Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I value my horsey friends ... a lot. They hep me make decisions about my horses and they help me take care of my horses. And frankly, horse ownership wouldn't be nearly as fun without girlfriends with which to share! I need to put some faces to all of these names. So, in no particular order, here are some of my horse friends. ![]() Montana de Oro, 2009 This is Taz and his mom. Taz's mom and I have been friends for many years, almost two decades in fact. She's had Taz for quite a few years now. He's a purebred Arabian gelding that she uses for endurance riding. He's a big solid horse that gets her safely down the trail, almost always. There have been a few spills here and there, but not for a long time. Taz has begun to settle down now that he's in his teens. She often refers to him as Diesel because of his big 'ol engine. ![]() Lovely Bella This is Cha Ching's Mom. She's also Bella's Mom (pictured), and Amari's Mom. She's an excellent rider, as you can see, and a great friend. Her horses are Dutch Warmbloods and ... couldn't tell you! Let's just say that they are all HUGE, but wonderfully sweet and well schooled. Bella is currently serving as a fill in for a young lady whose horse is laid up. Amari has started her jumping career, and Cha Ching, the baby of the family, is learning the ropes of being ridden and schooled. He's coming along quite nicely. ![]() RM riding Bounder at a lesson, 2011 This is Bounder's Mom, also known as RM, the property owner where I now board. Bounder is the love of her life and a friend that she waited many years to have. RM is relatively new to the horse world, but she has discovered that the wait was well worth it. She enjoys every minute she spends with Bounder. She also enjoys barn chores - a sure sign of a dyed-in-the-wool horse girl! ![]() JL doing a pre-ride check This is JL. I am sure she'll hate this photo, but the only other one I have is rather funny because she's doing a squat to show RM how to use her seat more effectively. And that pretty much sums up JL's role as a teacher. She does what it takes to help her students get it. If she has to squat, she'll do it. Early on, I just didn't get how she wanted me to use my outside leg. She walked over, lifted my leg, and whacked it into Sydney's side. He stepped over, quickly. There, she said. That's what I mean. Oh! I get it. She's a hunter/jumper at heart, but she knows what a soft, balanced, connected horse should look like. It doesn't matter if he's doing an equitation class, jumping an oxer, or trotting a 20 meter circle. Soft is soft. She's an excellent teacher and horsewoman. I am glad I found her! There are many more horsey friends in my life, but these are the four that I mention almost daily. I thought might enjoy seeing them doing what they love best!
Val
10/10/2011 04:42:00 am
You have a nice group! I love the first photo with the Montana de Oro. Stunning.
Val
10/10/2011 12:25:33 pm
Hi again! Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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