My Niece’s First Pony Ride

This may be my most favorite blog post ever — I finally got my 2-year-old niece, Ella, on a real pony (for those of you who are new to the blog, I have been hatching this evil plan encouraging Ella to love ponies since roughly a few months after she was born).   It was quite possibly my happiest day as an aunt.  She loved it! The pony in question is Fuzzy, who belongs to a friend of mine.  Some of you may remember him from this post , in which Tucker fell madly in love with Fuzzy.  Fuzzy was so wonderful all afternoon for his pony ride.   He apparently loves little girls just as much as they love him.  He was a perfect gentleman.  (I may also be in love with him.  It’s easy to do.) We arrived at the barn mid-afternoon, my niece bearing a bag full of apples and carrots and VERY excited about the prospect of ponies. Once we actually met Fuzzy, we were a little bit less brave, which I expected.  So I gave Ella some time to get better acquainted with the pony, and she helped me lead him around the ring.  Fuzzy, saint that he is, stopped on a dime every time she wanted to come up and get a better look at him, and soon she had pet him all over and was voicing her strong desire to ride.  After holding her up a few times so she could see the saddle and where her feet would go, and where she’d hold the reins, she was ready to climb on.  It was all smiles from here on out.  That’s grandma (my mom) in the background.  She has been down this road before… she knows a pony-crazed kid when she sees one.  Note that her heels are already down.  Never had a lesson.  I believe she’s a natural. This is my favorite photo of the day.  The blissed-out-I-love-ponies face.  And this would be my second-favorite. Or maybe this one… Or this one…. Is there anything cuter than a tiny child grooming a tiny pony?
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SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ Promotion Comes to Kentucky

  Lexington,Kentucky– The SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion, offering $30,000 in bonus money, will be offered at the 2012 Kentucky Horse Shows held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.  Riders wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves with the SSG horse head logo clearly visible during all rounds of competition in designated events are eligible for the bonus. The first show to feature the SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ bonus promotion will be the Kentucky Spring Horse Show CSI3* scheduled for May 9-13, 2012.  The designated SSG Gloves classes will be Friday’s $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, Sunday’s $10,000 Junior Jumper Classic, and Sunday’s $75,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix.  Both of the grand prix classes held during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show are part of the 2012 U.S. Show Jumping Team Observation Events. The following week of competition, the Kentucky Spring Classic CSI2* from May 16-20, features the SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ bonus promotion for Thursday’s $32,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, Saturday’s $75,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix sponsored by Audi of Lexington, and Sunday’s $10,000 Junior Jumper Classic. “The SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion has become very popular in Wellington over the past two seasons, and we are looking forward to expanding the program to Kentucky,” said Ed James, President of SSG Gloves.  “With six weeks of top competition in Kentucky, which allows any bonus money not awarded to carry forward to the next show, we hope to build the same level of momentum and popularity that we have experienced in Florida.” The following classes are included in the SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ bonus promotion: Kentucky Spring Horse Show CSI3* – May 9-13, 2012 Friday, May 11 – $50,000 HagyardLexingtonClassic Sunday, May 13 – $75,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix Sunday, May 13 – $10,000 Junior Jumper Classic Kentucky Spring Classic CSI2* – May 16-20 Thursday, May 17 – $32,000 HagyardLexingtonClassic Saturday, May 19 – $75,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix Sunday, May 20 – $10,000 Junior Jumper Classic   Summer Horse Show – July 25-29 Thursday, July 26 – $25,000 HagyardLexingtonClassic Saturday, July 28 – $50,000KentuckySummer Grand Prix Sunday, July 29 – Junior Jumper Classic Summer Classic – August 1-5 Thursday, August 2 – $25,000 HagyardLexingtonClassic Saturday, August 4 – $50,000 Rood & Riddle Grand Prix Sunday, August 5 – Junior Jumper Classic   Kentucky Bluegrass Classic – August 15-19 Friday, August 17 – $25,000 HagyardLexingtonClassic Sunday, August 19 – $50,000BluegrassFestival Grand Prix Sunday, August 19 – Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic Kentucky Hunter Jumper Horse Show – August 22-26 Friday, August 24 – $10,000 HagyardLexingtonClassic Sunday, August 26 – $30,000 KHJA Grand Prix Sunday, August 26 – Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic In the designated grand prix events, a $2,000 bonus will be awarded to the winning rider if they are wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves in all rounds of competition.  If the bonus is not awarded, it will carry forward to the next grand prix event, bringing the total bonus offered to $4,000, $6,000, etc. In the designated junior and junior/amateur-owner events, a $1,000 bonus will be awarded to the winning rider if they are wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves in all rounds of competition.  If the bonus is not awarded, it will carry forward to the next event in the series, bringing the total bonus offered to $2,000, $3,000, etc. Bonus money won in the SSG Riding Gloves  ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion will be presented directly to the winning rider during the award presentations in front of the SSG Riding Gloves signature sponsor jump
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FOURTEEN TEAM HOPEFULS TO COMPETE AT DEVON

           DEVON, Pa.— The always exciting Open Jumping at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair will have an extra fillip of tension thrown in this year as 14 of the competitors who are long-listed for the show jumping team at the London Olympics will be competing in two of the Observation Events that will decide the eventual team.          Devon, which runs May 24 to June 3, benefits Bryn Mawr Hospital, to which it has donated over $14 million during the 10 decades of their association.          Among the 14 long-listed competitors are four Olympic or World Championships medal winners.          Leading the list are McLain Ward of Brewster, N.Y., and Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, N.Y., both with two Olympic team gold medals and a World Championships team silver, and Laura Kraut of Wellington, Fla., with one Olympic team gold medal.          Margie Engle, also of Wellington, has a World Championships team silver medal, and another of the long-listed riders, Mario Deslauriers of New York, N.Y., is an Olympic and World Championships veteran.          In all, 31 riders have qualified to show at Devon, including Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, N.J., who has been Leading Open Jumper Rider at Devon for four of the past six years, always battling it out for that honor with Ward, who has won the Grand Prix  at Devon six times.          This will be a particularly tension filled event for Ward, as he had to skip the selection trials in Wellington in March because he had fractured his kneecap when a horse fell with him in January at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.
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Top Judges Named for the First-Ever Southeast Medal Finals in Jacksonville

    Wellington , FL- April 26, 2012- The First Annual Southeast Medal Finals will take place on September 21-23 2012 at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. Sponsors are lining up to support this great new show. Highlights include the Southeast Junior and Adult 3′ Medal Finals, ASPCA Maclay Regionals and much more.
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Equestrian Aid Foundation Introduces 2nd Silk Scarf in the Zen Horse Collection to Assist Equestrians in Need

Zen Horse Koi Scarf   WELLINGTON,Fla.(May 2, 2012) – Zen Horse Koi, the second in a series of collectible silk scarves to benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF), is now available for sale. The scarf, designed by renowned artist Linda Bruff Luster, features rich, complementary colors that create wearable art. It can also be framed to produce a stunning focal point to any room. The sale of the scarves will benefit the EAF, which provides financial assistance for horsemen who are catastrophically injured or ill throughout their time of need. The Zen Horse Koi scarf is available for $175 online at the EAF website – www.equestrianaidfoundation.org .
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USET Mourns the Loss of Helen Z. Steinkraus

*Helen Steinkraus* Photo credit: David S. Gillmor   By William C. Steinkraus Helen Ziegler Steinkraus died peacefully at home on the evening of April 11th surrounded by her family, after a brief illness.
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Canadians Earns Personal Best Results at CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event

Peter Barry finished in 11th place in the 2012 edition of the CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, held April 26–29, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, USA. Photo credit—Shannon Brinkman, www.shannonbrinkman.com   Ottawa, ON— Canadians Peter Barry and Jessica Hampf finished in 11th and 19th place respectively in the 2012 edition of the CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, held April 26–29, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, USA
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ShowChic Kicks Off Mentoring Program

Photo: From left to right, Lauren Knopp, Rebecca Cohen, and Mary-Cameron Rollins are participants in the ShowChic mentoring program.   Wellington, FL (May 3, 2012) – Mary-Cameron Rollins, Lauren Knopp and Rebecca Cohen are three confident young riders and stars on their way up in the dressage world. Thanks to a new mentoring program by the dressage boutique ShowChic, formerly known as Sho Clothes, all three young ladies will have help as they travel the road to success within the horse industry. “I have a strong desire to help young riders get started and find success,” said Michele Hundt, owner of ShowChic. “Our ShowChic Mentoring Program will give our riders an opportunity to head in the right direction while being ambassadors for us at the same time. I am excited to launch the mentoring program and look forward to watching these three young ladies blossom.” As part of the ShowChic mentoring program, Rollins, Knopp and Cohen will attend and assist with the boutique’s monthly “Shop Talk” program, present ShowChic sponsored awards at dressage shows and assist Hundt with fashion shows and educational events ShowChic takes part in. “The girls will also post on our Facebook page and act as spokespersons for ShowChic,” Hundt said.
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Birthday Boy

Today is Tucker’s 10th birthday.  It’s hard to believe we’ve known each other for ten years!  My, how the time flies.  On this day ten years ago…   I was a week away from graduating college.  I had no idea what I was going to do with my life.  So I planned my escape, to the farm in Connecticut where I worked every summer, to take a year off and figure myself out. And then a few weeks later I met him…  he was goofy, and awkward, and afraid of everything, and — to be honest — a bit of a jerk.  The first time we met, he bit me in the stomach.  I didn’t like him, though I’m ashamed to admit that now.  And I really didn’t want to make time in my day to take care of an obnoxious yearling, when there was a barn full of beautiful show horses to be doted on
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