Special Anniversary

What a great three day weekend!
I had a great go at Loudon, then had J and P's dinner with my best Dave.

Maggie spent Sunday with her aunty Kim and came home ready to cuddle and sleep!

Today Dave and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary. We played 18 holes at Glade Valley in Walkersville and had a great first outing of the season! I definitely need to brush up on my short game!!!

Dave and I went to Frederick and got our favorite Vietnamese food from Lucky Corner, and visited my favorite little store!

We picked up the Magsters after golf and settled in at home watching "Princess and the Frog". Now it is time for ice cream and some "Dateline".
A huge thanks to the ever wonderful Kari for working Callie today. She reported that Callie was good except when the neighbors tractor went by. Callie bucked then. I don't blame her....the neighbor likes to have even tan lines when he is on his tractor plowing ( if you know what I mean). COMPLETELY even tan lines.

Mary Mack

Oh yeah!

Mary Mack

How we roll

A day off for the macklins!

Mary Mack

Loudoun XC1

The Wild woman in action

Morven Day 2

I must address something.
The noise I make while going cross country.
If you do not know me, I make noise. A lot of noise. For some reason I do it the most on Beast. And mostly at Intermediate.

It is actually a combination of grunting and yelling good girl.
The grunting is not a quiet noise, it is like a heavy man at the gym. A man that is really over doing it and as you watch you worry that the vein that is sticking out of his head is going to burst.
It is the noise that I seem to make when I put my leg on as hard as I possibly can. All though my horse is generally going with out the leg clamp. It just happens, it is it's own thing so I respect the grunt and allow it to coexist with my desire to tell Beast she is good.

As for the wild yelling of good girl I am unaware when I do it. I must admit I cringe a bit when I hear it on videos and then I hear the videographers laugh.
My horse is delighted with my noise and I am delighted with her.

The day I stop telling a brave girl she is amazing is the day I need a break or to retire.
I used to be loud back in the day when I was a teenager and it seems I am reliving my youth.
Anyways I am going on this tangent because you can hear it in some of my XC videos. I left it on there, I wear my freak flag proudly.
Don't worry, I don't do it in dressage or showjumping ;)

Anyways on to the Morven report....

The wild woman was just that, A WILD WOMAN.
I was a bit worried in XC warm up that I may not make it to the start box! I have never felt Beast quite so wild! I didn't do a whole lot in warm up, just like four jumps. I did do a lot of trot work so I could get her moving laterally and suppling.
She left that box on a mission and I had the time of my life.
Beast has adjusted her jumping style from huge, to huge with superman front legs and a additional kick behind.
She was a star at all the questions. I over rode the water a bit,  she jumped great.
She is getting fitter, stronger and faster.
Beast moved up to 9th in a solid Open Intermediate division!!!!
I better spend some more time with Vanessa, Beasty wants a yellow then a blue!

Sharon and Cappy had a phenomenal dressage (a 28 I think), a perfect show jump around a tricky course, and rode AMAZING in the XC.
Cappy had a bit of worry at the ditch but she rode with clarity and got him through it. She finished the course in style!

Em had to scratch due to a flat truck tire :(

Next up we have Iron Bridge on Saturday and an XC school with Stephen on Sunday!
Then Alexis and the Macklins head up to Plantation the following weekend!

Alexis is doing an awesome job at being my competition assistant. From paperwork to studs, directions and scheduling to forcing me to eat, it is a pleasure and an honor to have her!!!!!!

Beasty Intermediate Show jumping

Sharon and Cappy Stadium

Little Sharon looking foot perfect in stadium!

Morven day one

Beasty was a hot tamale in the dressage warm up! She was the most up and tense she has been this year and it didn't magically disappear as we circled the dressage ring. As we came past the judge I looked in the car, "oh good" I thought "Brian Ross is my judge". It just kept getting better!

Beasty actually tried very hard for me upon entering the ring. I rode every step as best I could. I had my leg on which is something I had forgotten about.....shame on me.....
Thank god for my lesson with Vanessa earlier this week, it sure came in handy today!
I helped Beast out today on the flat and that felt good. Historically I just sit there and think "I can't wait for this to be over" when Beasty's body feels like a board of wood ready to squirt out from under me at any moment.
The video is not too shabby, considering where we came from last summer!!! Brian Ross giving me a 46 on my most tense test of the year, I will take it. Progress. A 46 from Brian is like a 39 by any other judge!

Beasty was a wonderful girl in the show jumping. I had a huge smile on my face in warm up. We couldn't have  jumped any better!
The course was in the small ring and there were a few tight turns. In hind sight I should have realized this was an opportunity to shine. I ride in a smaller ring all the time. Literally all the time. The clinics I go to and my ring at home are both on the smaller side. Beast is a sports car and has legs of springs.
In my moment at the show, I heard everyone freaking out about the ring and turns and let it affect my focus.
I should have thought a bit quicker and calmer. I had two rails, Beast jumped clean with miles to spare. The good news is no matter what I do, Beast jumps well and confidently.
She did spook a little on course but did everything I asked of her and then some. All the hard work and her body work has really paid off. I was able to stay with her better, thanks to working out again and getting stronger.

The course looks great for tomorrow and should ride well if we hold our lines and keep coming forward. The more technical questions seem to be set up in a way where the terrain helps set you up and the distance tells you how much to kick on.

I love the learning I am doing.  I love the partner I have to learn on. We get closer every time. Closer every time, but the closer I get, the higher the goal I set. In this moment I choose to be happy and proud. I know I will always set the bar higher and higher. I know when I achieve one goal, I will start foaming at the mouth for the next.
I know that I really have the best flat instructor on the planet. If you had shown me a video of my worst test this year, I would have peed my pant's with glee. With no diaper on. In public. With pride. Like Maggie.
I love Sharon, Jimmy and Stephen.
My horse is jumping better then I ever knew possible. I am taking this moment right now to feel giddy.
To be thankful.

Ok, that's all the maturity I have for right now.

This week and every week after is all about getting better and making my horse better so we can get the scores we deserve. It's about tasting blood and getting back up. Riding in the rain. Being calm.... Then being so driven you feel like your skin is twitching. It means everything and nothing. It's delusion and reality.
It's really not important, but to me it is.
It all is.

I find that when my blogs start to take a turn towards the dramatic, it's time to eat and stop typing.

A HUGE THANKS TO ALEXIS for all the help today!!!!!!!!!

Check out Team Red Hawke making the news!!!

http://equiery.com/sporting/eventing/?p=1654&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Eventing+%28Equiery+Eventing+News%29&utm_content=FaceBook

Two more pictures of star student Rachel!!!!!

                    Rachel and her first place at Full moon!

Rachel and Zoey looking good at Taylormade

More pictures of my star students

                     Fance and Hunt up the bank

                      Showing perfect form despite the rain!!!!

                   They make me so proud!!!

                         Hunter and some hood rat telling him what to do. Busy body hood rats.

                   Mmm Hmm.

                             The Woff (Jimmy) would have been so proud.

                         

Callie Training Showjumping

Weekend Wrap up.

                                            Callie XC :)

Callie and I dressage

                                       

                                               Alexis and Packer show jumping

                                         Alexis dressage

                                              Alison and Knick

Redland went very well!
On Saturday we all ended with ribbons in the top 6!

                                             Courtney Swartz looking AMAZING!!!! (Photos of Courtney by Rita Boehm)

Callie finished 6th on her dressage score of 39. She was very well behaved and moving well in the warm up. She was much more relaxed in the ring but a bit unfocused and hard to get back after her canter lengthening. Oh and sometimes she still likes too kick out.
Callie show jumped like a dream. She was clean despite my best efforts to have one or two rails.
XC also went quite well. She was so willing, unimpressed and happy cross country I got caught being a bit quiet to the water. She hung a leg pretty badly, I think she had no idea there was water on the landing side of her little training log and was startled to see it there. We twisted and as I went to the side, I swear that little mare moved herself under me. We got her hind end going and we jumped the log out with great ease. Callie finished the course spot on and very well. I am happy to have two such smart brave mares!


Alexis rode the best she ever has in the dressage. Packer was very good and is getting stronger and stronger! He jumped quite well despite the slippery footing. They ended in 6th at their first recognized event!!! A huge congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Alison rode the best she ever has in all three phases and earned herself and Knick a blue ribbon!!!!
Knick was so happy to be out at his first event of the season but was very quiet and well behaved (for Knick). He only sort of reared two or three times ;)))))
Alison made Knick look like a grand prix horse in the dressage. He scored a 34 ....even with an error....and added only one time fault to win with a 35!!!!!!!!!!

Courtney Swartz had three great phases. She had her AWESOME mom Vanessa help warm her up on the flat earning a 35. Court rode perfectly in both stadium and XC to finish in 5th on her dressage score.
Courtney has always been an amazing show jumper. She has ridden extensively with Laura Pickett and she sure shows off what an amazing teacher Laura was. Laura would be very proud of Courts performance yesterday.

On Sunday I headed back over to help Hunter and Kari.

Kari rode really well in the dressage. Kaliente was a bit ADD in the dressage and Kari handled it like a pro. Kari and Kaliente had their best show jump to date. All their hard work has paid off. Kaliente is starting to be so comfortable with her body and this is a credit to Kari. They looked brilliant cross country but were surprised by the open ditch toward the end of the course. The horses seemed to have trouble reading the open ditch on Sunday in the rain but hadn't the day before!

Hunter pulled off a really successful day! Hunter has been really busy with Lacrosse so he has not had as much prep and schooling for this spring eventing season. They had a beautiful dressage test, I thought the scores were all a bit high in his division though. His showjumping was PERFECT! XC was very well ridden and Fance was great on some less then mediocre footing. Fance was also a bit surprised by the silly open ditch but finished very strong.

Summer went to the event but was not herself in dressage warm up. We elected to withdraw her and will have to wait until her next event for her big debut!!!  She still had a great first show experience and was able to soak up the environment like a giant 4 year old sponge!!!

I am so proud of all of my students.
They really did an amazing job, every one of them. I could not be happier or have hoped for any more for any one of them.

Working with horses can be hard sometimes. Things can seem like they are not going well when really they are going just the way they need to be.
Alison had a fall from Knick a few weeks back and all though it could have made her feel not ready for Redland, she turned it around into fuel to become over prepared and then she won!!!!
Every experience is a gift, if you let it be. It is all knowledge gained, if you let it be.

I learned that on a course that has a lot of turns and doesn't have the acreage for long gallops, I have to help Callie a bit sooner or quicker to get her in front of my leg. She has just turned 6 and has grown up so much already.

Kari learned her horse loves the way she is riding her and she said thank you today in the show jumping. She said thank you by looking perfect.

I have a date now with Maggie. Peppa pig is on and I have to make the blanket feel needed.
It is a good weekend when all the horses return home confident and happy and the riders come home feeling hungry for more.

My day is 15 minutes late because of urine. it has not been limited too human or canine.
Mary Mack

Yesterday.

Yesterday started with a trip to Walkersville to teach Em.

She looked great as did her horse.

She participated in some torture exercises (as did all my students this week) and rose to the occasion.

Then off to Darenth to get the mares for a lesson with Stephen.

I could not have asked for them to be any better.

Callie sure does respond to the Back on Track products. That is one of the investments I have made that I am really happy with!

Beasty likes the products as well but can only stand the blanket for a few hours.

The mares jumped their hearts out for me. I had a very clear understanding of the two different approaches that I need to take with both mares. It worked great and I will be damned if my body wasn't starting to behave. I was actually staying (at times) where I needed to be so Beasty could do her job well.

I asked Stephen about the customary one rail I have been having with Beasty. It usually is the first fence (not really my fault, Beast just hasn't fully switched gears yet) or the in of a related distance. I often sit a bit early to put my leg on for the out and I cause a rail with her hind end.

The Beast is a very sensitive girl and over eager to please. I move an inch and she takes it literally.

Any way Stephen told me what to do differently, and I did it! It is so weird how that works!

It is also weird that I always spell weird wrong. EVERY TIME I TYPE IT.

I before E except after C is a LIE.

LIAR.

Today the Magster and I have a few lessons to teach at opposite ends of Frederick and Montgomery counties. Then flat rides for all three mares.

Tomorrow I am walking the courses at Redland a bunch of times. I am the rider rep and also am meeting students in the afternoon.

I am really excited for the up coming season. I might have my very own "Kim" now (super dooper awesome dedicated groom). Alexis has agreed to try out the role and will even be able to travel with me!

Yayy!

OK I am late so I am not spell checking.

Dear daddy....

I want one. Then Mommy can borrow it.

AND...

A HUGE CONGRATS to some students....

Congratulations to Courtney who had an AWESOME weekend! She ended 3rd in the novice at Full Moon after two double clear rounds to finish on her dressage score!!!

Also a HUGE congrats to Rachel who received first place in the beginner novice!!!!

Both girls worked hard and are amazing riders with or with out the ribbons!!!! I am so proud!

Lets give the moms a shout out also. I can just start to imagine how nerve wrecking it is. I have a hard time watching Maggie walk on a pony while someone holds her!!!!!!!

It was a great weekend for everyone.

I am proud of Beasty. She had two weeks off and no chance to work on her dressage before Plantation.

She is showing great maturity and as Stephen says, "she just gets it".

I am looking forward to the upcoming week and Redland next weekend!!!

Beasty plantation

Yay Beasty!

Beasty jammed out!
She almost felt bored today but thats a feeling I will take!

Mary Mack

The Beast

Beast had her nemesis of hard frosty grass for her warm up. I was better prepared this time with studs. Beasty was very fresh. Very fresh. She was obedient but a bit exuberant at times. I did a mediocre job riding her but she tried hard for me.
The exuberance carried over to the show jumping. I will post video later. I sat down just a bit at an oxer and had a rail.
However I am high as a kite with how amazing my horse jumps. This was a great day so far.
I own a very amazing horse.
Dave and Maggie are doing Stephens water buckets.
Maggie will clean my tack next.
Mary Mack

Mr Wofford

Lessons went awesome today!!!!
My mares are little warriors.
They jumped like a million dollars.

Mary Mack

Summer jumper derby

Summer was awesome! I will write more later when its not family time!!! A huge thanks to Alexis for being in charge of times, paperwork, etc. She also rode her horse Packer and ROCKED IT.

Callie was jealous

So she cut her head open. She looked really pathetic with the little trickle of blood down her big white star.
She's ok but will have a few days off cause I'm sure it hurts like the dickens.  I have always heard that the dickens hurts.
Callie is such a sweet girl.
I will be bringing two banged up girls to the jimmy clinic next week.

Things all seem to happen at once! Bring it world, bring it.
Mary Mack

Who's that hottie

(Photo's of Myra the best dog ever, Maggie, Piper, and the crew)






with a body? It's Beasty Bear. She is Air free.

All the air that traveled into her body through her puncture wound has left the building.

The hole itself is healing very well so far.

I am still holing my breath but I don't feel ready to scream every two minutes.

This is good, very good.

Callie went to the big V's yesterday. I totally missed Vanessa.

It was so nice to be back with her. What was especially awesome is how good Callie was. She will probably take two or three lessons to get back to where we were earlier this year BUT the good news is her submission is halfway there now. Her downward transitions are by no means good, but they are getting better, and I can do my homework on that one.

I often find that I take one exercise in a lesson with an instructor and I start to use it as a crutch.

Now with some horses this is ok....even good sometimes.

Beasty does not seek and destroy, nor does Summer. They are hottie's with a body.

Callie I realize is a bit like Fiesta. They exploit your innocent exercises and find a loop hole. They are both smart independent women. The would be single and living in Manhattan if they were humans. Callie would be the waify model that can eat whatever she wants and never gain an ounce of weight. Fiesta would be a bit round if she were a human as she wouldn't have anyone to monitor and limit her grain intake. Fiesta would be into fashions, and Callie would wear fashions. Neither would like yoga. They would prefer football, basketball, and any kind of running and jumping.

If they were forced to go to yoga (dressage) they would take water breaks frequently, and hold the pose until it starts to hurt and then go into child's pose for a little rest.

They are crafty and creative and find ways to get out of work. I fall for Callie all the time because I love her and I feel bad for her and her teenage gangles.

Fiesta is harder to feel bad for. In fact there is no time for any feeling. She is armed with an ARSENAL, AN ARSENAL of tools for evasive maneuvering. It takes all you have got to stay a step ahead of her.

Thankfully Fiesta is a big floaty mover that the judges drool over.

Callie seems to be back to her dreamy self on the regumate. I am hoping her dressage scores will start to reflect this. It is hard to let a horse stretch into the bridle when you worry that as their head goes out, their hind end will go up, up and awaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Yesterday, Alison Bowyer rocked out on Knick XC at Serra Valley!!!!!!

Alison's muscle memory is kicking in her balance is up and her heels are staying down. She can trust her body and let her mind ride. It is really neat to watch this pair develop. Knick was a happy boy and he loves his stifle ice spa treatment afterwards!

Kari jammed out on Kaliente. This pair is for sure ready to climb the levels this season.

Rachel was her amazing self on her wonder pony. This is becoming one of my favorite pairs to watch and teach. So stinkin cute this chestnut mare and her wonder kid.

Court and Hunter were......perfect. they usually are. Courtney had the pleasure of riding in a hackamore. Her horse loved it. I am not so sure about Court. We will see how long I can persuade her to use it. Courts pretty tough. So is riding in a hackamore sometimes.

(All amazing photos are from Nicky Shipley. She's a hootie with a camera.)

My Darenth girls looked great.

Hannah, Ameriah and Pipestar. They are continuing onto phase two of my jumping exercise I have set up.

They rock.

So does Summer. No submission issues today, just a big sweet lap horse with insane movement. A big thanks to the hecklers I enlisted to get after me about my heels, hands and gaits. Thanks Kari and Alison!

Beasty hacked the water at Serra Valley!

She just walked...I was bareback. I peed my pants when she started doing this face

http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?user_id=41021&tmpl=127&event=997603&action=viewphoto&photo_id=59219164&album_id=997685&pcount=44

But then she realized quickly we were not jumping. A caged tiger she is.

Beasty did jump right into the water and splash and play. One step down, three more obsessive steps to go.

It's pretty cool to ride your Intermediate horse, (who's super fit and had 9 days off) bareback while your students go XC. Beast and Henny should make babies. Run Henny Run.

How cool is this photo?

Of course I planed to do it. Emily is in the middle after earning her 27.

Mary Mack

Ahh a day off.

Today started with putting in the dogs in their recently fenced yard.

The following is a reenactment of the conversation Dave and I had prior to fence install.

"Oh this is going to be so nice!"

Then Dave replies "Oh I know. The dogs will be so much easier to take care of!"

"Yes. Scruffy will be so happy. She will get to run and play and then she will be so much better behaved in the house. Maybe she will stop sniffing the floor obsessively. Perhaps she will stop shredding the carpet. Peeing out of anger. Pacing, whining, barking, scratching, making me want to rip all my hair out and run from the house screaming!"-Me

Dave then says "Yep this is great."

It took Scruffy one day to find a way out. Then every time we plugged a hole, she would find another. Then when she ran out of holes to find, her desire to cause an accident on Howard Chapel drive increased with my desire for her to be run over in an accident on Howard chapel drive. What I mean is, she just started making her own holes. Hole after Hole. She can fit her rat like little body through about 1/4'' space. So the hole digging doesn't take her very long.

Thus Scruffy is on a 50 foot zip line inside an acre of brand new fenced in yard.

This does not deter her from breaking out.

She said to tell the world "no one can hold this bit(# down. Not even Alcatraz."

She says it with her actions.

Please note the zip line still attached to her collar in the photo. Also note the white pickets and board of wood used by myself to try to discourage the most determined dog in the whole freaking state of Maryland.

In other dog news, the new puppy Myra continues to be AWESOME. I love love love her.

She is almost 5 months old now. I think I might need to get a bigger baby gate.

Bobby, the third dog continues to be just about perfect except for the horrific odors that come from his body. Horrific.

Morven and stuff

Emily did a great job at Morven Park!

She was in 2nd after dressage with a score of 27.5. Em was in a big open competitive division with lots of professionals and definitely held her own. Emily and Jazz show jumped clean and rocked it XC. She went a few seconds fast, which is great since her next event they will be moving up.

Emily incurred 1.6 speed faults which moved her to 5th place with a score of 29.1!

Way to go Em, all that hard work paid off!!!!!!

Her mom, sister and Spencer (the bucket girl) were there to show their support. I am happy for Emily that she has a great support system and a great family.

Margret Rizzo of Mythic Landing events also put in a great show! I was lucky enough to get there just in time to see her show jump and they looked GREAT!

Margret has done an awesome job with that mare. The training and guidance that her coach Kelley Williams has provided sure does show what a good program she has. Solid.

It was so nice to go to an event and see the folks I know be so bright.

Speaking of bright, my students and Summer blew me away yesterday. Everyone was a rock star. Seriously, they all looked amazing as did their horses.

When I asked questions, they knew the answers.

A wonderful group they are.

And a wonderful and BRAVE horse Summer is.

Summer did have her first naughty baby moment. She briefly had a different opinion then I about who should be submissive . It didn't last long, she would never actually want the responsibility of being in charge . Summer is four and has never objected to anything we have asked of her. She tried her rearing legs in the excitement of XC and they didn't work very well.......I am very glad of this. That rear end could have some POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is a big, lovely, girl. She moves so well and jumps so well it's easy to forget how young she is. She likes to stick her butt in your face in the stall for a tail scratch. She does not have any need for personal space. She is food motivated and sweet. She is a bit of a goober and a pure athlete at the same time.

Ah, gotta love the mares!

Beasty continues to do well. I bareback hacked her today. I will do that a few days this week and then after checking in with the vet, we will see what the next step is (I am hoping it will be light work).

There is still a good chance she will be ready for Plantation. I am in no hurry with her though. I want to do everything right and get that little star back to her super confident self.

I have a plan b and c.....and maybe a "d'.

Callie received a three day weekend and will be back at it tom. Callie likes her ears scratched and will put her head in your lap like a dog. And then bite you when you put a blanket on her. And then bat her eye lashes.

Myra continues to be the best dog EVER.

Maggie and I will be cuddling all day Tuesday and will not be taking any phone calls. Except from Mr. Macklin.

A BIG CONGRATULATION TO HANNAH SHIPLEY ON THE PURCHASE OF S.S. BUCKSHOT!!!!!!!!!!

ALSO A BIG CONGRATS TO GREY GOOSE'S NEW OWNERS!!!!!!!!