Congratulations to Amber on her win at the Ark, Morgan on her win at Paradise, and to Jaclyn on her 2nd place at the AEC’s! Jaclyn is at Fair Hill this week in the CIC 2-star — Good luck! Also best of luck to Dawn Jenson, who has her lovely chestnut at Fair Hill for the Young Event Horse Championships.

Rising Spirit has now been first or second at four of her last five events, and won the Preliminary Futurity at Plantation Field. Having such a nice horse to compete makes not having a horse at the Advanced level easier to take. In general, I’ve made a bit of a change in my over all game plan. In the past I wanted to ride every horse at every level at every event. With Rising Spirit in the barn, I’m happy to ride one very nice horse at a select few events. Doing so has been great so far, and it means we get to be at home more.

Only a few more events left this year. Before we know it 2010 will be here.

We leave Tuesday to Maryland. I’ll teach a couple days, take a couple lessons, then compete on the weekend at the Surefire Horse Trials. Seeing as the temperature is 102 F in Aiken, heading north seems like a good idea!

We’ve just finished breaking Heather Hopkins lovely 3-year-old filly Rica. Rica is as good a mover as you could hope for in a young horse - next year she’ll be winning ribbons at all the events. Last weekend I helped Morgan Riley at a local combined test. She rode her own Elite Sterntaller in the BN and won on a score of 21. Congratulations, Morgan!

It wasn’t too long ago when I thought things were quieting down and I was going to have more time around the farm. So much for that idea. On Saturday we went to the event at Full Gallop with four horses. Orion enjoyed his first proper outing since The Fork and finished 3rd in the Novice with Sarah in the irons. Though they looked picture perfect everywhere I saw them, apparently they had a difference of opinions about the proper speed for the level on cross-country. Orion was of the opinion that faster is better, but I’m sure he and Sarah can work out their differences on their own.

For the first time in my career, I enjoyed a hat trick, winning three divisions in one day. Dueling Creeks Brew, whom I co-own with a group of partners, won the Prelim. Sarah’s horse Rising Spirit, who is the definition of lovely, won the Training. And Morgan Riley’s Elite Sterntaler made winning the Novice look easy. Each horse is simply a cut above in terms of talent and ability. Riding them is a real pleasure.

Morgan also rode Fernhill Everyready, who she seems to be sharing with her mom, in the Beginner Novice to a very respectable 7th place. And Leila Miles finished just outside the ribbons with Do or Di. In all it was a super fun day.

On Monday Miranda Nelson’s new horse Lily arrived at the farm. Just a couple hours off the tractor trailer Miranda took her new best friend for a hack around the farm. Since then the two have spent the week getting to know each other. I like what I see!

Tomorrow I drive to Maryland to teach for two days, then next week teach for a day in Charleston. In just a couple weeks we’ll be going to the Surefire Horse Trials in Virginia, a sure sign that summer is happening too fast!