Avandarre in Dressage

Selected Riders: Heather Soones-Booher - Bordeaux (Oldenburg) Centerlinescores for Bordeaux: http://www.centerlinescores.com/Horse/Details/1089663#filterBy=tests Heather has shown through Fourth Level. Liz Ritz - Natasha B (Friesian) Centerlinescores for Liz Ritz: http://www.centerlinescores.com/Rider/Details/24565 Liz has shown Prix St. Georges. Deanna Hertrich - True Colors (PHR) Third Level rider. Deanna rode with Lilo Fore back in February 2012 at another clinic. Emily Dutton Craig - Audi (KWPN) Blog/video: http://emilyduttoncraig.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html Emily is a trainer and has shown through Prix St. Georges. Autumn Harvey - Hamilton (Trakehner) Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nJAttsyAOA Second Level rider. Believe she's an adult amateur. Suzy Coleman - Brazen Beauty (Hanoverian) Third Level rider. Betsy Juliano - Big Tyme (BWP) Video of Big Tyme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW5WuJs7o9I Article about the pair: http://chron...

Quick update... Today was the deadline to apply for the Lilo Fore Clinic. After many, many obstacles, I shot off an email (application attached) to the organizer with a link to a crappy video. And let me tell ya, it is CRAPPY. I have jeans on. In my defense, I swear, I tried a half dozen times to capture us on video in our best attire and neatly braided with utterly no luck. So screw it. This is what I've got with the resources I have available. About an hour after emailing the organizer, she emailed back saying that the app looked good and she'll be sending it to the selection committee for review (next week since it's Friday today). Frankly, I didnt expect to hear anything back. Or if I did, it'd just be the word's "hahaha, you hick!" Anyway, application is in, no more getting angry about failed video attempts, and the best part... If I don't get selected I can blame it on the jeans and tank top and not my piss poor riding skills. I love s...

I know you're all dying to hear how video taping went. Well... It didn't. I get to the barn and apparently every one, and half their family, decided that tonight was the night to ride. I haven't seen most of these people in over a week. I tell myself it's okay. Maybe they'll clear out before the lesson. The lesson I put on the board. The one in big block letters. So I pull out all of Ava's gear, and have to use the bathroom. Run up to the house, come back and every cross tie is full. I stand there a minute, but no one seems to be in much of a hurry to move. I grab Ava's stuff again and haul it all down to her stall to start getting Ava tacked up. Then the text message comes through. Our second vehicle, my hubby's truck, is spewing gas like a fire hose on full volume. Husband apologizes, saying he can't make it to video tape tonight. I finally get Ava tacked up and braided, and lead her out to the arena. At this point I notice the horse hand galloping...

My application for the Lilo Fore clinic has to be in the mail this week and I don't have a video yet. That isn't for lack of trying, but every time I plan on video taping, it down pours the night before. So these are my choices: take video in the dust bowl, postage stamp, arena and hope for the pity vote; or slog through knee high footing and pray I don't seriously damage my horses tendons (not a risk I'm willing to take). Tonight, my trainer is coming to help me finesse a great ride out of my horse, and my husband is coming to man the video camera. And..... it's snowing. In April. Why does this matter, you ask? Well, I don't have much in the way of asthetically pleasing riding attire that isn't designated as show wear. So, I figured I'd wear a polo shirt for my video. The, uh, "it's 70 degree's in the office and I'm freezing" short-sleeve polo shirt.  In my infinite wisedom, I decided to ask my sweet hubby to bring along a ther...

While surfing the web last weekend, I found a clinic with Lilo Fore that is relatively close to where I live ( only 4 hours away).  In order to ride in this clinic, you have to be selected by a committee who will judge whether you and your horse are skilled enough to allow Lilo Fore to demonstrate her teaching/training methods on.  You have to fill out a 3 page application, and submit a "statement of reference" from your current trainer, plus send in a video of you riding the horse. If you'd like more information on the Lilo Fore Adult Clinics, here's the link to it: http://www.usdf.org/education/clinics/adult/index.asp I thought, "How cool would that be?". I've watched YouTube videos with Lilo Fore instructing top Olympians. That could be me!! I immediately start scheming up ways to get the money to enter, and how the heck do I get my horse there, and of course I'm dreaming of how fantastic Ava (the super star) will be. This got me to wonderin...