Our Eventing Volunteers are Very Important People By John Meriwether

This is the third year of the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP).  Although not all of our Area events use the program, a number of Area VII members are featured in the All Time Leaderboard’s Top 100 Volunteers. Rick Resto is in the top ten for the third year in a row, with rider and volunteer Cindi Carrell earning a top 20 ranking.  Other Area VII members include Roger Chick, Gail Mackie, Penny Leggott, Joe Hannan, Catherine Hannan, and Bettijean Collins. 

Many things separate the sport of Eventing from other equestrian disciplines.  There is no denying that an event horse is a special horse. The event rider is also a special type of competitor.  It is also a special community, especially in Area VII.  While it is extremely competitive, in the end, everyone can be seen as a Friend and a Potential Friend. 

Nothing makes a friend out of a stranger so much as volunteering. Long before you think of sending in an entry, scores of people have been donating their time to create an event.  Long after the last horse has left for home, volunteers are still wrapping up.  If you have been fortunate enough to do this kind of work, you know the special feeling get.  It is it’s own reward.  You notice the others you’ve worked with everywhere you go and you know that warm smile of recognition from someone you’ve worked alongside of at an event. 

Anyone who has been around for even a single season knows that Eventing can’t happen without the army of individuals who come together for this common passion. The USEA created the Volunteer Incentive Program not only to recognize these VIPs but also to help organizers manage their volunteers and to let us know who we have to thank for making Eventing happen. 

VIP works off www.EventingVolunteer.com.  Everyone is encouraged to create an account.  Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with it. You can sign up in advance of an event or check in while an event is running to see where help is needed. There is a mobile app which lets you check in and check out, with notifications to remind you when your time is coming up.  Event Volunteer Coordinators will also keep track of volunteers who do not volunteer on-line for those of us who forget to sign-in or sign out as well as to volunteer remember to create an account beforehand.

Nationally, the top volunteer receives an amazing award at the National Convention Awards ceremony.  In Area VII we also honor our own top volunteers.  Rick Resto and Cindi Carrell have each been Area Volunteer Champion and Reserve Champion in the program’s first two years. At the next Annual Meeting the Volunteers of the Year will be treated like a competition level with awards and ribbons for the top 5 Area VII volunteers.  The EventingVolunteers.com website keeps track of year to date hours per volunteer by Area and nationally as well as the All Time Leaderboard.  https://www.eventingvolunteers.com/leaderboards/92

So far, Spokane, EI, Aspen and Inavale have signed on to the VIP and we hope that more will do so as the season goes on because we’d like to see the top spot go to an Area VII member.

USEA Area VII Summer 2019 Newsletter

The 2019 Area VII Eventing Season is flying by! We are fortunate in Area VII to have a fantastic group of Organizers who work well together and bring us a nice series of summer events. It’s hard to believe it’s already the beginning of August as I write this and the annual pilgrimage to the amazing and inspiring Event at Rebecca Farms has recently concluded.  I didn’t make the trip to Kalispell this year but enjoyed living vicariously via the many photos, posts and online information.  Many thanks to our YR Coordinator Barb Jensen, Coach John Camlin and the rest of the support crew for all of your hard work with the Area VII Young Rider Team at the NAYC, which was also hosted by Rebecca Farms.

Although our calendar provides us with a number of wonderful events, this year we lost the longest running event in our area – the Whidbey Island Pony Club Horse Trials would have held the 43rd annual event this year had it not been cancelled due to the loss of access to the land

Personally, the WIPHT was one of my favorite events for its rustic charm, spectacular setting and in my opinion, the best competitor dinner around (always delicious grilled salmon, baked potatoes, corn on the cob and berry shortcake for dessert). Then, if you weren’t too full to dance the night away, the Whidbey crew knows how to put on a party. Long story short, the pony club leases the fifty acres at the top of the event site where the office, arena, pole corrals, water complex etc. are located.  Historically, the farmers who leased the rest of the land were crop farming and supported and worked with the club to allow space for stabling, the dressage rings and a large part of the cross-country course.  Sadly, the farmer who secured the farming lease a few years ago would no longer allow the property to be used for the event. Thus – the event was cancelled.  Hopefully the event will be reborn again in the future as it has a couple of times in the past when the site needed to be relocated. 

Have you thanked an organizer or a landowner recently? One of the biggest challenges we face as horseback riders and eventers is access to land. Be it trail riding or, in the case of Whidbey, access to enough land to run an event, this has been an ongoing challenge for the equestrian community across the country. The primary reason for the loss of land used for equestrian purposes is development.  Sadly, this event’s loss of access to the farmland on Whidbey is a good reminder of how we need to work hard to preserve our access to what we already have and even expand access if possible.  Please remember that when we are at an event, we are usually on property that is someone’s home.  We need to respect the property owner, not damage the land, stalls or equipment, pick up our garbage etc.  This topic is worthy of its own extensive article!

Volunteering has been in the spotlight recently and for good reason. Without eventing’s extensive support from volunteers, we would not be able to participate in this sport at an affordable cost.  Just imagine what it would cost to run an event if everyone had to be paid for everything – all of the jump judges, scribes, office help, ring crews and too many more to list. Thank you again to our tireless organizers and volunteers who make it possible for us to compete!

The 2019 Area VII Championships are quickly approaching. For the fourth consecutive year, Aspen Farms will be hosting this fantastic event September 6th through the 8th. Due to the efforts of Jonathan Elliott and his Aspen Farms Crew along with our generous sponsors, donors and volunteers, our Area Championships have earned a well-deserved reputation of being perhaps the best Area Championships in the country! From the moment competitors check in and receive their championship competitor bags loaded with useful goodies including things like horse treats, annual championship t-shirts, hats, grooming supplies and more, to the challenging and truly championship level courses to the fabulous prized including cash, tack, clothing, gorgeous ribbons, completion plaques and so much more, the Area VII Championship have developed into a very special event. If you have qualified, you really need to enter!

That said, without the generous support of our sponsors, donors and volunteers, we would not be able to offer an event of this caliber. Once again, we say “Thank You” to all of our supporters. We really couldn’t do it without your help.

So – if there’s anything you can do to support our Area VII Championships (items for competitors’ packets, cash donations, sponsorship of classes or divisions, items for awards etc.), now is the time to contact Jonathan Elliott at jonathan_elliott@hotmail.com or Cynthia Bayles at cbayles@wavecable.com. We are happy to provide you with a detailed Championships Sponsor/Donor information sheet. Thank you in advance for your support!

Wishing everyone the best of luck for the rest of this season and looking forward to seeing y’all at the 2019 Area VII Championships in September.

Best Regards,

Cynthia Bayles

Area VII Chair

Thanks to every volunteer in Area VII

Volunteers. Eventers know that volunteers are the backbone of our sport. I could go on and on

about the endless things that volunteers do to keep our events up and running – but that is an

article unto itself.

This month I’d like to introduce you to two of Area VII’s most hard-working and faithful

volunteers.

Cindi Carrell (left) and Rick Resto (right). Photo courtesy of Cindi Carrell.

Meet Cindi Carrell and Rick Resto, Area VII’s Volunteers of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.

Rick and Cindi each logged well in excess of 100 hours of volunteer time each year. I can only

imagine how many hours they’ve put in over the years in total!

If you are a competitor in Area VII you are likely very familiar with the smiling faces of these two

amazing volunteers. Organizers know if Rick and Cindi volunteer that they are hard working

and reliable, fellow volunteers love working with them as they are kind, professional and

energetic and perhaps most importantly, as a rider, I know when I see their smiling faces that I

am in good hands. Nervous on the way to bit check for that dressage ride or being told you’re

next up in the jump ring? Cindi’s bright smile and encouraging comments always impart a sense

of calm. “Rick and I both love to help others so volunteering to us is natural. We are both

Photo courtesy of Cindy Carrell.

organizers in life so when we see an opportunity to make something run more smoothly, we are

there to help.”

In their “real” lives, Cindi has been a registered nurse for 34 years. She works in a surgery

center at a Seattle hospital and loves her job and the doctors with whom she works. Rick is a

Chief Information Officer for a large seafood company in Seattle.

Cindi got started in eventing when she bought a horse and the woman who helped her with

training happened to be an event trainer. Cindi and Lindy were always together with the horses

and the rest of us are lucky that Lindy Cogswell brought Cindi into our eventing fold.

Cindi has been competing in eventing off and on since 1988. She tries to compete in five or six

events each year and volunteers at every event in which she competes. She says, “I make

exceptions for volunteering at Aspen and EI - meaning I go and volunteer at them even when I

don’t compete. Rick got into eventing when I wanted him to know what I enjoyed so we went to

the Whidbey Island HT. He loved the horses running fast and jumping into the water. From that

experience he decided I needed a different horse so bought me a new horse. He since has

learned to ride and been super involved with helping me get ready for each stage of the

competition and been there to watch. Recently he has put more hours into volunteering since I

get nervous and pick at how he gets my horse ready. “

When asked why she spends so many hours volunteering at events, Cindi says, “I enjoy

volunteering. I learned about how important it is from Aimee Witherspoon. I find it very

rewarding to help our sport out. Last year when I injured my back, I was able to volunteer more

hours and still be around the wonderful people in our sport. The people of our sport are kind

and gracious. They thank volunteers, but truly it's an honor and privilege to volunteer and help

our sport. Volunteering is also a way for my husband, Rick, to feel involved in the sport. He also

finds it very rewarding and enjoys using the VIP web site for tracking our volunteer hours.”

Volunteering is a family affair for this pair. “Rick's 87-year-old mother understands how

important eventing is to both Rick and I and has spent an entire day on the cross-country course

with us so she could understand why it is important. She came back 3 years in a row!”

Photo courtesy of Cindy Carrell.

When asked “why eventing?”, Cindi responds, “I love eventing because it is a sport where you

do more than one discipline and put it all together on one horse. Eventers love their horses and

have a special bond with them. We have to trust each other will be there in order to safely

navigate the three disciplines. Even on the worse of days, when you have to think about and

believe in another living thing it makes you focus on something beyond yourself and not be so

self-centered, which is what our eventing world teaches us Eventers are amazing. People are

willing to lend you equipment, give positive encouragement, warm me up when no coach can be

found, wipe my boots off for a better appearance and give people a leg up. Really whatever

needs to be done to help and calm people.”

So, what’s in their future in this sport? Cindi has enjoyed competing at the Novice level for

many years, but says she is ready to challenge herself by moving up a level and hopes to

compete both of her horses at training level this season. Naturally she and Rick will continue to

volunteer as much as possible and we look forward to seeing this reliable pair out and about in

the future.

Cindi’s ultimate goal is to become a TD. I know that when that time comes, I’ll be honored if she

asks me to write one of her recommendation letters!

Thank you, Cindi and Rick, for all you do!

---

Sadly, we recently lost Dee Strand, who was very special to many of us in Area VII and who, although intensely private, was also extremely generous, supportive and cared deeply about our sport.   Dee was a very special person with a huge heart as well as endless kindness and generosity.  She will be greatly missed.  Below is her obituary, which was run in The Oregonian Newspaper:

Dorothy Best "Dee" Strand

Dorothy Best 'Dee' Strand
Aug. 15, 1957 - Jan. 19, 2019
Dorothy Best "Dee" Strand passed away Jan. 19, 2019.
Dee was born in Seattle, Wash., and raised in Portland, Ore. After attending Lincoln High School in Portland she received a B.A. in Political Economy from Colorado College (1979) and a B.S. in Psychology from Portland State University (1981). Dee married Mike Slade in 1983 and together they settled in Seattle where they were together for almost 20 years. Dee was a devoted and fiercely loyal mother to her beloved daughters Adrian and Sally. She was happiest in the outdoors, whether it was skiing, backpacking, hiking, exercising, gardening or walking her dog. She also loved literature, cooking, arguments and old movies.
Dee's deepest lifelong passion was horses. She was an avid and accomplished equestrian, especially in the world of three-day eventing. She competed at a high level for many years and then from 2003 to 2017 owned and operated Upson Downs, a world-class eventing barn in Duvall, Wash. At her remembrance, praise was forthcoming not only for the barn but also for the spirit with which she operated, eschewing profits for the best and most nurturing environment. Her unique spirit and attitude will be missed by all.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Pamela Best; and her father, Carl Strand. She leaves behind her amazing daughters; her brother, Nick Strand (Portland); close friends; and an enduring legacy.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Washington Horse Park (www.wahorsepark,org) or the U.S. Equestrian Association Area VII.
Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits Published in The Oregonian from Feb. 8 to Feb. 16, 2019

February 2019 Newsletter

To: Area VII Members

From: Your Area VII Chair - Cynthia Bayles

We have so much news to catch up on as we enter another new year.

First, our Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner was held on January 26, 2019 at Emerald Downs:

Thank you to everyone who supported the Area VII annual meeting.  Our annual meeting provides us with a chance to celebrate the prior year’s season, to socialize, to learn about new things from interesting speakers, to spend money on great items in our silent auction (the proceeds benefit Area VII programs) and to recognize riders, horses, volunteers and others who excelled in and out of competition during the prior year.

For a complete list of our 2018 award winners, please visit our Leaderboard.

Our 2018 year-end champions are:

Beginner Novice Junior:  Jess Because, owned and ridden by Harper Padgett

Beginner Novice Senior:  Clooney 14, owned by Annika Asling, ridden by Karen O’Neal

Novice Junior: Little Sure Shot, owned by Harper Padgett, ridden by Dane Padgett

Novice Senior: Apollo, owned and ridden by Tracy Stein

Training Junior:  Hungarian Villian, owned by Brenda Henry, ridden by Makenna Henry

Training Senior:  Normandy’s Kivalo, owned and ridden by Kelly Langerak

Young Rider Preliminary:  Tucker Too, owned by Anni Grandia, ridden by Lilly Linder

Open Preliminary:  Staccato, owned by Janine Jaro, ridden by Jordan Linstedt

Open Intermediate: Argentine Gaucho, owned and ridden by Amy Evans

Open Advanced:  Revitavet Capato, owned by Barbara and Gary Linstedt, ridden by Jordan Linstedt

Rider of the Year:  Jordan Linstedt

Horse of the Year:  Staccato, owned by Janine Jaro, ridden by Jordan Linstedt

Volunteers of the Year:  1st - Rick Resto, 2nd – Cindi Carrell

As the new Area VII Chair, I’d like to extend a special thank you to the many people who worked so hard to put this year’s annual meeting together – including arranging the facility, the speakers, obtaining and organizing the awards, putting together the silent auction and so much more. In particular, John Meriwether, Lorilee Hanson, Maggie Rikard, outgoing Chair Rachel Kosmal McCart and our new Young Rider Coordinator Barb Jensen, deserve our thanks for the many hours they put into organizing and arranging the awards and speakers for our annual celebration.  Many people contributed items to the silent auction, which is an important fundraiser for us. Diane Snow and Gallop's Saddlery - thank you once again for donating so many fabulous items!

Our guest speakers included Jen Verharen, who spoke to us about setting goals and overcoming setbacks and Max Corcoran, our keynote speaker and current incoming USEA National Chair, who talked to us about conditioning horses, which of course branched off into many discussions and questions. Jen always draws a crowd and as usual drew rave reviews. For most of us this was our first opportunity to listen to Max, who shared a lot of very interesting information about conditioning event horses through the highest levels based on her experience, including that of an Olympic level groom.  Max also graciously doubled as our awards presenter. Max was a very engaging speaker and it was lovely to have her join our eventing family for our celebration.  We hope she will visit us again in the future.

On a sad note, as most of you have heard by now, we recently lost a person who was very special to many of us in Area VII and who, although intensely private, was also extremely generous, supportive and cared deeply about our sport.   Dee Strand was a very special person with a huge heart as well as endless kindness and generosity.  She will be greatly missed.

I’d like to extend a very special and heart felt thank you to Greg Tryon, who joined us to share some of his memories and thoughts about Dee, her contributions to our sport and her impact on the Tryon family. Greg’s presence and words meant a lot to us – especially those of us who were fortunate enough to have known Dee.

So - the day was filled with education, socializing, celebrating each other’s successes from 2018 and remembering special horses and people who have meant and will always mean so much to us.

Congratulations to our 2018 year-end award winners and the best of luck to everyone for a successful 2019 season!

Other important topics for the new year:

Safe Sport:

If you haven’t yet educated yourself on the new requirements of Safe Sport, now is the time.  This new legislation affects every one of us in some way.  In a nutshell, The USEF Safe Sport Policy and U.S. Center for SafeSport Code are aimed at protecting all participants in our sport.  The required training is about recognizing, reducing and responding to misconduct and abuse in sport.  Effective January 1, 2019, all USEF members 18 and over with an Adult Competing Membership must complete Safe Sport training in order to be eligible to participate in USEF activities, including competitions.  As an adult (18 and over) USEA Member competing at the Preliminary Level or above, this affects you.  But it also affects trainers, coaches, judges, owners and since the intent is to protect our youth, I encourage parents to educate themselves on this very important issue.  There is extensive information on this subject as well as links to other resources available on the USEF website at www.usef.org.  Please educate yourself on this now, because the training is required to be completed prior to competing.

Amateur Status:

Another subject many of us as adult riders need to make sure we understand going into the new competition year is the answer to the question, “What is an Amateur and what do I have to do (or perhaps more accurately NOT do) to hold an Amateur Card”? This goes under the subject of know the rules. For the definition of Amateur Status, please refer to the U.S. Equestrian Federation Rules for Eventing, Appendix 3.1.3 Amateur (A). You can also email  amateurinquiry@usef.org and request assistance if you are unclear about whether you qualify as an amateur or professional.  Amateur v Professional is not as clear cut as one would think – so if you are an adult and competing as an “Amateur”, please educate yourself so you don’t run afoul of the rules.

Information resources - Area VII Website – www.areavii.org :

Please note that although there are a number of Facebook pages out there that sport the name of “Area VII” somewhere in the title, FB is a social platform and is not controlled by the Area (hence the posts that have zero relation to our area and the plethora of advertising).  Although much good and timely information is shared on Facebook, it is not all-inclusive and often the good information gets buried. 

Please visit the Area VII website to stay up to date on important happenings in our Area, including but not limited to, USEA approved educational activities including clinics, Young Rider Activities, Adult Rider Activities, Instructor Certification Program Clinics and Testing, important announcements including those from the Area VII Council, calendar updates and other news that the Area Leadership deems important for our membership. By periodically checking into our website www.areavii.org and the US Eventing website at www.useventing.com we will all keep informed about what is happening in our sport and in our Area.

Happy New Year to everyone and wishing you all the best for a successful 2019!

An Introduction to our new Area Chair -

February 2, 2019

Hello Everyone.  I’m Cynthia Bayles and I’d like to introduce myself as your new Area VII Chair.

Having been involved in many different aspects of our sport for so many years, it’s my turn to step into the role of Area Chair.  You might wonder, as I used to, “why do we have an Area Chair and what does this person actually do?”

In a nutshell – Area Chairs are appointed by the USEA Board of Governors upon the recommendations of the local USEA Area Councils.  Area Chairs actually have an extensive list of duties, including acting as a communication liaison with the national USEA office and overseeing all Area programs. Along with the Area Council, Area Chairs are responsible for developing a competition schedule for all recognized USEA events that meets the needs of competitors and organizers; promoting the sport of Eventing via educational activities in the Area’s Young Rider and Adult Rider Programs; communicating with Area membership; promoting USEA membership; providing for annual Area Awards; providing for an annual Area Championships competition and more. 

As the incoming Chair for Area VII, I will periodically publish a newsletter that will be posted to our website.   You may also periodically receive an email from me with Area news.  Sometimes we also include news in the “Club News” section of Flying Changes Magazine.  Area VII has an excellent website and I encourage everyone to visit our website on a regular basis to see “what’s new” in our Area.  Our website is the primary source of information pertaining to our Young Rider and Adult Rider Programs, approved USEA educational activities, links to our competition calendar and much more.  Yes, there are a number of Facebook pages out there relating to our area, but Facebook is a social platform with a life of its own and is not managed by Area leadership to disseminate information regarding our sport and Area.  So – if you want to know what’s going on in Area VII, please visit the website!

Who is Cynthia Bayles? I’ve been eventing for over twenty years and have successfully brought a handful of my own horses up through the levels through Prelim and one through Intermediate.  Currently I’m competing one horse at Prelim and bringing up another youngster.  I am an active volunteer, was Treasurer for Area VII for several years, am active in the Adult Rider Program and have also been active at the national level.  Whether assisting in organizing clinics, fundraisers or competitions, I’m just about always out there somewhere doing something in our sport as a volunteer or a competitor.  I also dabble in the jumper and dressage worlds, but am an eventer at heart because, as we all know, our eventing community is fun, supportive and values good horsemanship and sportsmanship. 

I encourage all of our membership to keep informed about our sport by utilizing the various resources available to us – including but not limited to our website, the USEA national office website and the USEF website. 

Your Area VII Council and Area Chair welcome your feedback and suggestions.  We can be contacted as noted on this website and welcome your comments, concerns and feedback.

Welcome to our incoming Young Rider Coordinator - Barb Jensen

Welcome Barb Jensen as our incoming Area VII Young Rider Coordinator.

Please extend a warm welcome to Barb Jensen, Area VII's new Young Rider Coordinator, and please be on the lookout for opportunities to help her as she graciously takes on this important volunteer position.

Here's an introduction from Barb:

My experience with the Area VII Young Rider program started in 2012 when my daughter, Rio, started competing in recognized shows. I signed her up thinking it would be a great way for her to meet and interact with other young riders outside of her barn. I can still remember her first YR team experience at one of her first shows. My role was minimal because I too was learning what the program was about. As a way to get out of her way I would volunteer at shows. Then, about 3 years ago Karla was looking for help with implementing some new ideas within the program, hence, I became the Team Challenge Chef d'Equipe. I also dove in and began helping with the clinics and camps along with some other fabulous parents. It has been really fun watching the young riders over the years move up the levels.

My goals for the program are to really keep the enthusiasm going that has built up over the last few years. I want there to be something for every level of rider. This is a development program from Beginner Novice to NAYC with a lot of fun and education intertwined.

It is exciting that we have some top notch trainers and coaches in Area VII who devote their time and are committed to developing our YRs into being the best riders in the country.

I hope to encourage all parents and young riders to give back to the program by jumping in and helping just as I did. No role is too small and any volunteer time is valuable. Please reach out to me with ideas or help at any time. Thank you for your support.

Area VII Adult Riders account of her experience at the AEC/ATC

On to the competition!! Earlier Tuesday we did a jump school with our Coach Sarah Mittlieder. (also provided by AR!) She was wonderful and although we only had the standard warm up fences to school over it went well and we all felt good at the end of the school. Wednesday I and a few others had individual dressage school with her.  So those days passed quickly, add in a hack, some shopping, some visiting and by Wednesday evening, finally a walk around the XC course that was tantalizing us from across the road for the last two days!  What was it like? It was like a full on Championship course, not for the faint of heart!

Some of the divisions started Dressage on Thursday morning. I think 4 arenas? I was in Arena 3. Judge at C and E.  I thought warm up went well, It was warmish and I was careful not to over heat or over work Mick, I kept close eye on my wrist watch and thought I had timed it all just right. In we went. I thought it went nicely, except coming around from C to H to go across diagonal at canter to trot at X Mick switched out behind tried to fix it, got worse, settled for a trot way before X and figured that was that, on to the next canter depart. So I was overall pleased. Judge not so much, but it is what it is and the fact that some others had noted the judges in ring 3 were “grumpy”, with a score of 38 it wasn't the worst score of the day.  My Teamie, Kelsey Horn had a stunning 26, Lou and Jolie were both in the low 30's and the Tipsy Training Trollops were in first place after the dressage phase.

Welcome Party Thursday evening. Dinner and drinks with a DJ playing music and a photo booth for goofy dress up pictures.

Friday there was a lot going on. Training level started out the XC across the road, Novice and BN did their dressage tests. By the afternoon when the upper levels  started their XC the lightening storms set in. Competition was stopped, everyone in the barns, NOW!  After an hour they started up again only to have another electrical storm, with full on rain blow thru and competition was ended for the day. A meeting was held, idea's abound on how to proceed with the scheduling of getting the competition back on track. We have thunder storms here in the Pac NW but nothing like these!!

But back to my XC! 10:30 it was much cooler than yesterday, many clouds so no full on sun in our eyes. Sent to the start box and told starter not to count me down.... Mick can't handle it!  Just a minute (which I got right when I arrived) 30, 15, 10, 5 and please use the numbers in a sentence!! Mick kept it together, we trotted into the back of the box and cantered out the front. One was a ramp, 2 a big feeder thing with the odd groundline, it jumped well enough. Sweep left to a nice open rail oxer with nice brush. 4 was a smallish ramp on a short  up hill approach with a bending line to barrels then a forward 4 strides to a monster feeder/table sort of thing. Gallop up hill to 6 a bigass table with jagged white lines on the front, apparently the Rockies in the snow!  Mick just wasn't getting this one, usually he tows me to the fence so I am not used to kicking and urging and really I didn't realize until too late that he wasn't reading it correctly and we ended up sliding by the edge.  Circled back and now he realized it was indeed a jumpable fence he took me too it and over we went.  Had to set up a bit for 7 a skinny ramp, then bending to 8a/b a big rail oxer, one stride to a huge down bank. Piece of cake.  Bend around to the right over a nice galloping ramp, on to 10 which was a big log into water, off a tight turn which helps slow one down!  Up hill sweeping left turn to a big trakener, always loved flying those things!!  12a/b was another dicey combo, the big ramp/rolltop in was begging to be galloped but don't do it!! Sharp bending, downhill, 4 strides to another ramp on the edge of a hill that was a long drop down then keep galloping down not quite Man from Snowy River proportions but close and oh, pull up and balance for #13 cuz it was an absolute upright gate!  I might have over done the balance thing for 13, we jumped the gate nicely, but bending 3 strides into water, 4 strides in water and a big hanging log for 13b. Mick stalled out going into the water and I just couldn't get the rpm's back up and he just stopped by the time we got to the log. Dang. Looked around, made a snap decision on the route for the circle out and re-approach.  Got Mick into a good forward canter, into the water and over the log, not pretty, but done. On to a long gallop (Mick's favorite!) 14 was another huge table that was taken as another gallop stride.  15 was an odd, very small rails, you needed to turn to it fairly sharply from the line taken away from 14 so that helped slow down, didn't need to trip over it! Almost home,  another rampy thing, 4 forward strides to a corner. Careful gallop away as the footing got a bit tricky here then on to the Elephant Trap, man that was some bright new shiny wood!! Apparently not as confusing as the Rocky Mountains on 6 and he was over it without trouble.  One more monster table, a park bench and the finish line!!WooHoo!!! We finished.  The veterinarian was on duty far enough away from the finish that you were trotting, she took Mick in in one look and nodded us away.  Yes, Mick was in fine shape, I however was er, “sucking dirty pond water” as I've heard my condition referred to!  The research I did ahead of time indicated that the horses would acclimate to the elevation in 3-5 days, so we were there in plenty of time for Mick to do that. Humans take upwards of 2 weeks.  Although really I recovered rapidly after I pulled up.

I was able to score a decent warm shower in the afternoon, my previous shower in a different building, several days before had been if not ice cold, cold enough to take your breath away when you needed to rinse off!  So I was clean for the Adult Rider Party in the VIP area on the berm between two of the rings. More drinks, more food, more good times with fellow adult riders.  We all wore our matching shirts.  The Tipsy Trollops had taken a bit of a hit on XC day. Kelsey's mare had colicked overnight and had to withdraw. (as far as I know she will be fine) Lou and Jolie had good clean rides XC but my score was rather dismal, we were still a team however and we were still in it!

Saturday started early for some, they were running XC at 7:30 to make up for it being called the day before, other folk were still on the dressage phase! I think they got all caught up by the end of the day, even though another lightening storm passed thru in the afternoon and they had to call it again for a few hours!

My Stadium round was scheduled for about 11:30. Even though at this point I was DFL I was in it, (many never made it this far, XC ate a few folks)  this was the AEC's and Mick got braided!  I was warming up and things weren't going all that well for us. Couldn't get Mick in the bridle, couldn't get the correct canter because of that.  In hindsight I had too much bit for the day and won't make that mistake again!  Did not have any help in the warm up so I struggled through trying to make it better myself. I had watched some of the rounds in the Training Amateur division so I had an idea about how the course was riding.  When I first walked it it had seemed easy enough, however it was deceptive, there was a lot going on in there!  We were first in the ring in the Training Rider division.  Mick raced around, it was not the correct canter and he was launching at the fences managing to “jump me out of the tack” on a couple of them, fortunately he is good at catching me on the other side.  That was the case over 9b, he had jumped into the two stride way to big and we ran out of room for the vertical, he jumped it, snapped his back! I kept my head up, he caught me on the other side and since at this point I am “on the buckle” the only reason he made the bending 5 stride line to #10 was because I was looking at it! Attempted some kind of half halt but didn't help, he jumped it and took out the rail.

We finished!  My teammate, Jolie was on Noah at the outgate and was cheering me on and gave me the high five and we whooped it up for finishing our team. She actually saved me. She prevented me from being sad and mad at the horrible round I had just produced, she cheered me up and made me realize how happy I was, I had finished, and finished strong at the Adult Team Championship at the AEC's.   Jolie was 5th and Lou was 6th   they were both in the Amateur division.  Our team finished in 5th place.  The Tipsy Training Trollops Finished!

But it is not over yet. There are horses all over the park doing all three phases.  Amazing how well it all ran, given the changes that had to take place due to the weather.  And there was still one more Party to attend!! The Competitors Party.  Drinks and Shrimp and Salmon and Prime Rib!!! Yowser!!

Sunday was quiet for me. Mick and I had a nice hack on the trail loop that was accessed from the Park. XC and Stadium was still being held.  My travel mate, Lorilee had had a lovely dressage test, a clean XC go and I got back in time to watch her do her Stadium round and it was lovely, well minus a “senior moment”.  She still ended up with the 6th place prize, which was substantial!

We were packed and on the road before 3pm and made it back into Ogden Fairgrounds by midnight. A quick few hours sleep and on the road for home by 6am.  It was a long way to Issaquah, but think we made better time going home and arrived shortly after 8pm.

Thank you to Area Vll AR's for helping make that happen.  I waited my whole life to ride on a Team and I did it and we finished. Thank you everyone!!!

Release the Hounds! There's fox hunting near Seattle

A Day Foxhunting with the Woodbrook Hunt Club

Lakewood, WA

http://seattlerefined.com/the-show/release-the-hounds-theres-fox-hunting-near-seattle-who-knew 

Enjoy a new adventure foxhunting with three (total four riders) of your friends with the historic 91-year old Woodbrook Hunt Club! You and your friends or family will enjoy one night’s stay at Master of Foxhounds Melody Fleckenstein’s Hunt Box (Virginia slang for a weekend “box” to stay at during the foxhunting season) which is within walking distance of the hunt club! Bring your own horse or ride our seasoned hunt horses! Up to four hunt horses will be provided for any level of rider, jumping is not required, we have three “flights” or speeds that can accommodate all levels from galloping on the heels of the huntsman and foxhounds with first flight fieldmaster Emily Rang to taking a more sedate route and “hilltopping” to watch all the action from a distance! Additional riders may be included if they bring their own horses!

Included in this wonderful Foxhunting weekend:

One night at MFH Melody Fleckenstein’s Huntbox, can accommodate at least six riders depending on how cozy you want to get (two queen beds, two bunkbeds)… ($350.00 value)

Livery for four riders, ($400.00 value) or overnight stabling if you bring your own horse(s)

A car caravan can be arranged for those that wish to follow the hunt

Cocktails and appetizers on arrival the evening before the hunt and an introduction by the hunt staff and tour of the kennel and clubhouse

Capping fees ($50. per rider) and hunt breakfast ($10.00 per rider) paid for by WHC for all guests ($240.00 value)

Accommodations donated by MFH Melody Fleckenstein

Cocktails and introduction and tour donated by WHC Hunt Staff

Livery donated by Jt. MFH Tami Masters and Huntsman Jennifer Hansen

Capping fees and hunt breakfasts donated by Woodbrook Hunt Club

Value: Priceless!

Annual Meeting Notes 1/22/18

For those who are interested in a room for the Annual Meeting.  We have a group rate and a block of 25 rooms reserved at the La Quinta in Auburn on a  First come, First served basis.  The number to use is 1-253-804-9999.  Don't reserve on-line as you will get a different rate.   Please let them know your group name is "US Eventing Association".

If you won a prize, please send a photo of you and your horse to Neely Floyd @ neeliecfloyd@msn.com.

Tentative Meeting Schedule

8:30 am Registration

9:00 Adult Rider Meeting

        Young Rider Meeting

10:20 Break Sponsored by Rebecca Farm

10:30 - Workshop with Dr. Nicole Rombach Horse Back Health

          - Workshop with Lexi Lind: Rider Fitness to Optimize your horse's                               Performance

          - Organizers' Meeting

Noon Lunch/Area VII Business Meeting

1:30 Workshop with Lexi Lind: Rider Fitness to Optimize your horse's                               Performance

        Workshop with Dr. Nicole Rombach on the Horse's Back Health 

3:20 Break Sponsored by Rebecca Farm

3:30 2018 Dressage Tests and More with Brian Sabo

5:00 Break - Silent Auction - No-Host Happy Hour

6:30 -8:30 Awards Banquet and conclusion of Silent Auction

After the Awards Banquet, there is live music in the upstairs lounge.

ICP Level I and II Workshp Feb 11-13

If we have enough people committing now, we can schedule an ICP workshop with Brian Sabo to follow the Annual meeting. It will be somewhere in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area.  If you want to partake, there are slots for only 8 people.  If we do not have 6 we will not schedule.  Please email John Meriwether at johnjmxsaddles@gmail.com if you want a spot.

Celebrating Polly

Next Wednesday, November 15, at 5:30 we will be celebrating Polly Kranick at Singer Barn, 20023 Singer Rd on Vashon. Please join us for an informal gathering to share stories of her life and some of her favorite things. This will be a potluck so BYOB, your own chair and something yummy to share. We greatly appreciate your RSVP. (The barn will be heated)

We are also looking for photos of Polly- if you have any that you would like to contribute, please email them to sarahdgeorge@gmail.com. Thank you.

https://www.facebook.com/events/869164176580473/

Polly Kranick

Polly Kranick
1948-2017

It is with great sadness that we inform everyone of the passing of Polly Kranick.  She was one of the quietest, kindest members of our community and if you did not have the honor of knowing her, I am sad for you, too. Polly loved every aspect of our sport. She rode, she competed, she owned a slew of lovely horses, she was happiest making someone else's event pleasant.

If Polly was at an event, she was also at the cross-country jump briefing. If there was an Adult Rider gathering, she came by. Over the years, I enjoyed spending time with Polly at events or camp or visiting with her at her barn. Saturday evening at an event was complete when she shared a kind word no matter how the day went. She was always willing to lend a hand whenever asked and was the jump judge you hoped was covering a difficult fence. I cannot remember an unkind word pass her lips. Her heart was in this sport and knowing her made Area VII eventing better.

Her passing adds to the sadness I know so many of us feel already. I can't remember an Adult Rider camp without her though she may have missed one or two. I can't remember an Annual Meeting without her. She made you want to be better to your friends, to your horse, to your self.

Whether or not you knew Polly, please think about dedicating a few hours at an event and lend a hand to honor her love for our sport.

Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet, Feb 10th 2018 Emerald Downs, Auburn WA

We are planning something for everyone.  A little education, and a little fun to take advantage of this great location.  Stay tuned.

USEA Grants for Landsafe Clinic,

We have three opportunities for Landsafe Clinics in the next two months. These Grants will be in the form of rebates for USSEA members.  Contact the clinic organizers below to learn more about the grants.

To learn more about the Landsafe training program you can watch their youtube videos.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6rGooM4q68&t=14s

Inavale Farm, Corvallis OR, November 18, 19.  Contact Kelsey Horn at Kelsey@invalefarm.com

Grand Farms, Vaughan WA, December 1-2-3 Contact Summer Kenesson at skenesson@aol.com

Full Gallop Eventing, Duvalll WA, December 9-10, Contact Erin Grandia at erindmcpherson@aol.com

USEA Gastrointestinal Health Survey

Please share this link to the USEA Management and Gastrointestinal Health in event horses. They need a lot more data. It takes about ten minutes to fill out and you get a 20% discount code from SmartPak!

Survey: Management and Gastrointestinal Health of Event Horses
Calling all eventers! We need you to take this important survey. The USEA is excited to announce a new survey study being conducted by a team of…
http://useventing.com/…/survey-management-and-gastrointesti…

Congratulations to our 2016 year end award winners!

 

Rider of the year and horse of the year awards will be revealed at the Annual Meeting.  PDF File - a brief spreadsheet how the points are calculated. Awards were calculated and posted through Dec 1 – 2016.

Beginner Novice Junior (1998)

HorseOwnerRider

1stBillyBianca Linder LILLY LINDER 

2ndFritz PatrickOlivia Miller OLIVIA MILLER 

3rdMia San MiaBianca Linder LILLY LINDER 

4thJunior MintConnor Black CONNOR BLACK 

5thSplit DecisionCourtney Cemulini Courtney Cemulini 

Beginner Novice Senior

HorseOwnerRider

1stHeraklion's My HeroChristine Reagan Christine Reagan 

2ndCinco De MayoCatherine Geissler Catherine Geissler 

3rdFiesta Bella Hope Cochran SARAH MATUSZEWSKI 

4thDestiny ISFCindy Balasubramanian JORDAN LINSTEDT 

5thPacific LegacyMeira Rundhaug MEIKA DECHER 

Novice Junior (1998)

Horse  OwnerRider

1stThe DukeAlexandria Winter Alexandria Winter 

2ndKasydasunBritt Roden MIKAYDEN WEISE 

3rdDigitizerDonna Huntsman  HANNAH SECOY 

4th Fleeceworks CincoGenevieve Kirsch Genevieve Kirsch 

5thCoolnamaraUnknown Owner MADELYN MYERS 

Novice Senior

Horse  OwnerRider

1stSouvenirLouise Leslie Louise Leslie 

2ndEloise de CarlierDorothy Hamilton Dorothy Hamilton 

3rdDark HorseJulie Williams Julie Williams 

4thWintermond BCHChris Cole  Chris Cole  

5thLuxembourgJordan Linstedt Jordan Linstedt 

Training Junior (1998)

Horse  OwnerRider

1stLeroyLisa Gunningham Lisa Gunningham 

2ndFleeceworks CincoGenevieve Kirsch Genevieve Kirsch 

3rdKing GeorgeMadelyn Floyd Madelyn Floyd 

4th KellicanKaren Lounsbery Karen Lounsbery 

5thCalicoolIsabella Gunningham Isabella Gunningham 

Training Senior

Horse  OwnerRider

1stCavalierMartha Wehling MARTHA WEHLING 

2ndZuaraKrista Cameron SARAH LORENZ 

3rdNorthern ExpectationPolly Kranick ASHLEIGH RAUEN 

4th Danseur JapurLaura Clark  ERIN D. MCPHERSON 

5thCodigoBianca Linder Bianca Linder 

Young Rider Preliminary Level (1995)

Horse  OwnerRider

1stHuw MungesPatience O'Neal PATIENCE O'NEAL 

2ndOsitoBarb Jensen RIO JENSEN 

3rdVatinoLillian Thiel LILLIAN THIEL 

4thKaala Jaadukat Lessing PATIENCE O'NEAL 

5th Fernhill Eagle Team Rebecca, LLC ALYSSA HAMMEL 

Senior Preliminary Level 

Horse  OwnerRider

1stSketchy PastStephanie Cooper STEPHANIE A. COOPER 

2ndHarry HoudiniKim Hunter ATTILA RAJNAI 

3rdFun and GamesErika Graff Erika Graff 

4th Saint IgnatiusSarah Matuszewski Sarah Matuszewski 

5thCarterJohnHartley PATRICIA CAVA 

Intermediate

Horse  OwnerRider

1stPrince WilliamMary Burke Mary Burke 

2ndMy Lucky DayLinda Weeks KAREN L. O'NEAL 

3rdIndio BMWSusan Trettin MARC GRANDIA 

4thCorinthozKiera Carter KIERA CARTER 

5thLight In The DarkCatie Cejka CATIE CEJKA 

Advanced

Horse  OwnerRider

1st-tiedPrince WilliamMary Burke Mary Burke 

1st-tiedRevitavet CapatoBarbara and Gary Linstedt JORDAN LINSTEDT 

2ndLC O'ShawniseeAndrea Nielsen Andrea Nielsen

Here is a clip of our 2016 highlights, compliments of Neelie Floyd.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YXztovyJGg&feature=youtu.be