The Road to the Pony Driving World Championships, 2011

Win a FREE training session!

2012-02-26T17:52:00.000-05:00

Kentucky Equine Research is having a contest - sign up for their great FREE newsletters on horse health and horse nutrition and be entered in a drawing for a FREE training session with me! My horse or yours, beginners or other disciplines are welcome!

Enter here: http://www.ker.com/shellytemplecontest/

Understanding Harness

2012-01-12T19:14:00.001-05:00

http://albrechtsanimals.typepad.com/understanding_harness/

A very cool project by harnessmaker Barb Lee.
Check it out!

Sunday, Cones Day in Lipica

2011-12-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

Sunday dawned sunny and clear. It was the best weather day yet during our trip to Lipica.

We rose early and headed to the barn to feed Cooper and check him over. All the US horses were jogged in hand in front of Michael, Chester and Lisa, the team vet. All looked good. You can't be too careful at this point. Anyone who did not pass the vet check before cones would be eliminated and their scores would not count for the team score. Sometimes the ponies get stiff standing in their stalls overnight and it just takes some walking to get them loosened up.

We groomed Cooper and I braided him. Braiding is so calming and soothing to me, I find it very relaxing. It helps to clear my head and get me focused.

We got ready in our driving clothes and headed down to the arena to have our first look at the cones course. At 8 AM we were all allowed in to walk. The course was long with some twisty turns and some cones at odd angles. The footing was going to be the issue. It would be hard to go fast enough to make the time and at the same time avoid having the carriage slide into the cones.

Fran has been riding with me in cones to give more weight to the back of the carriage, the hope was to prevent fishtailing, or at least lessen it. Michael gave us our split times. The length of the course had been calculated and we had four split times to make. This meant that at specific cones I was to look at the clock and decide if I was on time, too fast or too slow, and adjust accordingly. We had been practicing this at all the shows so we were ready. It's not smart to go too fast - risking balls down, or too slow, causing time penalties. The plan was to use all the time available but not a second more.

We got Cooper ready and headed down to the open grass warmup. We had constant contact with Michael and Chester, and found that the cones runs were going faster than planned, so we had to scurry up to the first warmup ring.

Warmup was uneventful. Lisa viewed us all with a watchful eye. We started in the first warmup arena, then when we were on deck, moved to the small dressage ring just outside. Randy went just before us and had a clear round with just a few time penalties. That took the pressure off us for the team score, so I decided to go for it and give it our best shot. We entered the ring and saluted, then waited for the bell, then we were off!

Cooper was excellent throughout the course. He went exactly where I asked at the speed I asked. Between cones four and five, I felt the carriage slide, then it was on two wheels! Quite surprised, I backed off for a second, then back up to speed. We slid into one cone, and then the dreaded number 19 (a tight turn out of a corner) loomed. I drove the line I wanted but the carriage slid there as well and I was one of the many who took 19 out. I should have slowed down a bit. On to the finish, we were 3 seconds over. Although I wasn't happy about the cones down, I couldn't help but be very happy with Cooper. He was feeling good and did what I asked. Such a good pony!!

We got Cooper cooled out and settled in his stall, then headed up to the ring to watch Suzy, one of the last singles to go. She drove an aggressive round, to move up to fourth in the standings. We watched the rest of the class, where first placed Dennis Schneiders had several balls to move him down and Suzy up to third!! Very exciting!!

Chester and Michael watching cones

We watched as much of the rest of the cones between checking on Cooper and saw some great cones driving, as well as some tough runs. There was a lot of sliding throughout the day in all the classes, which made for lots of movement in the standings. Jennifer had a tough round, Wendy did better and so her score was used. Our team was in good position, now it was up to the fours to bring it home. Laurie had some problems, but Lisa Stroud had a super round to secure the bronze medal for the US.

Some of the many awards at Lipica photo by Bettina Ruckelhaus

Now it was a rush to get all the ponies ready for the awards ceremony. We quickly got Cooper ready (I had taken his braids out so quickly rebraided him with red,white and blue yarn provided by Suzy) and went to our place in line along with the other individual and team medal winners. In no time we were entering under the arch into the area and lining up in our spot.

Victory lap

Jennifer with Chester

Suzy

Randy

We watched proudly as Suzy was awarded her medal, and applauded all the individual medal winners. Soon it was our turn to leave our carriages and mount the podium. Dottie rode along with me and took the reins when I stepped down and made my way to the third step.

The American flag was raised as we watched. Miss Slovenia came out along with Richard Nicoll from the FEI and other officials to give us flowers and our medals. One of the German team members fell off the top step as he struggled to see Miss Slovenia :). The announcer mentioned that our team was all female, the German team all men, and the Dutch team had both men and women. There was lots of waving, clapping and laughing and photo taking, then back to our carriages for the victory lap.

Dottie, Shelly and Fran

Wow, it was finally over! Many months (really years) of preparation and training, of drivers and of horses, countless shows and trips, the help of many friends, family, students and sponsors had brought us to this point. The US team had not been a favorite for a medal. We had done our best and stayed tough as a team and brought home the bronze. Suzy had given her all and brought home the individual bronze. We did it!!!

Team Vet Lisa Casinella riding with Wendy

It wasn't quite over, though! Lots of packing now as the horses were leaving in the morning for Michael's, where they would get a rest until flying out on Thursday. We got everything ready and took the rest of the afternoon to load the trucks and trailers with all our equipment. Finally time to get some dinner and relax. There was a team dinner at the hotel restaurant where we had a chance to chill and have a glass of wine.

LIsa and Koos

Jacob

Michael and Sonja finally have time to relax

The Captain and his crew :)

The Team Medal Winners

Fran and Jeff had one more mission, though - to get two of the show posters for us to take home. They had scoped out the possibilities over the weekend and disappeared for a while, only to resurface with the two posters in hand.

No problem falling to sleep Sunday night, we slept like babies :). Up early once more to load the ponies on the trailer. Our plan was for Jacob to ride back to Michael's along with Taz (Jennifer's groom) and Andy(Wendy's groom), while we headed off for a few days of R & R with Lynn and Jeff. Jacob got plenty of international experience throughout the show, and the clean up and pack up was all part of it. Once at Michael's, all the equipment had to be unloaded and cleaned, all carriages had to be pressure washed. Everything would be inspected when it arrived in the US and if it wasn't clean, the USDA would not let it in without being cleaned by their personnel and billed to the owner. Thanks, Jacob!!

Fran and I say goodbye to Lipica

Jacob traveled along with Cooper and Josie to NY, where they were unloaded and whisked off to USDA quarantine station in Newburgh, NY. They would spend the next few days there until the results from their blood tests came back and they were cleared to leave. We had a load of Aiken ponies ride together, with Wendy's, Jennifer's and mine bonding further as they made their way home.

Bettina

Many, many thanks to Bettina Ruckelhaus and Marie de Ronde for the great photos and allowing me to use them for this blog. Thanks to all who supported me and all of us so we could make this journey and represent our country. Thank you most of all to Fran and to Cooper, who made it all worthwhile :)

Saturday, Marathon Day

2011-11-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

Up early, still dark. Made our way to the stable and got ready. Singles were first, then pairs, then fours. We were off first, followed closely by Suzy, then Randy a bit later.

It was a beautiful cool morning with a breeze. It was supposed to get in the upper 70's during the afternoon.

Dottie, Lynn and Jeff and Jacob helped us get ready. It was easy to stay focused with all that help. Soon we were headed down to the start, and off on course.

Ready to head out on course, photo by Marie de Ronde

Some last minute words of encouragement from Chester,
photo by Marie de Ronde

Off we go! Photo by Marie de Ronde

Cooper came in the vet check with a temperature of just over 100. He looked great and was barely breathing. Jacob and Dottie met us there, got water on Cooper and scraped it off. Dottie had searched high and low for ice, Cooper is not a drinker at the vet check but we learned this spring that he would eat ice (thanks, Sue Dougherty!). He was happy to see the ice and happy to have Dottie hand feed it to him :).

After a quick briefing from Michael on how the hazards were going, we started on Section E. Michael told me that Hazard Two was getting deep in the turns to B, C and D.

The outer course was a busy place, with some drivers walking their ponies and some trotting. Soon we were in the first hazard, then on to the second, and before we knew it the marathon was over. Everything went pretty much according to plan, except in Hazard Three where I whizzed by my gap and had to make another loop into B. The water hazard was tight and slow as we had imagined it might be for us. Otherwise I think we worked our plan well. All our section times were right on.

Cooper, Shelly and Fran in the Water Hazard, photo by Marie de Ronde

More Cooper, by Marie de Ronde

Cooper going for the finish by Marie de Ronde

Interestingly at this event, there was a cool down section after the end of Section E. You went through the end of E, turned in your green card, then you started on a two Kilometer cool down section where you could walk or trot, your navigator could stay on or get off, and you could all relax. Once we finished this part, we pulled in to the vet check. Cooper looked terrific at the vet check. His temperature was almost normal and his breathing was. We finished with that and now the most exciting part - we had to unhook Cooper from the carriage, pull the carriage over to a crane and straps were attached to it so it could be lifted in the air and weighed! Hadn't seen that method before. Cooper seemed only mildly interested in the airborne carriage. It landed back on earth, we hooked and drove back to the stable.

Once Cooper got settled, we went off to watch as much as possible. The day grew warmer and coats came off. We saw some great driving and some scary driving, all sorts and sizes of ponies and all ages of drivers. There were a few accidents, very well handled and no ponies or people were hurt that I was aware of. In one spectacular incident, a team of smaller ponies were galloping around a turn when one of the leaders tripped and fell. The other ponies ran on top of him, and then the carriage. There was a mix of legs and harness. The driver and navigators quickly untangled everything while the ponies laid quietly, then got up and stood calmly while they and the carriage were taken out of the hazard. The ponies were hooked and walked back with no apparent injuries. They did cones the next morning and looked fine.

Suzy getting it done, photo by Marie de Ronde

The serious US contingent watches, photo by Marie de Ronde

There were a lot of mistakes on course - at a World Championship everyone is going for it and mistakes happen. Some course corrections and some eliminations juggled the results for individuals and for the team competition. A Hungarian team driver knocked down a post in a gate, thus unable to go through it the gate, he continued on and was eliminated, then that decision was overturned, then reinstated from Saturday to Sunday morning. Other issues eliminated some top competitors - when a team driver was eliminated, all his/her scores were dropped and no longer counted for the team, including their dressage score.

This is probably a good time to explain the Pony Championship Team score calculations, since it is different from other Championships for Single, Pair and Four in Hand horses. A team is comprised of two singles, two pairs and two fours. One score from each class counts toward the team competition. So the one best score for single, pair and team for dressage counts for that competition, then again the same for marathon, the lowest one single, pair and four in hand score is counted for the marathon score. Cones just the same. So these eliminations and mistakes changed everything around.

I was judging at the CDE at Innavale earlier this summer. At the competitor's party, a man who was navigating at the show came over and introduced himself to me. His name was Alex, and he was from Slovenia. We had a nice conversation about what I could expect during my time in Slovenia, and what the area was like. Alex said he was coming to Slovenia for vacation in September, and that he would try to come to the Championship to watch.

Imagine my surprise while we were watching at a hazard and Alex came over to see us! It was fun to ask him lots of questions about Slovenian things that were a mystery to us. He stayed for the afternoon and we enjoyed his company. He was inspired by the driving he saw. It's a small world.....

Laurie flat out, photo by Marie de Ronde

Lisa coming up the hill, by Marie de Ronde

It was a long, exhilarating, exhausting day, followed by an award party. This one started at eight but the awards were delayed while the protest played out. We were pretty sure our team had ended the day in third place, but this could change according to what was decided about the protest. Finally a decision (albeit short lived) was made and we watched (and cheered and clapped) while Lisa Stroud received her marathon award.

Cones were scheduled to start at 9 the next morning, with walking starting at 8. Off to bed once again as the music played on.....

Friday, Dressage Day Two

2011-11-18T15:16:00.000-05:00

Friday was a blur - a very busy day with lots of hazard walking between going to the dressage arena to watch our drivers compete. Suzy, Randy, Lisa and Laurie all did their dressage tests on Friday so we went to cheer them on.

Suzy and Josie photo by Marie de Ronde

Lisa photo by Marie de Ronde

Laurie photo by Marie de Ronde

I missed the course walk via hay wagon on Wednesday (my assigned time to work with coach Michael) and on Thursday as it was too close to my dressage time. The organizers said they would arrange a different time for anyone that needed it, so at 2 PM Fran and I met Christian Iseli, the Course Designer, for a personal spin around Section A and D. There were a few hills on A but it was a nice drive out in the country and well marked. The start was close to the stable area. When we got to the walk section, we could see white tapes everywhere stretched between trees. Christian explained that many team coaches and drivers walked the section (which stayed on a dirt/stone path) off the path cutting between the trees to save meters. He put the tape out so that anyone that went off the path had to go even further to make the next gate, a very successful way of keeping drivers on the intended route.

Section E was loops with exits to hazards, similar to the Laurels. Think super highway with entrance/exit ramps and you'll have the idea. While driving on the loops, other drivers would be out there, too. You had to pay attention so you took the correct lane into/out of each hazard. It was well marked but you had to know what you were doing. Fran spend some time out there with the other navigators, making sure there would be no issues on Saturday.

Christian praised the organizers at Lipica, saying how cooperative and helpful they had been. He was very pleased with the competition and was looking forward to watching the marathon on Saturday. It was fun to hear his thoughts on the course and hazard design.

I have no idea how many times we walked the hazards but I felt comfortable with the routes for my pony and we were looking forward to doing our best on Saturday. The only hazard that didn't seem up to the rest of the course was the Water Obstacle. It was a shallow concrete pond with big upright pillars fairly close together. During the week the water had been very shallow but on Friday they started to fill it and it was much deeper - not overly deep but with the tight turns it didn't look like it was going to be fun to drive.

Each day more and more decorations were added to the hazards so they looked quite nice by Friday. The course itself between hazards was roped off and mostly the spectators were on two sides and the competitors were out of the traffic areas. The obligatory beer tents were up (we need these in the US!).

It's not an easy job to mark hazards that are fair but challenging for singles, pairs and fours but I think Christian did a great job of it!

All our US drivers did a great job on Friday and Michael and Chester were happy. We were in third place as a team at the end of the day. In dressage Suzy was in fifth place, Randy in ninth, Jennifer in third, Wendy in twentieth, Laurie in twelfth and Lisa in seventh. I ended up in third place.

On Friday evening, guess what? Another party! The nightly parties didn't start until 8 PM, unlike our 6:30 PM parties in the states. We were treated to an enthusiastic Awards Ceremony, where we were awarded our ribbons by Miss Slovenia, a slender blonde in an evening gown, then, wearing our ribbons, we took a victory lap around the large tent with lots of clapping, yelling and cheering.

Suzy, Jennifer, Chester and Shelly

Once again the party went on into the night but we headed off to bed - we had an early morning and a big day coming!

Thursday, Dressage Day One

2011-10-19T13:15:00.000-04:00

Thursday morning we had a chance to walk the dressage ring, so dressed in our driving clothes, we all took a spin around the arena. There was a Jumbotron (huge TV screen) in the corner near M, and I wondered if the horses would spook at the screen. After walking through the test, I decided to watch the first few horses go. Pairs went first. There were two warmup rings, one not far from the end of the arena, this ring had the same footing as the main arena. The second, smaller ridden dressage arena, just outside the entrance to the ring, had sand footing. You could also warm up in a grass area near the stables before the other rings if you wished. Three competitors were allowed in the first ring, then the competitor on deck was sent to the second ring, then cued to enter the arena.

I heard the first competitor told to enter the ring a a minute before 9, and just before he came in, the water cannons, large sprinkers along the ring, went off! These are like fire hoses with a lot of force.

What a shock! The first competitor was quickly stopped just outside the arena and everyone rushed around to figure out how to turn the water cannons off. It took a few minutes before the timer was disabled and the water stopped.

How lucky that this did not happen when a competitor was in the ring - truly not pony friendly!

Once that little issue was solved, the show got started without further incident. All team members came down to the ring when one of our drivers were competing. First up was Jennifer Matheson, who drove a very nice test, the best I have seen her do with her pair. She had a good score and was very pleased. Next up for our team was Wendy O'Brien, who also drove very well. I thought she should have had a better score, but know from my judging career that things sometimes look diffrent from that vantage point than outside the arena.

Jennifer - photo by Marie de Ronde

Wendy-photo by Marie de Ronde

I drove Cooper in the morning to see how he was feeling. A few coughs at the start but that was it and he seemed to feel good. I began the long wait until my 5:05 test.
We went to the hotel for lunch and ordered pizza. Slovenian pizza can be different from what we are used to....

Killing time and waiting for lunch

A close up of Jeff's tie (and shirt)

Pizza surprise!

I tried to keep busy and just focus on my test. I braided Cooper - I love to braid, it clears my mind and calms me. I had plenty of help to get ready and Cooper, carriage and harness looked great thanks to everyone's help. Finally it was time to head to the warmup ring so Dottie climbed on board. I was met by Chester and Michael there, and I began my warmup. The carriage was sliding quite a bit in the corners.
Cooper felt good in the warm up, and there was the ever present warm up dilemma, how much to do? Too little and he would not be supple and attentive, too much and he would be tired. I tried for some place in the middle.

Finally our time came to head to the second ring and await our entrance. We were given the nod and headed down the hill and under the arch into the ring.

A unique perspective - photo by Marie de Ronde

Cooper was attentive and cooperative, but energy was lacking and he struggled a bit in the footing. He seemed to be working but I could see on the video afterward that he needed more impulsion. Was I too passive? Or was he still feeling the effects from being sick at the beginning of the week? Or both? I can always learn from each test and try to improve for the next one. In any case, it wasn't an awful test but we weren't on our game and did not show what we can do. Some mistakes in the canter hurt our score as well, but the scores were good, except for one judge who had us 20 points under all the others. It's hard for me to tell why from his comments but it happens and all part of the game of competing.

DRAMA IN THE BIT CHECK:
Chester and Marie met me at the bit check/wheel measurement outside the arena. As the steward checked the bit, she commented that I was to wait for the vet. Vet? Why? Another official explained that the head judge wanted the pony checked for lameness. Just then my scores were announced, a 44.67, putting me in first place for the day. Both Marie and Chester commented that it didn't make sense, the winner being lame. The vet arrived and asked us to jog the pony in hand. We quickly stripped the harness off, and Chester jogged Cooper with his driving bridle and one rein. Cooper looked great and the vet agreed there was no problem. Whew! That was unexpected and unnerving! Marie told me that four other ponies had been examined earlier in the same way and one competitor had been disqualified. I was very happy that Chester and Marie were there when I needed them.

I led Cooper back to the stable, and Chester and a steward followed with the carrige. Our supporters were waiting. They had wondered what happened to us!

A relieved Chester and a steward pulled the carriage back to the stable

Ok, so it wasn't the test I had prepared for and hoped for. But it was over and the score was good, although not as good as I wanted. I knew my teammates expected a better score from me and I was disappointed, but we ended the day in first place, with the second half of our class to go on Friday.

Jeff and Lynn asked me if I wanted a beer and I said DEFINATELY!!

A party in the big tent again that evening, a little more tame this time. Most participants were busy getting ready for dressage or walking hazards. But once again the music went on into the night...

Wednesday, Nation's Night at the World Championships

2011-10-19T11:23:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was already a busy day, and now we had Nation's Night to look forward to. A group of supporters and friends arrived at the big tent at 7 PM to set up the US table. Judy Fryer and Phil Needs, who have supported the team at each pony championship, covered the expenses (THANK YOU!) and did the cooking. We served hamburgers on the grill and shots of Jack Daniels. Decorations came from all over, as each driver brought a bag of assorted patriotic items. I brought red, white and blue stuff from the Aiken Driving Club, Irene Gillis and Peggy Dils, among others who donated decorations to the cause.

Chef Philip

I can honestly say I have never seen so many full shot glasses anywhere! Each table featured the specialties of that country to eat and drink. From chocolate to sausage, every food group was represented, and each table had a large amount of that country's favorite alcohol available. My favorite was Pimms at the GB table. Some tables had people in traditional dress handing out goodies. The US showed their pride with national colors.

Jeff getting ready for the party to begin

As the evening went on, the alcohol took effect and the party got rolling. There were a few skits performed on stage, and dance music played. Mio Allo did a very good Supreme's lip sync accompanied by a French driver in a skirt and wig and our own Laurie Astegiano. There was dancing on tables and lots of fun. Sadly I had dressage the next day so did not partake (except for a Pimm's and the chocolate) and left early to check on Cooper and get some sleep. We could hear the music from our hotel room and the party went on for a long time. From the photos I've seen, and the stories I heard, it was a VERY fun time.

I did get a photo with the Kosack, our name for the guy who worked all day at the show and dressed up at night in an interesting outfit. He was very hard to understand and we really don't know what he was all about, but he was hard to miss!

All the countries got along great at the party, but soon the serious side of the competition would begin. Next up, Thursday, dressage day number one.

Wednesday, Opening Ceremony

2011-10-06T20:20:00.000-04:00

We quickly got ready with our red, white and blue and our flags, gathered our friends and got in line for the Opening Ceremony. One again, we were last in alphabetical order as ZDA.

Our pretty Slovenian leader

Each country had a pretty young lady to lead their contingent. We formed a line behind her and marched into the stadium.

Little Addison Cross walked with our leader

We listened to some welcoming speeches in several languages, spent plenty of time waving our flags, and then marched out, country by country.

Fran and Dottie enjoying the moment

After the teams marched, there was a presentation of the Lipica stud's stallions in a ridden dressage quadrille and a driving demonstration. I was most impressed by the beautifully trained and ridden stallions.

The Ground Jury had front row seats for the festivities.

After the ceremony was over, each team was given a few minutes to work in the main arena so their horses could become familiar with the footing, which was a mix of sand and felt, it had some cushion but the carriages could skid in it. Our team took advantage of the chance for the ponies to get in the ring. I rode Cooper for a few minutes, as I didn't want to stress him before he had completely recovered.

Some of the US Team schooling in the arena.

Cooper finished his light work in good form. Next up was the draw for dressage times. Our Chef de Equip, Chester Weber, drew for our team and texted our times. Jennifer and Wendy went on Thursday morning, I was to go at 5:05 Thursday, and Randy, Suzy and Laurie and Lisa on Friday.

A busy day turned into a busy night. Our friends and family went to set up the US table for Nation's Night. Nation's Night is when all the different countries set up tables with their national foods, delicacies and most popular of all, their favorite drinks. Coming up next, Nation's Night!

Wednesday, Vet Check Day

2011-10-06T19:36:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday morning Cooper was feeling much more chipper, and his temperature was back to normal. He was eager for his hay and breakfast. He was still getting antibiotics, and still had a slight cough, but no discharge, and all other vitals were normal. By this time Lisa was sure he would be able to compete and so we prepared for the vet check at 11:00.

There was soon a swirl of ponies of all shapes and sizes just outside the stable area. I got Cooper braided and ready and we got in line. The Slovenes spell USA as ZDA and the vet check is in alphabetical order so our team was last.

Cooper and Fran hung out in the shade keeping cool until their turn.

As the vet check went on, we heard that a number of ponies had been placed in the hold box to be reinspected. Don't quote me but I was told about 25 ponies had to be reinspected, a much bigger number than is usually seen.

Finally Cooper's turn came and Fran jogged him and he passed and we came back to the stable. When we returned, we found out that Suzy's pony had been held for reinspection. Dottie took Cooper for a graze and we went back to the ring to see what was happening. We could see Suzy in the holding area, jogging Josie and she looked fine. Finally when all the other ponies were finished, they called Suzy back and this time Josie was cleared and determined to be fit to compete. What a relief! This was our first warning that this was going to be a tough competition and all ponies would be scrutinized.

Only one pony of those held was spun, it was part of a pair so the driver could still compete.

Happy that phase was over, we headed back to the barn to get ready for the Opening Ceremony.

Travel Back In Time....

2011-10-03T15:34:00.000-04:00

Travel back in time to Sunday, September 17th.

We left Michael Freund's stable in the morning, with the ponies to travel that evening. Jacob left Sunday morning with Michael, who went to pick up his son Marco, who was also competing at the Championship with his pair and had been at the German training camp.

Fran, Suzy and I loaded the rental car to the max and hit the road. It was a very stormy and rainy trip.

Once through Germany, we entered Austria and encountered the Alps. About fifteen tunnels, one almost 6 miles in length, took us through the mountains. The clouds and mountains made for impressive views.

The drive took about 11 hours and we arrived at Lipica after dark, so couldn't see anything but white fence along the driveway. We found the main hotel and the restaurant and grabbed dinner. As we walked in, we saw the Lipica Casino right next door. After dinner, we stopped at the Casino and Suzy won a hundred Euros! Good luck for the week!

We stayed at Hotel Klub, the less expensive of the two hotels. Close to the stable area, I can describe the room as clean with twenty year old college dorm decor. It was large and had a workable and clean bathroom. The other hotel was more modern and more upscale, but we were happy to be able to stay on the grounds AND save some money. The restaurants were both at the nicer hotel. Most of the waitstaff spoke English and were very helpful. We saw many competitors during dinner as well as some officials. The fun was about to start!

Monday, the Ponies Arrive in Lipica

2011-10-03T15:33:00.000-04:00

Monday morning we got a knock on the door from Suzy, telling us she had heard from the van driver and the ponies were due in 45 minutes. Another very rainy day was in store!

We headed to the breakfast room to get a quick bite to eat. Typical buffet of meats and cheeses, along with some delicious pastries and rolls. A new favorite was crossiants with apricot filling, still warm from the oven.

We got to the stabling area and the van was there, but there was a glitch - one pony did not have a Coggins test and they would not let him off the van. Apparently Coggins tests are not routinely done in Germany but the show specs required one. After a few phone calls it was determined that the pony did indeed have a Coggins test and it was on it's way to the show and he was finally allowed to get off the van.

Cooper looked happy to be done with the trip. He had what looked like bites on his neck which we thought were caused by his neighbor during the trip. We are still not sure exactly what caused that. He seemed happy in his stall and was eating his hay.

About an hour later, Cooper suddenly seemed uncomfortable, stopped eating and could not be coaxed to eat even a carrot. I thought he looked colicky and so found the Team Veterinarian, Lisa Casinella, who had arrived the night before. She checked him over and kept a watchful eye on him while we got settled. The USET vet trunk with her supplies as well as my thermometer were on Michael's truck along with the rest of our equipment and had not yet arrived. Soon Cooper was shivering even though it wasn't very cold and he had a sheet on. I borrowed another blanket (mine were in Michael's truck, too) and Fran took Lisa back to the hotel so she could grab the thermometer and stethoscope she had brought with her.

Cooper turned out to have a fever of 103.5 and a diagnosis of shipping fever. Lisa got permission from the competition vets to give him fluids and antibiotics, got him started on the fluids,(Chester Weber bravely climbed the stalls so we could hang the fluid bags from the rafters) then filled out the myriad of paperwork required by the FEI for medication use during the show. I was worried about Cooper, unsure if he would be able to compete, and a bit stressed by it all. Cooper had always been a good traveler and this is first time we had to deal with anything like this. Lisa did a great job getting him back on his feet.

Later in the day Cooper developed a cough, but started to feel better as the fluids took effect him. He gradually started to eat and drink again and his fever gradually started to come down. His health and safety were my first concern. Still unsure if he would recover in time to compete, we unpacked our equipment and scoped out the facility.

The farm was beautiful, with many old and historic buildings. There was quite a good golf course (this from Fran, a golfer). Our stabling was excellent, new looking tents with large stalls, bedded deep with sawdust. The USA was lucky enough to have a tent all to ourselves. Several wash areas with concrete footing were nearby. Security was tight on the grounds. Lizzy Staller, the USEF Director of Driving. got our photo credentials for us, and we could not get in the stabling or in the camp area without them. I've been to 6 World Championships (three grooming for Lisa Singer, one as a spectator, and two driving myself) and I've never seen access so restrictive in the camp area.

When we first arrived, it seemed like there would be plenty of room where each country would make their camps. But soon, it got more and more crowded as everyone arrived and it became apparent that there was not. The rain continued and the grounds crew brought load after load of gravel and spread it to keep the mud at bay.

The path through the camp area got more and more narrow each day

The hazards were directly across from our stable but had not been made official by the Ground Jury so all we could do is look at them from afar.

By the end of the day, Cooper was feeling and looking better, and though he still had a fever, it was down to 102 and Lisa was happy with his progress.

CAA Blog

2011-09-27T01:30:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't seen it, the CAA Blog can be found here, good info and photos from the Championship:

http://carriageassociation.wordpress.com/page/3/

It's Over!

2011-09-27T01:09:00.001-04:00

I apologize for not posting during the Championship. I had to make the decision to totally devote my energy to the task. In fact, I did not go online the entire week. As I now start to catch up on my emails, thank you all for your positive comments and great emails, I appreciate each and everyone of them. Thank you as well to those who are still holding down the fort at home as we work our way home. And the best deserved thanks to Cooper who was a trooper and a star throughout the journey!

Over the next few days I will update this blog with behind the scenes going ons and add photos so you can get a feel for all the ups and downs of the Championship. The good news ****SPOILER ALERT**** is that Team USA won the Bronze Medal!!! We worked well as a team in every phase which was very inspiring. Congratulations to Suzy Stafford who drove as an individual and won her own Bronze Medal, too!!

Thank you all for your support!!!

More Lipica Info Available

2011-09-17T01:53:00.000-04:00

Updated info is now available - list of competitors, maps of obstacles, maps of showgrounds:

http://www.lipica2011.si/en/competition-information/programme

Our training camp is over, we are packing today and heading to Lipica tomorrow. Cooper is happy to have a day off today! Michael Freund has worked very hard to prepare us for the Championship, which we appreciate very much.

Jacob Arnold arrived yesterday. He will be helping me and Suzy as a groom during the Championship.

Earlier this week, we had the honor of visiting a private carriage museum in Mannheim, Germany owned by Mr. Scheidel and had a personal tour for over two hours, just enough time to get a short glimpse of this extensive collection. Many thanks to Fred Freund for taking us. There were over 518 carriages beautifully presented, with many significant pieces from all over the world, harnesses and appointments, as well as very interesting artwork on the walls. I purchased a photo book of the collection and can't wait until I have the time to read it!!

We head out on Sunday morning for Lipica, with the ponies following on the van. I'll do my best to write from the Championships as time allows. I may have a guest writer if time is limited to update you on happenings there. Please also check in with Drivingnews.us for the latest results.

Will post more photos later if possible!

It's Finally Official!

2011-09-15T01:38:00.000-04:00

It's finally been posted -
http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/newsDisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=7606

We are on the team!

Some Photos from Minden

2011-09-13T15:38:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Bettina Ruckelshaus for these photos from our cones round in Minden:

Katia passes through

2011-09-13T12:46:00.000-04:00

Today we had hazard practice with Cooper. Better turns, more in sync with each other. The brakes on my carriage decided to stop working just before we started. After practice it was off to the auto repair place to fix a broken brake line. It should be fixed quickly.

Tropical Storm Katia is passing through the area, we are just on the edge so windy with some rain.

Katia coming by

Cooper relaxing after practice, he is getting very dapply

Lisa Stroud arrives at camp tomorrow with her team. We have a practice show on Thursday and one last cones practice on Friday at the sand arena. We head out on Sunday night to arrive in Lipica on Monday morning. It's about a 12 hour drive with the horse van.

The team is supposed to be announced in a press release by the USEF today. We don't know anything yet!!

More Cones Practice

2011-09-13T12:37:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos I took at the latest cones practice:

Wendy intent on a clear round

Wendy on the move

Getting those adjustments just right

Laurie takes her turn

Suzy watches on

Randy taking a call after her clear round

Lots of Things Going On.....

2011-09-13T12:27:00.000-04:00

Once again internet access has been spotty and I have spend most of the time available to be online getting bumped off over and over again. Hopefully today will be a lucky day!

Earlier in the week we found a Sushi place that was rather unique - the Sushi bar was made around a oval 'river' where small wooden boats floated around in a line, each with it's load of Sushi! You just plucked off whatever appealed to you as it sailed on by. It was a fun idea, the Sushi was ok, not wonderful but not scarey, either.

Suzy, Jennifer and Shelly enjoying the floating sushi

We made a trek to a sand arena about 4 kilometers away to practice cones. Most of our journey was through the village streets

The footing here was very similar to the footing at Lipica, and we had an excellent practice. There was some betting on who would have the best score, those wise men that bet on me were victorious :)

More dressage practice, more hazard practice, more cones exercises, we are all making progress!

This past weekend, there was a medival festival in Dreieichaim, around the castle, from Friday until Sunday afternoon. This is the largest in Germany and drew a very large crowd. My camera was misbehaving most of this time so the majority of my pictures did not come out, but here are a few that did:

You could be bathed in the communal tub

Xenia, Warrior Princess

Fran trying bread on a stick, a popular snack

There was excellent people watching during the festival, lots of people dressed in different centuries, a man dragging around a woman on a chain, a man with an owl, a woman with a falcon, lots of knights in armor, women and men dressed in every conceivable way and lots of kids, too. A very, very lively crowd.

Some Random Photos

2011-09-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

This large Rooster hung out all day at the Egg Sellers booth at the Farmers Market in Mainz, preening.

Doesn't everyone?

The Colonel gets around....

This one's for you, Nancy!
These two had a black boat bumper that they were using for a game of Tug O' War

Training Time and a Bit of Sightseeing....

2011-09-06T09:20:00.000-04:00

We have been busy training each day to be our best at the Championship. Each evening Michael posts a schedule for the following day, and keeps us to date on plans for the week. He gets input from each of us about what we would like to work on and adds his ideas.

Michael and Fred's Training Field

There is a good training field just up the hill from the barn with a grass arena, dirt arena, a permanent hazard and several portable elements. There is plenty of room for cones, too.

When we got back from Minden, I gave Cooper a few days off, then it was time for some hazard practice. I asked Michael that morning if he would like me to learn some hazards (there are some marked at the training field) and he smiled and told me no, that I would follow him. Not sure what that meant but I soon found out!

When we were ready to begin, he ran through the hazards, making all sorts of turns and had me chase him! It actually worked really well as it made me (and Cooper) think quick, focus ahead, and it was fun! We did that a number of times with different twists and turns in both the portable and permanent hazards, then he gave me a pattern to drive, turning right, then left, then right and so on. I got braver about getting closer to the elements (sometimes too close but these were the portable elements, fortunately forgiving). We got a good workout and we got to work on our timing.

Since the footing at the Championship for dressage and cones will be on sand, Michael made arrangements for us to ship to a local place with sand to practice cones. It was a big production to get all the ponies and equipment loaded and moved, as well as the cones.

Getting everything there

As soon as we got there, Michael and his crew got busy setting up a challenging course. We all had time to walk the course and get our ponies ready, then it was time to drive. The sand was quite deep in this arena, and there was a lot of sliding going on. It was deeper than he had planned, but we all got some time in learning how our carriages handled and the ponies sure got a good workout!

Michael puts Laurie's ponies through their paces for a double clear

Michael was not happy with the footing as he thought it was too deep. He has found another practice field to use and we will drive the ponies over on Thursday for more cones practice.

Between lessons we have been driving out in the forest nearby, and I have also been riding Cooper.

After working Cooper each day, we have been trying to do some local sightseeing. Fran has done a wonderful job finding interesting places to see. One day we went to a nearby city called Mainz and Fran somehow found the town square and there was a wonderful outdoor farmer's market surrounding a beautiful cathedral. There were many lovely buildings in the square.

The next day we went to see a castle, Burg Eltz, which has been in the same family for thirty three generations. It was located in a picturesque valley near the Mosel River. We took a tour through many rooms of the castle. The original tapestries, furniture and artwork is still there and very impressive.

That area is famous for wine making and it was amazing to see how the grapevines were growing on nearly vertical slopes. How they care for the vines and harvest the grapes I do not know as it looks impossible to stand up on those hills.

Monday after I worked Cooper, we went to nearby Bad Holmburg. Fran used his festival radar and we came across a Lantern Festival, which spanned about a mile of city streets blocked off from traffic. There was every conceivable type of food available and we had a great lunch sampling German fare.

This is a very small park next to Michael's training field with this unusual sculpture.

We are very curious about what this sign says, can one of our German reading friends enlighten us?

The Laurels at Landhope CDE

2011-08-31T14:45:00.000-04:00

The Laurels is this coming weekend. It's the first time I have missed the Laurels since I began competing in 1997 :( It's always been my hometown event where I get to see my family and friends and see how much Chester County has changed. This year is the 25th Anniversary of the Laurels and they will host the 2011 USEF National Four In Hand Championship.

Check it out at www.laurelscde.org I am proud to say my daughter Kana Grogan manages the website. There are several good raffles and some clothing already available online. The US Pony drivers are hoping to Skype from Germany to the Laurels to say hi.

Great sport, great vendors and a good time, I hope you will go support the show!

Minden

2011-08-31T04:35:00.000-04:00

After a week of radio silence :) I have internet access again! Sorry not to keep you better updated, though it sounds like the scores were available online quickly.

We arrived in Minden on Tuesday afternoon. The organizing committee of the show sent the vans of their sponsored drivers, Daniel Schneiders and Dennis Schneiders (brothers) to pick us up. Eight ponies left the farm, along with all their equipment.

A quick stop on the way for some American food.....

Fran and I, along with Suzy camped at the show in one of the trailers (like a Toy Hauler) which was set up with beds and cabinets. Jennifer and Wendy brought their trucks and cargo trailers so they used those to get their equipment to the show. Their grooms, Amy, Andy, Brenda and Dirk also camped out.

The show was held on the grounds next to the Grewe Company, a large company that makes ‘Wintergardens’ or sunrooms, windows, and solar energy panels. The company takes up a few blocks and their employees seemed totally committed to producing a top show. We arrived and set up our American camp in an area just outside the tent stabling. Although there were many horses in the barns, as many or more used their vans and portable stabling instead. There were all types of vans and campers, some pretty opulent and some very basic, but all workable for people and their ponies.

It was very cool to be at a show with just FEI Ponies. Entries were 33 single ponies, 45 pairs of ponies and 19 four in hands. Eight countries were represented and it was the German National Pony Championship as well as the German team selection trial and last chance to qualify ponies for the World Championship. Apparently the German qualification criteria for the World’s is more strict than that of the FEI!

We settled in and found a grocery store just around the corner with quite a good bakery. Chocolate croissants soon became the favorite breakfast of some of the American camp – not naming any names here :)

There was a large grass warmup area just across the street from the nicely appointed dressage area, a bit bumpy but plenty of room for everyone. Farm fields surround the area, and a crop of oats had just been harvested. We walked down a grid of roads to get everywhere on the grounds. It was a busy place, with people from the show coming and going with ponies, bicycles and cars, mixed in with people from the surrounding area just going for a walk or bike ride, or taking their baby carriage out. It was congested and close quarters, which just seemed the norm. I'm finding that we are used to more 'personal space' in American than seems to be way here in Germany.

The weather was quite warm the first few days, hitting the low nineties. We worked our ponies under the watchful eye of Fred Freund. Michael was coaching the US Team at the World Pairs Championship held the same weekend as Minden.

Wednesday was the vet check.

Suzy and Josie waiting for their turn

Laurie with one of her ponies

Randy and Kabam

Fran and Cooper, two good looking guys :)

Luc jogging under the watchful eye of the ground jury

On Thursday the pair ponies did dressage, followed by half the four in hands. Jennifer and Wendy placed well, as did Laurie who did the last test of the day. It's probably easiest to go to DrivingNews.us and see the scores there than for me to try to remember them all.

Thursday night there was a Nation’s Night party in a decorated warehouse on the grounds. Each country brought some food and drink to share. The US had S’mores along with Jack Daniel shots. The ceiling of the building was decorated in a very unique way, with hundreds of umbrellas.

Friday, our dressage day, rain was forecast but it was bright and sunny for our go. We had a good consistent test to score 43.39. We took the lead and maintained it. Suzy and Randy both had good tests and our placings were me first, Suzy second and Randy seventh. Pretty good for us to all be in the top ten in such good company!

A course walk was held in two shifts. A farm tractor pulled several hay wagons along with straw bales for us to sit on. There was a case of beer to share, and we toured the nearby countryside. Some roads and some farm paths took us through some lush farmland.

Friday afternoon while the four in hands were doing dressage, a storm came up with lightning, rain and hail. I was out walking hazards and didn't mind getting soaked by the rain (it was hot ) but had to duck for cover as the hail stung! I felt sorry for the drivers getting ready for their tests.

Hail

Friday evening the prize giving was held aboard a ship that toured the canals and nearby river. We went through a lock to go down to river level. No food (we were warned beforehand and got a quick dinner) but drinks were served. Single pony awards were given first, and I was the first name called. I went to get my ribbon (first place is gold here) and was awarded a nice cordless drill as a prize. I went to sit down but was motioned over to stay up there. As each prize was awarded, hands were shaken all around, and then when everyone was given their ribbon, we were to take a ‘Victory Gallop’ on foot around the floor among the competitors. With sandals on I lead the tour, at a pace described by Suzy as a working walk :) Lots of clapping, and then the pairs were awarded, another lap around, and then the fours. It was a nice evening but we were ready for a good night’s sleep before the marathon.

The night sky before the rain started

It rained all night Friday night and was still raining Saturday morning. The weather turned much colder the rest of the weekend.

We spent every available moment walking the hazards. Eight long hazards, fairly technical, well decorated and all in close proximately for easy viewing. Suzy and Randy went early. By the time we went it was still raining and a bit slippery. We had planned to take it easy in the hazards and not take any risks. The hazards were torn up quite a bit but not very deep. No mistakes in routes but we did have a ball down on a hard turn in Hazard 3. Cooper finished up the 17K plus course without breaking a sweat. At the end of the course we were greeted with a glass of champagne, a nice touch. We were chilled to the bone afterwards and very happy to get warm and dry.

As the day went on the rain stopped except for some brief exceptions. A steady wind helped to dry out the course for the pairs and four in hands. The pairs were FAST! The four in hands were, too, but some hazard damage in that class which was very quickly fixed by the grounds crew.

One of Jennifer's ponies banged his leg and he was unable to do the marathon. She started with her other two ponies but did not do Section E or the hazards. He is fine now. FEI rules say that you must start each competition (dressage, marathon) in order to do the next competition, thus she was able to do cones on Sunday.

There was another party and award ceremony on Saturday night. Each party started late by our standards at 8 PM. We ate and waited until 9:30 but still no awards. We asked Suzy to forgive us for leaving and getting some sleep. Per Suzy the awards went much the same as dressage awards, with both Randy and Suzy taking part. Their victory gallop really was a gallop, Suzy said they ran flat out around the building!

Cones day the course was ready for walking at 7 AM with a start time of 8 AM. Singles went first. I got up early and braided Cooper, and left to walk, while Fran put his studs in and got him clean and shiny. The course was measured quite short (we estimated the distance at 100 meters longer than the advertised distance) and included a trip down a rather steep hill and up again, and through the saloon hazard right next to two large fiberglass horses and several times around a herder and his sheep (not real but scary).

I went first of the Americans as I was standing in 12th at that point. Cooper was really sharp and our focus was good, and we came double clear. I was happy to have Fran on the back around some of the tight turns and up and down the hill.

Randay was next and was clear with some time penalties. Suzy had some bad luck and had a number of balls knocking her down from 2nd place to 11th. Randy moved up to 2nd and we moved up to 5th place.

There was a nice ceremony just following our class, first for cones placing (we placed second). A nice tradition was that each competitor touched whips with those of either side and said 'Congratulations'. We did our cones victory gallop (trot, really) several times, and then the overall placing were presented in the same way. Then we were asked to step back and the German National Championships were presented, then we all did our victory trot together.

Next the pairs and then four in hands did cones. I snapped a few photos so you could see the course (and the Saloon hazard in the background.

I was very pleased with Cooper all weekend. Minden was a very well run and impressive show, and we were made to feel very welcome there. I really appreciate being invited to compete there and it was a great warmup for the Worlds.

Pairs World Championship this week

2011-08-22T12:06:00.000-04:00

Here's the link: http://www.avscompetition.com/

Hope you speak French! Results will also be available on http://www.hoefnet.com/

Good luck to our US Team: Misdee, Joe and Kati! We are cheering you on!

The Training Begins..

2011-08-22T02:06:00.000-04:00

All settled here at Michael Freund's farm in Dreieich, Germany. We aren't far from Frankfurt. It's a beautiful area, lush and green and there is quite a bit of open ground here, and a large forest with many trails for driving and walking. Close by is a historic area, the grounds of an old castle with a town within the old castle walls.

It's a busy town with lots of places to eat and some small shops. Saturday there was a wedding there.

On Sunday we went to watch a dressage show in a nearby town. The farm was in the middle of an industrial area, with a secluded dressage ring with trees and bushes blocking the view of the buildings surrounding it.

It was interesting to take a look at the parking area - the small trailers and vans everyone uses is in stark contrast to parking area of a CDE in the US.

On the way back from the show, we came across this wagon near Michael's farm, it's a lunch tour of the countryside via horsepower.

The training ring has been a busy place. Here's a photo of Jennifer's pair in the grass ring.

Our lesson with Michael went well and he said 'I am happy', that works for me! Today we will do a cones school and then finish packing for Minden, our first show here. It's an FEI show and the German National Pony Championships, also the last selection trial for the German Pony Team. There are 33 ponies in our single class. We are off to Minden Tuesday morning.

Here at Last....

2011-08-21T13:14:00.000-04:00

Finally got to Michael's at 10:00 pm the following night (Friday). The ponies had settled in nicely and our hotel is but a few feet away. Internet service is spotty so I'll be brief and try to write more later.

Lots of ponies here - Wendy O'Brien's three, Jennifer Matheson's three, Suzy's pony and Cooper. Marco Freund (Michael's son) also has four ponies. We have taken over from the horses here!

Have taken some photos out and about, will post them later. Just wanted to let you know all is well with ponies and people, will write soon!

Welcome to....Gander??

2011-08-19T03:50:00.000-04:00

Not quite going to plan - our flight had to turn around midway to Europe due to a hydraulic leak, so we flew to Gander, Newfoundland and now waiting for another plane to come and pick us up - hopefully the ponies flight went better than mine!

On Our Way

2011-08-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

Equipment and ponies are off to Germany. I took some photos of the process...

Paul from Mersant, the shipper, ready with tools just in case.....our equipment was loaded and ready.

Cooper hanging out at the Vetport - looks like the stalls were made for bigger horses.

Riding over in the van with Josie, Suzy's pony

They use this contraption to load the horses from the van onto the pallet.....

Horse eye view

Getting the pallet all set

All ready for the ponies to get on. They really don't like photos being taken back in this area of the airport so I had to stop once we loaded the ponies. They just walk down the ramp into the pallet, one by one, once all three are on, it's closed up and covered with a net to be loaded onto the plane.

The pony flight was delayed a bit due to a late arrival, but fortunately they lounged in the vetport during that time. It's a real juggling act for the plane to leave so it arrives in Frankfurt at the right time. The cargo planes aren't allowed to arrive until after 4 am according to the pilot. He wanted to arrive just after that so they didn't have to stay in the air any longer than necessary. Suzy flew over with the ponies and I will leave shortly so we will both arrive Friday morning.

Still taking contributions for our trip, the shipping estimate was off and more expensive then we anticipated. Go to www.catalystdriving.com to be part of Team Catalyst. We appreciate your support!

Hurry Up and Wait

2011-08-17T21:53:00.000-04:00

The ponies (Cooper, Josephine, Suzy's pony and Randy's pony) are all settled in at the JFK Vetport, ready for their flight in the morning. Suzy and I are spending the night near the airport. Many thanks to Lisa Singer and Jay Breggia who drove us and Cooper and Josie and our equipment through the crowded highways of New York and to Bev Lesher who offered her truck and trailer for the trip.

Yesterday I took my dad for a drive with Cooper along the Brandywine River and showed him one of my favorite views in the world. I took a photo of it to share:

There are few places more beautiful than Chester County, Pennsylvania! Hoping Germany and Slovenia can compare :)

Ready to roll and Minden, our first show in Europe

2011-08-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

We are all set to fly out on Thursday direct to Frankfurt. We have to drive up to JFK on Wednesday and the ponies will stay overnight at the Vetport. We'll load our equipment Wednesday and the ponies early AM on Thursday and all will be on their way.

We received the schedule today for Minden, the German pony championships which will be held August 24-28. All the US pony drivers but Lisa Stroud will show here. We will leave next Tuesday from Michael Freund's to go to the show.

Minden is the same weekend as the Pairs Championship in Conty, France so we will be cheering on our Pair team while we are showing.

Looking over the schedule from Minden, there are 33 single ponies, 44 pair ponies and 19 four in hands! Should be an exciting weekend for us all and a great warmup for Lipica. There are several Ground Jury members who will be in Lipica as well. The organizing committee has been very welcoming and we are looking forward to the show.

On the road....

2011-08-11T17:30:00.001-04:00

Winston winning us over...

We have started the first leg of our journey, headed to Pennsylvania to see friends and family before we leave for Germany. Along for the ride is Winston, a stray dog that hung around our farm until we fell in love with him. He would not be ignored, so we facebooked his handsome face to see if we could find him a new home. Lucky dog that he is, some good friends in Pennsylvania are picking him up tonight. We will really miss him!! Happy Birthday, Katie!

Winston on his way to a new life

It's been a real team effort for us to go on the road! Horses Maggie, Ellie and Harry are staying at Irene and Tom Gillis' Gilcrest Farm (www.gilcrestfarm.com). Kendra DeKay is training Bali to ride while we are gone.

Our parrot Disco is spending his vacation at Pam Pruitt's house, where I heard he participated in a Yoga class last night! Our three dogs are at Tracey Leftwich's farm in Virginia, transported there by Lynn and Jeff Legg. Tracey has been sending us photos on a regular basis, they are having a great time with her dogs. Marion Belcher is watching the cats. Arnie Brooks is mowing our place. We could not make this trip with our support team, MANY THANKS to all of them!!

Many, many more thanks to all who have gotten Cooper ready. Our vet, Dr. Linda Hickey has gone above and beyond with her care and preparation. The amount of tests and paperwork that goes along with an international trip is amazing, and Linda has delayed her vacation to see Cooper off. Enjoy that vacation, Linda and Howard!

Keith Crawford, our farrier, has done a great job, and Dr Kerry Ridgway and his wife Christine have worked their magic with Chiropractic and Accupuncture so Cooper is at his best.

More thank yous to come!

2011-08-11T16:44:00.000-04:00

http://twitter.com/CDEWhip

Follow Team Catalyst's journey on Twitter!

Traveling in Slovenia

2011-08-06T20:02:00.002-04:00

A timely article about Slovenia in the New York Times - thanks to Nancy Tomlinson for forwarding this to me:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/travel/in-slovenia-visiting-ljubjana-piran-and-maribor.html?emc=eta1

USEF Names Pair Team, Pony Team Nominated Entries for World Championship

2011-08-05T16:55:00.000-04:00

http://usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=7415

USEF announcement on Pair Horses and Pony World Championships

Help Team Catalyst and buy something nice for your horse!

2011-08-01T11:00:00.001-04:00

http://thinlineglobal.com/news/make_a_purchase_help_sponsor_a_rider

For the month of August, Thin Line will give 20% of all online purchases to Team Catalyst to help fund our trip to the World Championships. Thin Line has many wonderful products for riders and drivers. Their line of saddle pads and girths are fantastic, and Cooper wears their protective boots and bell boots, very comfortable, light and and long lasting.

Your horse wants a present! Order online today! Tell them Team Catalyst sent you !

Thank you, Thin Line! We really appreciate your support!!

Of Interest To Many Female Carriage Drivers....

2011-07-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

Some help for those of us that are 'scarf challenged' :)

http://texeresilk.com/cms-scarf_tying_guide.html

Aiken Driving Club 'Send Off' BBQ

2011-07-21T15:38:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to the Aiken Driving Club for organizing a 'Send Off' BBQ and thanks to Muffy Seaton for hosting it at her farm in Williston, SC. Jennifer Matheson and her crew, Janelle Marshall and Fran and I were presented with gift bags filled with red, white and blue items to use at the Championships. Wendy O'Brien and her crew have already left for Germany, but Jennifer will hand deliver those bags when she arrives overseas. About 75 club members attended and enjoyed the good company and food, and the summer storms circled us but never hit.

All of us from the Aiken area who are making the trek overseas have been so well supported by the driving club and it's members, a big THANK YOU!!

http://www.aikendrivingclub.com/

Newer, Better Pony World Championship Link

2011-07-21T15:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.lipica2011.si/en/

2011-07-19T16:42:00.000-04:00

Check out the new Driving Radio Show!

Tax deductible donations for Team Catalyst

2011-07-19T14:17:00.000-04:00

A new way to donate to Team Catalyst! https://www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=52-1495923

Make sure to put 'Shelly Temple' where it asks how you would like your donation to be used.

If you would like to send a tax deductible donation in the mail, please make your check out to: American Horse Trial Foundation and send it to: Shelly Temple, 494 Pine Acres Rd, Windsor, SC 29856. All donations over $50 will receive a letter from the Foundation for tax purposes.

Thanks for your support!!

Some Info about the Championships

2011-07-08T19:10:00.000-04:00

http://www.lipica.org/en/novice?id=113

The logistics of going overseas...

2011-07-08T19:05:00.000-04:00

We've gotten a lot of questions about how the ponies and equipment are transported overseas, so I thought I'd tell you a little about the process.

We started talking to the Transportation Broker after Southern Pines, to get a feel for the charges and possibilities of going to Germany. We are going to stay at Michael Freund's farm near Frankfurt, Germany and go to several shows before the Championship. Fortunately there is a large airport right in Frankfurt that the ponies can fly into, so we won't have far to go once we arrive.

The ponies will fly from JFK Airport in New York. They will have to arrive at the airport early in the morning, where they will stay in the 'Vetport' right there at the cargo area of the airport. All animals going overseas stay there so there is an assortment of dogs, cats, birds and reptiles at the Vetport. It's not the most beautiful place and smells strongly of disinfectant.

The ponies are examined by a Veterinarian and all paperwork is checked and completed, and then the wait begins. The ponies will spend their day in the box stalls there as the flight won't leave until late in the day. A van does all the transport from the Vetport to the loading area, where the ponies will be loaded onto their pallet.

One of the worst parts of the whole trip is driving the horse trailer through the wild streets of New York City to the airport.

The ponies will ride in a 'pallet' which looks like a small horse trailer. Dividers can be added or subtracted so the pallet can hold from one horse up to three horses. Similar to a bumper pull horse trailer, there is room in the front for their heads to hang over the breast bar, and hay can be stored under their noses for the trip. We hang haynets just like you would in a horse trailer, and there is a small people door on either side in front, so you have access to the horses to check on them and offer water. The horses are loaded onto the pallet, it's closed up and wrapped with a net, then loaded onto the plane via a lift and moved around on a system of rollers on the floor of the plane, then locked into place.

There is a charge per pallet plus weight. It's less expensive to split the costs between three ponies, so we try to fly with other horses so the pallets can be full. Cooper will probably ride with one of Jennifer Matheson's ponies.

There are two types of planes - a cargo plane or a Combi which is both passengers and cargo. The cargo plane has a few passenger seats on the top deck behind the cockpit. Several times in the past, the cargo pilot has let me sit in the cockpit (in the navigator's seat) during takeoff or landing. I got to put the headphones on and hear the patter between air traffic control and the pilots coming and going. They call the big cargo planes "heavies'. It was really cool to fly into Frankfurt after dark and see all the lights below.

Cooper is a good traveler so we didn't have any problems going to/from Denmark and I don't anticipate any this time. It's cool down below where the ponies ride, I'd say around 50 degrees or so. We are allowed to go check on them from time to time, climbing down a small steep ladder-like staircase. There is a microwave and some frozen meals available for the grooms and pilots. An attendant is required for the horses, one per pallet. An attendant flew with us one of the times I went overseas with Lisa Singer. There were some racehorses on the plane with us and she was responsible for them. She traveled with her little Jack Russell and had flown all over world with horses, quite an interesting job! Although I'm sure he would be fine without me, I like to fly with Cooper and keep him company.

Once we arrive at the airport in Germany, the ponies will once again be checked by a Veterinarian, have their paperwork examined and stamped, and then they will be released and we'll be off to Michael Freund's farm.

Team Selection and Fundraising

2011-07-08T18:14:00.000-04:00

I've read with interest the ongoing conversation on the CD-L regarding the Pony Team selection. I'm not aware of anyone saying they have been selected. In fact, there are still several selection trials to go (in Europe in July).

We are all fortunate to have some enthusiastic supporters and if comments to the list made it appear that the team has been selected, I'm making it clear that this is not the case.

All the selection information is available on usef.org. There you will find the Long List for ponies and for pairs and related selection procedures. You might find it interesting reading. You can access the info here: http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alldrivng/hpDriving.aspx

When it comes to the pony selection, according to the selection procedures, by August 15 there will be a short list, and by September 15 (just six days before the Championship begins) the team will be selected. There will also be a mandatory training session held in Germany before the Championship.

Those on the pony long list have been encouraged to ship to Europe early and use some competitions there for training before the Championships. Since the majority of costs of competing at the Championship is in the shipping costs for flying the pony(ies) and shipping the equipment (carriages/harness/etc), it makes sense to go early and make the most of the trip. We are planning to leave on August 4. Kind friends are helping with our horses/dogs/cats/parrot left behind.

The downside is that it is a huge commitment in money, time and energy to go at all, and even a bigger risk to go without the team being chosen in advance. We have all worked hard to prepare and qualify, and now have chosen to make the most of the opportunity to compete at the Championship.

As to the fundraising, I can only speak for myself. I know that those who like me are actively fundraising have received some criticism for raising money for their own trip and not for the team. I would like to think that it is possible for a working person to be able to go with the support of our fellow drivers and the help we have received in many ways has been very gratifying. I have been active in raising money for the team this year and in years past, but also need to raise money to make our trip.

I am very grateful for the support that we will receive from the USEF IF we are chosen as a team member. It is about 26% of our estimated budget. We must raise additional funds in order to go.

At the beginning of my fundraising efforts, I made it clear that if for whatever reason I did not go to Europe, that I would return the money I raised. My equipment has already shipped and it will have to come back at my expense in that case.

I hope this answers some questions and concerns. If you have an interest in this, please read the selection procedures, the pony loan agreement and other documents. Many of your questions will be answered there. I'll be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Vote for FAST for our friend Hardy Zantke

2011-07-05T20:35:00.000-04:00

Pony Training Session in Aiken

2011-06-23T19:13:00.000-04:00

This week we have a Pony training session in Aiken with Koos De Ronde, a Dutch four in hand driver who is one of the top marathon drivers in the world, and much sought after for marathon training. Koos first made a stop in Pennsylvania where he worked with Suzy Stafford and Lisa Stroud, then he made his way to Aiken and worked with Wendy O'Brien, Jennifer Matheson, me, and Keady Cadwell brought her sister Randy's pony. Randy is competing this weekend in Europe with a pair of ponies and could not be here for the clinic.

The first day we had a challenging cones course, complete with a pony sized 'box' obstacle and two zig-zags. Today we did four hazards, working on each one several times to adjust our routes and driving for faster times. It's been quite hot here in Aiken so we started very early and finished just as the weather grew blistering. Cooper is not at full fitness yet after a month off from driving (he was not completely on vacation as I rode him) and a gradual return to driving. He is looking and feeling good and I'm quite pleased with how he has done at the clinic thus far. I was very happy to get the practice and some good pointers from Koos. Tomorrow is cones again, I'm sure we can look forward to a very tough course on the last day.

Packing Checklist for CDEs

2011-05-30T21:40:00.002-04:00

A student asked me for my packing list for shows and I thought it might be a helpful thing to post here. Modify as needed for your own use!

Catalyst CDE Checklist

Horse(s)/Pony(ies):

___ Feed
___ Supplements
___ Electrolytes if needed
___ Hay
___ Bedding
___ Extra lead rope
___ Extra halter
___ Sheets/blankets/coolers as needed
___ Bandages/wraps as needed

Grooming supplies:

___ Grooming Tools
___ Braiding supplies
___ Yarn or rubber bands
___ Scissors
___ Mane Comb
___ QuicBraid
___ Small clippers
___ Show Sheen
___ First Aid Kit
___ Bandages/wraps
___ Sore No More or liniment
___ Shampoo
___ Hoof polish
___ Fly spray

For the Stall:

___ 2 water buckets per animal
___ Feed tub
___ Snap Hooks and Screw Eyes
___ Hanger for stall front
___ Muck Tub/Wheelbarrow
___ Pitchfork
___ Pen to write information on stall card
___ Scissors/Knife to cut hay strings/bedding packaging
___ Duct tape to cover any hazard in stall
___ Hammer to flatten any protruding nails

For the Competition:
___ Coggins Test within perimeters of show
___ Health Certificate (if required)
___ current ADS membership card
___ Copy of Omnibus page for directions and info about show
___ Other paperwork required for your level
___ current USEF membership card
___ National or FEI Passport
___ USEF or FEI Pony measurement card (Advanced only)
___ current FEI membership card for horse/pony (FEI only)
___ current FEI membership card for driver (FEI only)
___ current USEF membership card for owner (Advanced only)
___ Breed registration copy (for some awards programs)

For Groom:

___ RAIN WEAR including raincoat, rain hat and rain pants, and good waterproof shoes
___ Brown gloves to wear on the carriage
___ Mid calf or higher boots to use to walk in the water hazard
___ Livery to wear on the carriage, including hat or helmet
___ Hairnet if needed for long hair
___ Extra change of clothes/shoes for after the marathon

For Driver:

___ RAIN WEAR including raincoat, rain hat and rain pants, and good waterproof shoes
___ Brown gloves to wear on the carriage
___ Mid calf or higher boots to use to walk in the water hazard
___ Hairnet if needed for long hair
___ Appropriate footwear to wear for dressage and cones
___ Comfortable shoes for the marathon

For Harness:

___ Cleaning supplies
___ Sponges
___ Rags
___ Metal Polish
___ Hole Punch

For the Carriage:

___ Cleaning supplies
___ Polish for metal
___ Tuff Stuff spray for cleaning vinyl/leather (not slippery)
___ Brush for washing carriage
___ Chamois for drying carriage

For Dressage:

___ Presentation Harness
___ Number holder
___ Whip
___ Apron
___ Hat
___ Brown gloves
___ Lamps if your carriage has brackets OR at Advanced Level
___ 2 red reflectors on back of carriage
___ Black/brown electrical tape to tape up any loose or hanging straps
___ Hole Punch for last minute adjustments
___ Extra whip if desired
___ Studs if needed, with wrench and WD -40
___ Earnets if used

For the Marathon:

___ Marathon Harness
___ Boots for legs/ Bell boots as needed
___ Vetwrap for wrapping tail (if needed)
___ Extra whip to attach to carriage
___ Seatbelt for driver
___ 2-3 clocks with fresh batteries and a way to attach them to carriage
___ Yarn to attach reins to carriage
___ Number holder
___ Tape to secure boots
___ Helmets for driver and navigator(s)
___ Body Protector for driver and navigator(s)
___ Gloves for driver and navigator(s)
___ 2 -3 buckets for the vet check box
___ 2-3 sponges and scrapers for the vet check box
___ Electrolytes if needed for the vet box
___ Spare set of shoes for the vet box
___ Studs if needed with WD-40 and wrench
___ Spare studs for vet box with wrench
___ Extra tape for boots for vet box

For Cones:

___ Same as dressage, can use bandages/boots in this phase if desired
___ Lamps if used in dressage
___ 2 red reflectors on back of carriage
___ Hat, apron and gloves required
___ Gloves for groom required

For traveling:

___ Hay nets for each animal
___ Water container to use while traveling and small bucket
___ Protective boots if needed
___ Pitchfork/broom/tub to clean trailer

Miscellaneous for people:

___ ADS/USEF/FEI rulebook appropriate to your level
___ Sunglasses
___ Sunscreen
___ Bug spray
___ Sun Hat or visor
___ Snacks
___ Water
___ Cold drinks
___ Cooler with ice
___ Aspirin
___ Allergy medication
___ First Aid Kit

What would YOU add to the list?

Cooper's Story (part one)

2011-05-11T18:17:00.005-04:00

Photo of Gali, Laramie and Cooper when they first arrived in PA by Lisa Singer

I've had my Morgan gelding, Cooper, for nine years now. I bought him back in 2002, after I lost Merc (TGR Quicksilver), a wonderful Morgan, after colic surgery. I was heartbroken about loosing Merc. He was more like a puppy dog than a horse, and was turning into a very good competition horse. We had competed at Preliminary very successfully for a season and I was all set to move him up to Advanced when he got sick. Merc was only six and I took the loss hard.

My friend and teacher, Lisa Singer, encouraged me to get another horse. I really hate looking at horses for sale - it's just like a blind date - you get all excited about the propects of the new horse and then when you meet him - it's disappointing! Lisa is not usually a nagger but she sure nagged me about horseshopping. Later, after I bought Cooper, my daughter told me that Lisa was afraid I would quit horses because of losing Merc and that is why she kept on me to buy one.

Lisa was off to Wyoming to look at a horse (Gali)to go in her pair. She had invited me to go along and I bought a plane ticket, but had some visitors from California coming to our company and so I cancelled my trip. I was secretly relieved. Lisa found her horse and brought home a video of the many Morgans at Mears Morgans. One horse after another appeared on the video, loose in the large indoor arena. Lisa's handwritten notes had information about each horse. At one point in the tape, a pair of horses trotted loose around the ring in perfect unison. They were half brothers, both four year olds.

Lisa thought they were great and tried to talk me into buying them both! She thought they would make a great pair. I thought about it for a few days, then told Lisa if she bought one, I'd buy one. She agreed and called the farm to tell them to put all three horses on the van from Wyoming to Pennsylvania.

A week later Lisa called to tell me that the horses were arriving in a few days. I drove up to Pennsylvania from our then home in Virginia. As I thought about it during the drive, I realized that we did not know the horses names or anything about them, and we had never decided who was getting which horse. I figured that we could put names in a hat and pick our horse that way. When I got there I told Lisa about my idea and she agreed.

We went out to look at the horses and took their papers with us so we could figure out who was who from their markings. The smaller of the two was LR Ami B-Line, his brother was a bit larger and heavier boned. Both horses were friendly and good movers as we watched them in the paddock. I would have been fine with either one but have to admit I liked the smaller horse a bit more.

We wrote their names down on two pieces of paper, and closed our eyes and picked. I ended up with LR Ami B-Line. Not a very user friendly name. What to call him? I couldn't figure out any nicknames from looking at his papers. I went on line and entered B-Line in a search engine. Up came Cooper B-Line, a huge international corporation. That was easy - now he was named Cooper!

We loaded up and off we went to Virginia to start our life together.

Next: Part Two: Getting Acquainted

Some photos from Live Oak 2011

2011-05-10T20:30:00.006-04:00

Lipica, the host of the World Pony Driving Championship

2011-04-26T14:55:00.003-04:00

The FEI World Pony Driving Championships will be held in Lipica, Slovenia in September. Here is a link to Lipica's website: http://www.lipica.org/en/

From all I hear, the area is beautiful and full of history. Trieste, Italy is nearby and has much to offer as well. I hope you will consider a vacation to come and watch the Championships to cheer on the US Team!

The Selection Process

2011-04-26T13:49:00.005-04:00

The Selection Criteria was finally posted on the USEF site last week. http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alldrivng/hpDriving.aspx

The criteria and related forms and information can be accessed there. They are interesting reading! I think you may be surprised by some of things team members must agree to in order to represent our country.

I'm told the Short List for the Pony Team will be out soon, maybe as early as this week. Those on the Short List are being encouraged to go to Germany in August, in order to train with Michael Freund, our US Team coach, and to attend some competitions in Europe in preparation for the Championships in Slovenia in the third week of September. Since most of the cost of attending the Championships is travel related - the shipping of ponies, people and equipment (carriages, harness), it makes sense to make the most of the opportunity. The USEF funds a small portion of the travel expenses, but the rest is on us. It's quite a daunting task to raise the money needed in order to go. Early estimates are roughly $50,000 for us to make the trip!

We are working on fundraising plans now. It's hard to ask people for money, but if we want to go, we need to raise it. We hope you will support us!

Southern Pines Last Day

2011-04-18T15:19:00.002-04:00

We watched the news on Saturday night and it was evident how lucky we were to avoid the severe weather that hit the area hard. All around the area numerous tornados touched down and caused major damage, injuries and fatalities. It makes a horse show seem very insignificant when you realize so many lost so much. Our thoughts are with those hit by the storms.

Cones day was sunny and bright. The course was spread through both dressage arenas and the area between them. The sponsor's tent was set in just the right spot to see everything, and there were bleachers for spectators. I think they had many more spectators the previous years but I am sure the weather deterred many.

The course was measured tight and the time was hard to make for all levels, with two zig zag elements back to back. The show had an electronic timer for the first time, and it's large display made it interesting to compare the rounds.

We didn't go until almost 2 PM, and I found it very difficult to get up and psyched for my round. Cooper warmed up well, but he was equally unmotivated and we had balls and time penalties. Fran thinks it's just the let down after our spring goal of winning Live Oak, and he may be right. I'm sure the adrenaline of the marathon and the pressure of competing would have helped. Anyway, it was a good school and showed me what to work on. Many thanks to Dottie Paul for all her help and Irene Gillis for taking care of us from her live in accomodations next door. She kept us all warm, dry and fed when the monsoon came through on Saturday. She also won her class with a double clear in cones! Arnie Brooks also had a good showing in the class with his new horse. Congrats to Janelle Marshall for winning our class. Must have been the great navigator :)

Cooper is going to relax for a few days then I am going to start riding him a bit for some cross training. We are awaiting more info about training and team selection for the World Championships so we can make some plans for the fall season.

Southern Pines CDE

2011-04-16T20:08:00.004-04:00

The Carolina Horse Park looks better each year I come to this show. The stabling is first rate and well laid out, with rubber mats in each stall and good secure metal doors. The area steeplechase was held on the grounds last weekend with thousands of spectators but you wouldn't know it from looking at the grounds. The grass is green and lush with rolling hills. Many areas have been cleared recently adding to the useful space for riding/driving and competing. There are two dressage rings here allowing for all levels to do dressage on Friday. It's so nice to be able to come a bit later and spend less time away from home.

The hazards are well constructed and challenging, with two water obstacles (one for advanced only). This year was a selection trial for ponies and pair horses, the last one in the US. One more in Canada at Bromont and then some in Europe remain during the summer.

We had a good go in dressage, with a more accurate test than at Live Oak, but a little less spark. My goal is the accuracy with the spark, too, a tough balance to find. We scored a 44.37 for first place. US Team coach Michael Freund suggested that we not do the marathon to save wear and tear on Cooper, so we started Section A and then retired so we can do the cones course tomorrow (a rule states that competitors must start each competition to compete in the next one). We will do cones on Sunday for practice. Suzy and Randy elected not to do the marathon as well.

Fran got to navigate on the marathon with Janelle Marshall, who did a great job and is currently in first place in our division. Kudos to Irene Gillis, who is in first place in Preliminary Single Pony going into cones. There was one accident in the first hazard that I saw, which was well handled and horse, driver and navigator seemed to be ok.

The show management did a wonderful job working with the weather forecast and competitors. They changed the marathon schedule during the day on Friday when it was clear that a huge storm would be hitting the area Saturday afternoon. They gave regular reports over the PA system about where and when the storm would hit. A tornado came through about five miles away but the hard rain/lightning/hail held off until everyone was finished and horses and equipment was put away. We all settled somewhere dry and rode out the storm for about 45 minutes, then the sun came out and it was a beautiful day again.

There are big puddles everywhere but with the sandy soil, it should be all gone by the morning. Cones were ready for walking at 4:30. Sunday is supposed to be sunny and warm, a perfect day for cones.

Aiken Rules

2011-03-27T16:37:00.002-04:00

I have to mention how well Aiken area drivers did at Live Oak! I won FEI Single Pony Suzy Stafford was second in FEI Single Pony Janelle Marshall was fifth in FEI Single Pony Jennifer Matheson won FEI Pair Ponies Lisa Singer was fourth in FEI Single Horse (first show with a single in 20 years!) Joe Yoder won FEI Pair Horse with Jack Wetzel's horses Irene Gillis was second in Preliminary Single Pony Jennie Lord was second in Preliminary Single Horse Pixie Keating was second in Intermediate Single Pony Suzi Dixon was sixth in Intermediate Single Pony Sherri Dolan was second in Intermediate Pair Pony Mary Clark Lind was third in Intermediate Pair Pony Cheryl Rivers won Intermediate Single Horse Meghan Benge won Preliminary Pair Pony I hope I didn't forget anyone, so many to keep track of!! Congrats to all!!

We Did It!!

2011-03-27T16:23:00.005-04:00

It was a very foggy start to the day as we walked the cones course. The time for FEI ponies was 2:38, a very fast time for the long windy course. Preliminary went first and I watched a few of them go, several went off course by going through a set of cones out of order or backwards. The course drove fairly well but not a lot of double clears at that level. The show ran exactly on time and before we knew it, it was time for our class.

This is the first time that Fran rode with me as groom in cones. Jack Wetzel very kindly lent me his pony size Kuhnle Spider Phaeton, which he used to win several National Championships with his great pony Harry. I've always used a road cart for dressage and cones, but we've been practicing in the four wheeler for about three weeks. It was great to have Fran on the back and Dottie was our ground person, ready with a cold drink or some fly spray as needed. I couldn't hear too much from the warmup area, but I did hear that no one had gone double clear. I tried to stay positive - it was Cooper's kind of course, where he could stay in his big swingy trot and the new carriage handled very well. Soon it was our turn and Cooper was up for it, he knows his job at this point and was eager to get to work. We went through the finish with no balls and just three seconds for the best score in the class and we won the Championship! We got lots of great prizes and a gold medal and the coveted Live Oak director's chair.

Cooper also won the Hanzi Award (he also won last year) which is the horse/pony chosen by the judges as the best in the competion. As part of this award, we won a Breyer Horse of Chester Weber's Jamaica. I'll save that for my granddaughter, Adeline. We had a great cheering section with all the Aikenites in attendance. That made the victory lap great.

Cooper is getting a few days of well deserved rest and we will get ready for Southern Pines CDE in mid April.

There are some photos from the event on www.usefnetwork.com/2011drivingnatlchamps/

Marathon Day at Live Oak

2011-03-27T16:08:00.002-04:00

Another beautiful day - but warm - on Saturday. A large crowd gathered early to watch the marathon, with many tailgate parties scattered around the hazards. The Ground Jury extended the time in the vet box to 15 minutes, the time on the walk section by 2 minutes, and Section E by two minutes, and gave us a 5 minute window in E instead of the normal three minute window. The vet box was shady with a good breeze and the horses and ponies seemed to be handling the heat and humidity well. I'm not sure what the actual high was forecast was for 89 and it seemed like that. We went out at 11:49 which put us in the hazards around 2:00. With the help of Dottie Paul and Sue Dougherty, Cooper cooled down quickly in the vet box. He especially enjoyed being hand fed ice cubes by Sue. The first two hazards were fast and long. We had a good go in both the water hazard and the gulch, but it was slow going in the third and fourth. The fourth and seventh hazards were quite dug up with big sandy ruts by the time we got there, which made it tough going. I made a early turn in the last hazard and had to make a quick correction which hurt our time. Not our most consistent marathon but good enough to keep us in first place in our class, with Suzy just a few points behind. I knew I needed a bigger cushion :). The cones course was complete and ready for walking at 5:00 PM, which was a welcome treat. The course is long and fast, with two multiples and some twisty turns. There is a bridge in the middle, not marked as an obstacle, which can be used as a route between two sets of cones, but I don't think it is in a place to be helpful and will go around it instead. We are eating early and getting to bed early tonight, my brain is tired from remembering those tough hazards and more remembering required tomorrow :)

Dressage at Live Oak

2011-03-27T15:53:00.002-04:00

The weather was beautiful again on Thursday, and the FEI entries did their vet check starting at 8 AM, then dressage began at 11:00 AM with the FEI Single Pony Class. Michael Freund kept a watchful eye on everyone warming up and gave us each some feedback before we made our way into the ring. I was second to go, and I was very pleased with Cooper's test. There are always things you wish you could improve upon, but he really worked hard for me throughout the test and I came out of the ring with a big smile on my face. We ended up with a 41.60, the best score in our class and the show EXCEPT for Chester Weber, who had a 37 something. Suzy was second with 48.90. Suzy is a great marathon driver and I like to have a bit more cushion between me and her :) The pressure is on! It was then off to walk the hazards again, and after dressage was over, Michael joined a group of us to walk them and give suggestions on routes. We changed a few routes and decided on some options we weren't sure about. I really appreciated being able to do this on Thursday, so we could concentrate on the fine points while walking the hazards on Friday.

Several hazards are brain teasers, gated in a way that makes it very easy to go through a gate backwards. You have to know exactly where you are at all times to avoid making a mistake.

Birthday at Live Oak

2011-03-23T22:24:00.004-04:00

I spent my birthday today (I'm not divulging which one) at Live Oak Plantation. The Live Oak International Combined Driving Event officially begins tomorrow, with the vet check at 8 AM followed by Advanced Dressage starting at 11:00 AM.

Everything looks very green and lush and the weather is sunny, a bit warm in the 80's but a strong breeze is keeping everything comfortable.

The hazards, which didn't open for walking until about 2:00 this afternoon, are technical and long, with the course turned around from last year. The Water hazard and Gulch hazard are number one and two. The water hazard is marked in a way encouraging many trips over the covered bridge in the middle.

The Aiken Driving Club has arranged a tailgate space next to the Tower Hazard and we have quite a contingent of Aikenites/Windsorites coming to cheer on the many Aiken/Windsor drivers competing over the weekend. This should be a lot of fun!

Michael Freund was available to the long listed drivers in the warm up area today, offering good feedback as we got ready for dressage tomorrow.

There are a lot of vendors in the trade fair area this year, and the stage is set for an exciting show. This year the USEF National Championships for Ponies and Pair Horses will be decided at Live Oak.

There are two pony drivers from out west (Arizona, I think) have made the trek to Live Oak this year. It is great that they have joined us and I wish them luck this weekend.

I will post as possible over the weekend. Ann Pringle will post for Driving Digest http://drivingdigest.wordpress.com/ and results will be available on http://www.drivingnews.us/ and http://www.cailiveoak.com/

By the way, it's fellow drivers Jennifer Matheson and Claudia DeLorme's birthday today, too! Happy Birthday to them both!

Little Everglades CDE

2011-02-27T16:26:00.007-05:00

Our first show of the season is behind us. Little Everglades CDE in Dade City, Florida, was held on a large and beautiful property with a large steeplechase track and the greenest dressage ring I have ever seen. It looked like it had been spray painted hunter green. There was lots of room for stabling and parking and great spectator areas on the steeplechase track itself right next to hazards.

Dressage day went fairly well. We had the best FEI score of the show, and had increased suspension, elevation and collection during the test, but a few mistakes, too, which cost us some points. Overall I was very pleased with the feedback I got from Cooper's performance but have things to work on at home. I like to have a bigger point cushion after dressage :)

On Friday morning, the long listed drivers had cones practice with Michael Freund. The course set up for us had many twists and turns. Michael had useful information for each of us. Cooper was quite good, and our speed was good, too.

The weather stayed pleasant all weekend, but was hotter on marathon and cones day than our South Carolina horses were used to. A frequent breeze helped, but many horses came in a bit hot at the end of the marathon. Thanks to help from Aikenites Dottie Paul and Barb Mettle at the vet check, Cooper started the hazards cool and calm.

The marathon went well, again some small mistakes added points to our score, but most hazards were quite technical, tight and very long and we were pleased with how it all went. Hazard number three had a steep hill in the middle that we had to go up and down three times, pretty tough for single ponies and horses. Cooper was game even as he got tired toward the end of the course and his temperature was very good at the end.

We were a close fifth in the marathon, and ended Saturday in second place. There was less than one point between first, second and third places in our class. Suzy was in first, me, then Randy.

Cones day ran efficiently and our class was held just before noon. Janelle Marshall was first to go (she scratched the marathon on Saturday as her pony had an outbreak of hives and bumps all over his body) and posted a double clear (I think) so it was definitely doable, but the top three of us in the class failed to get it done. I was too slow and had two balls, and fell to third place, a point behind Suzy. Randy ended up in first. Thanks to Dottie for riding with me as groom in cones!

Results will be posted later today on Drivingnews.us.

I think we got the rust off at this first show of our season, most others in our class did Sunshine State a few weeks ago. I am going to try a four wheel carriage for dressage and cones instead of the road cart, thinking that might make Cooper's job easier. We'll experiment with that and see how it goes. Cones practice is surely in our future while we prepare for Live Oak in a month. Live Oak is holding the USEF National Championships for Ponies and Pair Horses this year and I'd really like to keep my title :).

Thank you to the organizers, land owners and volunteers that made this show happen, we will look forward to competing next year. Wildlife sightings: A snake on section E, an alligator in a pond next to the marathon course, and lots of cranes and egrets.

Ranch website: www.littleevergladesranch.com

Salute to Driving

2011-02-22T12:10:00.003-05:00

A well deserved pat on the back to the organizers of the Salute to Driving, a fundraiser for the driving programs of the USET.

Held this past weekend in Windsor, South Carolina, the three days were jam packed with all types of things to see and do. Saturday and Sunday were clinic days, with Michael Freund, the new US driving coach, working with the long listed drivers, and Larry Poulin working with developing drivers. Auditing was free and there was a good turnout of people watching and listening to the lessons. Thanks to a good sound system, all could hear the clinicians work with their students. Also during those days were clinics on cones driving, chosing hazard routes, a fun hazard to explore, and a carriage display. On Monday there was a combined test with training, preliminary and advanced levels doing dressage and cones under the watchful eye of Martha Hanks-Nichol, Michael Freund, and Craig Kellogg. Nancy Tomlinson served as judge for the tough cones course.

During the lunch break, Olympic eventer Phillip Dutton riding Isabella and me driving Cooper did a Pas de Deux to Earth, Wind and Fire's I Like The Way You Move. It was the first time I have done a drive to music and it ended up being a lot of fun. Thanks to Phillip to being a good sport, he seemed to enjoy our enthusiatic audience as much as I did.

Saturday evening was a fundraising party hosted by Wendy O'Brien at her beautiful Trout Walk Farm nearby. There was a raffle and live auction with many wonderful donated items.

This event was the brainchild of Lisa Singer and Bev Lesher, and hard work by many hardworking volunteers and sponsors made it a huge success. I can't wait until next year!

On a personal note, I got a lot out of my lessons during the clinic, Michael took both Cooper and me out of our comfort zone and asked for more, which was reflected in moments in my test as well as moments of miscommunication between pony and driver. It will take some practice on my part to make to make things smoother and more flowing, but I loved watching the video and seeing more expression and elevation from Cooper. He worked hard and willingly all weekend and I am proud of him. He got to have some fun in the Pas de Deux, too.

We are on our way to the Little Everglades CDE as I type (Fran is driving). Wish us luck!

Results for the Salute to Driving and for Little Everglades will be posted on www.drivingnews.us.

Sunshine State CDE, the first selection trial

2011-02-06T09:37:00.002-05:00

Results at www.drivingnews.us for Sunshine State CDE, the first of five selection trials in North America (some are in Europe) for the Ponies and Pair Horses for their respective World Championships this year.

Driving News has all kinds of interesting links for all types of driving - Thanks, Mike Arnold for keeping everything current!

We sat this one out but will be at the next one, Little Everglades, in a few weeks.

Salute to Driving, February 2011

2011-01-31T16:46:00.001-05:00

Click here to read about the Salute to Driving, a fundraiser for the USEF Driving Program, to be held in Windsor, SC in February:

http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/salute-driving-benefit-support-uset-foundation

USEF Invitational Clinic with coach Michael Freund

2011-01-31T16:35:00.006-05:00

January 31, 2011:

I just returned home from an United States Equestrian Federation (USEF.org) Invitational Clinic with the new USEF driving coach, Michael Freund, very kindly hosted by Alan and Maureen Aulson at their Black Prong Equestrian Center (www.blackprongequestrian.com) in Bronson, Florida. The plan, as I understand it, is for Michael to the be the coach for ponies, single horses, pair horses and four in hands for the next four years. This is the first time since I have been involved with driving (starting in 1996) that we have had the same coach for all driving groups, and in the opinion of many, a better qualified person could not be found. Michael seems very enthusiastic about the opportunity and is planning a comprehensive program with the goal of winning team medals at the World Championships.

The World Championships for Pair Horses is in Conty, France in August, 2011, and the Pony Driving World Championships will be held this year in Slovenia in September. Next year will be the single horses and four in hands turn for the World Championships.

Michael explained to us that this first clinic was not really a clinic, more an evaluation, so he could get a sense of the drivers, their experience, their horses/ponies, and where they were in their training.

Day One and Two: Michael Drives

Michael drove all the singles and pairs of horses and ponies himself. I think everyone found these days interesting (although challenging with torrential rain throughout the first day) with a chance to see their animals driven by a master. My pony, Cooper, went early in the first day, and we lucked out with only a few raindrops to dodge during our session. Michael interviewed me while I rode along on the back of the carriage, while he drove Cooper through all his paces and figures with one hand as he puffed on a cigar at the same time. Talk about multitasking! Cooper went wonderfully under his guidance and it was a thrill for me to see how well he responded. He was happy about Cooper’s training and willingness to work.

Michael worked his way through 23 drives in the first two days!

Day Three and Four: We Drive

Our second session was shared with another driver. Michael asked to see how we warm our horses up, asked questions and commented as needed, then asked us to drive figures from our dressage tests, again offering advice and evaluating the quality. He set up some cones at X and watched our accuracy on the center line and halts and got a feel for our driving. He had a scribe to write down his observations and comments in his ever present notebook.

Day Five: Dressage, Cones and Vet

We each did the dressage test for our division. Alan and Maureen were nice enough to let us use their show ring, which was lush and green, and Michael was our judge for FEI Driving Test 9. I went fairly early, early enough that the morning fog made it difficult to see X when I turned to do my first extension! I was very pleased with how Cooper went, as we hadn’t been training the test and were a bit rusty. Again Michael had a scribe and took notes, and gave us a score based on his observations. Cooper got the best score of the day which pleased me greatly!

A brutal cones course was laid out on the rolling terrain (with lots of trees) at the Black Prong Cones field. Michael later told us that is was a cones course for July, not January, in other words, a course for later in the season. It was a good test of where we all were that day, and the bottom line was that everyone was rusty and needed practice. There were many times faults and many balls down (and cones flying in some cases). As Michael pointed out, some scores were as much as dressage scores! The course had many difficult elements and figures but was driveable and fair. I had my share of time penalties and balls down and made a vow to get to work on cones.

We met with a veterinarian that is working with the USEF, and she evaluated our horses, and gave recommendations on their care, feeding, shoeing and preparation for the season.

Day Six: Walk Section and Hazards

The last day was a one kilometer walk section that was timed and judged, then a rest stop, then three hazards. I helped time/judge in the morning and it looked like everyone was making their time on the walk without a problem. The three hazards were marked so he could see some tight turns and some more open ones. He asked that we not go too fast as he didn’t want any accidents. Cooper was feeling a bit footsore and muscle sore so I opted out of this phase, Michael will observe us at Little Everglades and Live Oak. I found him very understanding about this, as he knows Cooper is an experienced pony, and said the goal is to keep him fresh and happy in his work. I watched quite a few drivers in the hazards, and saw some good performances. There was one turnover leaving a hazard, which was quickly contained, the horses back driving and in the hazard before they knew it, no one hurt and all was well.

The Meeting

After the hazards were finished for the day, we each had a short meeting with Michael, Chester Weber, the acting Chef de Equip, and Lizzy Staller, the USEF Director of Driving. Michael went over our results for the weekend, his observations, asked about our show plans for the spring, and vet’s recommendations. Things look promising for Cooper to be part of the team, but the year is young and it’s a long way until September and Slovenia!

Many thanks to Dona Love for putting us up at her house just around the corner from Black Prong, I really appreciated that comfy bed in her guest room!

Our Plans: Practice cones two times per week, both in our local Windsor group of drivers and on my own. Walk each day myself and get fitter. Work on Cooper’s overall fitness and suppleness.

I’m looking forward to our first show which will be Little Everglades in Dade City, Florida in the third week of February.I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Michael and to be part of a program gearing toward improving our performances in each phase. Michael will be coming to give a clinic as a part of the Salute to Driving in Windsor, SC.

2011 - Beginning the Journey

2011-01-31T16:19:00.005-05:00

The goal - To make the US Team for the Pony Driving World Championship in Slovenia in September, 2011.

Our team - LR Ami B-Line, aka Cooper, a 13 year old Morgan gelding, driver Shelly Temple, and navigator/groom, Fran Doto.

We couldn't do it without our friends and supporters - Lynn and Jeff Legg, Irene Schoen, Irene Gillis, Jack Wetzel, George and Nina Masek, to name just a few.

MANY, MANY THANKS to our Corporate Sponsors!!!

Kentucky Equine Research (www.KER.com),
Omega Fields (www.omegafields.com),
Kombat Boots (www.kombatboots.com),
Thin Line (www.thinline-global.com),
Charles Owen (www.charlesowen.com),
Leather Therapy (www.leathertherapy.com),
Sheetz (www.sheetz.com)

Sponsor, Public Relations and Press contact: Dr. Jeff Legg (jlegg@vcu.edu)

Website: http://www.catalystdriving.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Catalyst-Driving/143320132367691

Wonderful Windsor, South Carolina

2009-02-04T14:23:00.003-05:00

We've moved, lock, stock and barrel, to Windsor, South Carolina. There are many things about the area that make me think it's great. First, there is the footing - sand. The footing is perfect for riding or driving 365 days of the year. Second are the dirt roads in Windsor. Not much traffic, and when you do encounter a car or truck, they tend to be polite and slow down when they see a horse.

Windsor is near Aiken, SC, and about the same distance from Augusta, GA (home of the Masters Golf Tournament) and Columbia, SC. Both Augusta and Columbia have nice airports and have lots of amenities. Aiken itself is a beautiful old southern town with a long history of horses in all disciplines, and a number of good restaurants and stores, including some good tack shops.

Aiken features a 2000 acre park in the center of the town, Hitchcock Woods. Riders, carriage drivers, and hikers with or without their dogs are welcome (well behaved dogs can be off leash). See http://www.hitchcockwoods.org/ for more info. There is a good map and many of the trails are marked with signs. There are jumps in the woods for riders and the area is foxhunted this time of year.

A number of carriage drivers either live in Aiken county full time, part time or are visiting this time of year. The local driving club, http://www.aikendrivingclub.com/, is very active and welcoming. There are a number of activities both on the weekends and during the week, for pleasure drivers, recreational drivers and combined drivers. There are many instructors, trainers and clinics to choose from if you are here to improve your driving.

The weather here is not as warm as Florida, cool at night but usually warms to the 50's or 60's during the day this time of year. The horses do not get all the skin conditions that seem to be prevalent in Florida. Horses that live here often go barefoot all year round.

If you'd like to learn more about the area, see:

http://www.aikenhorsesonline.com/ lots of information about horse life in the area
http://www.theaikenhorse.com/ a print and online newspaper that has news on what is going on in Aiken