the Q&A, after stories about John French’s jumper career and discussions about the thoroughbred horse, he called me out again for my release! I didn’t know what to say! One of my trainers, Quinn Partridge, came for the Q&A that night, so I redirected his attention to her; In which he complimented her training, which she very much deserves!
Feeling confident, but also a little under pressure, going into the last day, Sunday. Quinn and another one of my trainers, Keri Bailey, came to watch. Bernie pulled them into the ring with him and worked with me a little one-on-one for a short period. I was very proud to show off my trainer’s work, I’m grateful for all their help, and I’m glad someone of high respect had compliments for them! Sunday was very similar to Saturday, course work, but a little higher. We also worked on setting up the distance in the corner to a short turn jump, something I struggle with, which he helped immensely.
Wesley was so good for all three days of the clinic, and he didn’t put a step in the wrong place, I’m very fortunate!! I wouldn’t have been able to do this clinic without the flexibility of my trainers! Also, much thanks to Quinn for hauling Wesley! Of course, a huge thank you to Farpoint Farms for hosting Bernie and Denise Youll, head trainer of Farpoint Farms. I had such a productive weekend, and I hope to be back for the next Bernie clinic in February!
Photography courtesy of Shanna Waite
Goodbye beginning of Washington winter, hello California!!!
Woohoo! Not only did I get lucky enough to escape Washington when the clouds started rolling in, but I also got my school work done, which allowed me to skip ten days to attend both weeks of the Sunshine Series. Located in Thermal, California, at the Desert International Horse Park, it was the perfect dose of sun before the cold winter. I also got the opportunity to work for Thumbs Up Farm throughout both weeks to help my parents with those never-ending expenses!
During this horse show, the Maclay Finals were going on during the first week. We chose to not go to the Finals this year because of expenses, and since Wesley and I are both green. We want to save our trips for the next couple of years when we're both more seasoned. I also feel like two weeks of consistent showing was more beneficial for us than a few classes at the National Horse Show would have been, for three times the cost.
Since it was the first time I’ve ever shown in California, I was excited to see where I would stand in the pool of California riders. Considering it’s more competitive down in California than in the Northwest.
The elevated level of competition almost “forced” me to step up and ride my best. It was insightful to watch many talented riders in person and see what qualities made their rounds go well. Additionally, what made their rounds not go as well. Watching all of these quality riders also made me want it more, want to be as good as them, better than them even. I would make a mental list of the qualities of these riders that I thought were beautiful and use this list as homework to do when we got home. Nothing like some motivation to get us through winter training!
I was surprised with how Wesley and I placed during these two weeks, we even won the WIHS overall the first week, qualifying us for the Hunterdon Cup next year! That would be super cool to attend for the first time next year if all is willing!
I hope to come back to California soon to show! I want to thank my dad, Casey Sorita, and my trainer’s Quinn Partridge and John Turner, for making these two weeks possible!
Wow! Where to start. Since this was my first Maclay regionals and both Wesley and I being in the big equitation for only five months, I didn’t expect to place very high, if at all, in the regionals. We’d been relatively consistent during the first days of showing, having minor errors here and there but no major standout mistakes. Being consistent and having no expectations helped me with my nerves going into Saturday, the day of the regional class. I haven’t been a nervous rider in the past, but the conditions of this class got to me a little bit. It also helped that I was doing the class with my friend and barn mate, Emily Steckler. She has done the equitation for a while, and her level headed attitude helped me to stay calm.
Emily and I walked the course with Quinn and John: right lead to the triple bar, bending 7, single oxer, two-step, bending 9 to an end jump, roll back to another end jump, rollback to the Swedish oxer, another rollback to another end fence, then finally a bending gallop to the final oxer.
I went second in the order, a position I was okay with since when I watch more riders, I tend to overthink the course, but I still have one person to watch before me. Our first round went well; we had a couple rubs at the end jumps, but other than that, I was pleased with how Wesley went and with how I rode. What made the round even better was the cheers from the Thumbs Up Farm ladies that came to support! With that, I still figured I wouldn’t be in the running for a top placing considering the quality of riders that were going after me.
Emily went two rounds after me, so I stuck around to watch her before taking Wesley back to the barn. She had a beautiful round, so everyone was happy. We took our horses back to the barn to wait for the flat phase and went back to watch the rest of the class.
Not too long after, it was time to get back on for the flat phase, our least favorite part. Jessica, one of the trainers at Thumbs Up and our main flat position trainer came to watch us in the flat phase, so the pressure’s on! I wanted to give it my all in this class, and that is what I did. I don’t think my thighs, back, and core have ever hurt so bad in a class! We flatted well, and everyone was getting anxious to hear the results as we exited from the ring.
I was halfway out of the loading paddock when I heard “further testing for riders,” and four numbers were announced. I didn’t know my number, and I didn’t think I was called in the top four, but then I heard “Heather! Grace! Ellie! Clara!” I didn’t have time to think, I got right back on and went to jump a warm-up jump.
The test: Walk-in, canter directly to 2 (End jump), rollback to a single oxer, two-step, halt, canter six and hand-gallop 10.
I tested second, the same position I was in for the first round, it was comfortable for me. I watched Grace go, and then it was my turn. Step in, left lead canter, breath. First end jump, got there nicely, look for the single oxer, stretch! It was a little long, and Wesley hit the back rail with his front legs, but it stays up. Two-step, we found the first jump in a little deep, but he covers well out of it. Our halt was the weakest part of our round, we pushed right and didn’t halt for long enough, my mind was going so fast I didn’t think to take a breath and chill for our halt. I knew I had to stand out in the test, after jumping 6 was the hand gallop jump, and I knew that was our place to show off if we could, be brilliant. So right after 6, we picked it up, and the distance was long, but we went for it, and it worked out just right for us. My heart was beating so fast as I walked out of the arena. I was so proud of Wesley for taking care of me and being the best I could ask for in both of our first regionals.
Then, I was standing in the paddock, watching the other two tests, and it hit me. Wesley and I made the test. We made the test! Both of us being unproven in the equitation ring, we worked so hard ever since he came to us in March, and it’s an indescribable feeling watching it all pay off. And then it all began, I started crying because of being so proud of my horse and myself. The amount of gratitude I feel for my trainers, parents, and supporters was so overwhelming. Jessica came over to talk to me, and I was crying and barely paying attention to what was happening in the test.
All of a sudden, “2nd place, Ellie Kurtz” come out of Mary’s radio, and I couldn’t contain myself. Never in my life have I been so proud of my horse and so gracious for everyone around me. Of course, the whole Thumbs Up Farm crew being there and supporting Emily and I just tipped me over the edge. I couldn’t be more grateful for the amount of support I’ve been lucky enough to receive, even in small acts such as coming to regionals to watch. So to all the amateurs, other juniors, and parents at Thumbs Up Farm and beyond, thank you. It means more than you will ever know. I still can’t believe it; this is how we start in our first five months. I can’t wait to see what else is to come.
The biggest thank you’s to my parents, Laura Peterson and Mark Kurtz, as well as my current trainers, John Turner, Quinn Partridge, Keri Bailey, and Jessica Friedman. Another thank you to my past trainers, who I wouldn’t be here without Ruel Johnson and Tara Devlin Johnson. I'd also like to give a huge congrats to the winner, Clara Mcdanniel! And a big congrats to Emily Steckler on her 6th place finish!
Photography Courtesy of Laura Peterson and Katrina J
This show was very standard so I’ll keep it short and sweet!
We did our usual routine, showed in the 3’6” hunt seat and jumper medals and we were fairly successful. The first week, Thunderbird Showpark debuted a “Derby Day” on Friday where both main hunter rings were running derbies all day. Originally, I was going to skip the derby to save the braiding and class expense but the wonderful amateurs Shanna Waite, Liz Smith, and Adrienne Berg made it possible for me to compete.
They combined both arenas and since I was a day-of add, I went first! I don’t mind going first since sometimes when I watch other riders complete I start to overthink the course and second guess myself. There was no time for overthinking that day! I had a lot of fun galloping through both rings and Wesley was impressed by the course. Unfortunately, we had a refusal going into the two-stride but other than that we had such a blast playing hunter for a day!!!
Thank you Thumbs Up Farm for two weeks in Canada and I’d like to thank my parents, the Macbeths, Casey Sorita, and the Thumbs Up Farm crew for making these weeks happen!
Also, once again a huge thank you to Shanna Waite, Liz Smith, and Adrienne Berg for making our Derby Day so fun!!
Fresh off the last week of horse showing, I was excited to take off where we left off! This was my first time showing two consecutive weeks with the same horse, and it was beneficial. I came into this week with a calm demeanor and with even more confidence than the week prior. This week was very similar to the Canadian Premier, except our rounds were much more consistent. As our confidence grew, so did our window to take risks, which took our rounds to the next level. I found that as the weekend progressed, the small details in our courses would improve and become more consistent. My trainers have done a fantastic job schooling Wesley, and I couldn’t be happier with how he’s been helping me learn around the ring. Outside of the show ring, this show was enjoyable hanging out with the amateur crew from Thumbs Up! As well as watching the jumpers in the beautiful grass ring. I even got to watch a Nations Cup for the first time, and it was spectacular!!
I had a lot of fun at this horse show, and I feel as it was very productive as well. We are progressing faster than I anticipated, and although it’s not perfect, it gets better and better each time, and that’s what matters to me. I’m excited to be back in Thunderbird at the end of June and until then, work, work, work at home. Huge thanks to John Turner, Quinn Partridge, the Macbeth family, and my dad for making this week possible.
After a month and a half of hard work at home, Wesley and I were ready for our second show, Canadian Premier at Thunderbird Showpark in Langley, BC. Personally, this is one of my favorite shows because of how it’s run, the constant big jumpers to watch, and the beautiful footing in all the rings. I was much more confident going into this show than the last. We did a month of no stirrup work and more schooling of Wesley and me over more complicated tracks. Sure enough, the jumps came more natural, and I gained confidence in our step, causing the fences to flow and connect more effortlessly. Of course, our rounds weren’t perfect. On account of our greenness, we got a little long, a little short, and a couple of rails. Those mistakes will fade away as we gain miles and more experience. I was super proud of Wesley for stepping into the Hunter Derby on Thursday evening and jumping all of the spooky derby jumps without even a hint of a spook. I was also proud of myself and Wesley for placing second in the WIHS Jumper Phase!
I don’t have much more to say about this show as I am delighted with how it went and how we improved every day better than the next. I’m excited to come back to Canada next week for the Odlum Brown Open! I want to thank John Turner, Quinn Partridge, Jessica Friedman, and my mom for making this week possible. Also, a great job to all other Thumbs Up Farm riders for putting in beautiful rounds throughout the week!
What a way to hit the ground running! A week after Wesley arrived in Redmond, we took him to the Spring National Inaugural Show at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. Initially, we were a little worried about how he would act at these showgrounds, given that the indoor ring is spooky. With echos, the racetrack behind the building often has loud cars on it during the day, and the occasional small plane will fly by the grounds to the nearby landing strip. Despite these distractions, Wesley took it all in stride and acted like he’d been showing in the arena his whole life. My trainer showed him in the 3’6” hunters and 1.10 jumpers at the beginning of the show, and when I arrived at the show on Thursday, we did a 3 foot low round to get into the ring. When Friday rolled around, and we had our age group equitation division in the morning. I was super excited to see how we fit together in the show ring. With the age group being only 3 feet, it was very welcoming and less stressful to do so. Wesley could not have been better for our morning classes, which we had top placings in, and I figured we were done for the day until my trainer told me that she entered us for the Dover medal later that day. My first 3’6” medal! Of course, I was excited but also incredibly nervous as we hadn’t jumped very big at home before the show and I had never been able to show in a 3’6” class before. Nerves set in, Wesley took care of me through our first medal and then throughout the rest of them throughout the weekend.
I did not expect to show at the 3’6” level so quickly, but I’m glad my trainer believed in me and allowed me to make mistakes that I took home to improve upon. This show I learned that I need to do much more no stirrup work and other strength exercises to build my strength as the jumps go up as I got jumped loose a couple times over some of the oxers. To make this show possible, I’d like to thank Quinn Partridge, Jessica Friedman, and my mom for an enjoyable week with my new horse!
Side note: I also got to catch up with my old barn, Blue Heron Farm, and their new trainer (welcome to the Northwest!) Ashley Williams! Very lovely to see them and their girls showing and great job to all of them as well over the weekend!
A story I’m super excited to share. I had the fantastic opportunity from an amateur at my barn to show her horse at Thermal week 6 in the equitation. I was thrilled as it would be my first time down in Coachella Valley, and I was so excited to watch some big names I’ve only seen on my computer. While there, I was also looking for horses to try as I had just recently leased out Danner to another junior in my barn. Throughout the weekend, I tried several horses, which were all a thrill to sit on, but the last day came around, and John told me about a young horse that he’s excited to look at. Not having much luck led up to this, I was still enticed, but not quite as hopeful as I was at the beginning of the search. We were then introduced to Wesley, presented to us by Tanya Loverchick and Krystalle Glosser of Logan Hill Farm. He was beautifully turned out and had a big presence, standing about 16.3. He had been recently imported and was doing the adult equitation for the first time as a six year old. Trying him was cool. We could tell he was green and had much to learn, but he aimed to please. We decided to have my trainer, Quinn, ride him again the next day. I didn’t get to watch Quinn ride him, but I heard it went well. We watched him show with the adult later that day in the equitation and decided to put him through a pre-purchase exam. Sunday had come too quickly, and I had to go back home to go to school, patiently waiting for his pre-purchase exam that coming Thursday.
Thursday came and went, and we decided to do a further examination of Wesley before deciding to bring him home. He went back to his home farm and then hauled out to a clinic nearby to be entirely sure he was sound and healthy. Sure enough, he passed the vet and was set to come home to us the following Sunday!
That wait from Tuesday to Sunday was probably the longest six days of my life. I am so excited for my next year lease on Wesley! I’m ecstatic to step into the 3’6” equitation, now having a horse that can take me there. I’m incredibly grateful to my trainers, John Turner and Quinn Partridge, for finding this talented horse and, of course, to my parents for the continuous support in this crazy horse world. I’d also like to thank Krystalle Glosser, Tanya Loverchick, Liz Smith, and the Macbeth family for making this weekend possible and for allowing me to pair with such a beautiful young horse.
Wow! What a year, I would first and foremost like to thank my parents for their support throughout this sport and my aspirations within it. The big thing this year would most definitely have been my move from Blue Heron Farm to Thumbs Up Farm, and I was lucky to do so. Everyone within Thumbs Up Farm has been amazing and helped me to feel very welcome and accepted in the new barn. I have learned a lot from Quinn, John, Keri, and Jessica. I can’t wait to see what 2019 brings as I step into the 3’6” equitation and begin the process of looking into colleges. I want to thank Ruel Johnson, Tara Devlin, Kelsey Cordell, Quinn Partridge, John Turner, Jessica Friedman, and Stephanie Garrard for the opportunities this year and I look forward to the next year with Thumbs Up Farm! Happy Holidays!