Proofs are up from Pine Top!

So excited to say that the proofs are up on the Hoofclix website for Pine Top Farm's Horse Trials! Eventing is so awesome...online entries, live scoring, photos within 2 days...how I wish dressage could be so organized and member friendly!

Thanks to Ryan and all the girls at Phillip's for doing such a lovely job preparing Dillon (Avebury WF) for all his competitions thus far. He looks fantastic!

http://www.hoofclix.com/Pine-Top-Farm/2010-03-28-USEA-Horse-Trial/Ryan-WoodAvebury-WF159NH/11663430_jN22x#823271185_qLsnQ

Photos from the warm ups at Pine Top Farm Horse Trials

So for a change, I shot still photos in the warm ups for all three phases and video taped the actual dressage test, show jumping round and as much of the cross country as I could from on top of one of the jumps near the start & finish at Pine Top. As you will be able to see from the photos, the girls at Phillip's did an outstanding job cleaning Avebury and Ryan did his usual masterful presentation of our boy! Thanks to Emma, Kelly and the rest of the girls at Red Oak...he looks fantastic and that is a reflection of your hard work!

Avebury finished on his dressage score and overall in 6th place. Thank you Ryan for doing such a lovely job riding him!
Cross Country Warm Up -










Show Jumping Warm Up -





The dressage warm up -

Avebury WF schooling photos

So here are a bunch of schooling photos from the first 2 days down in Aiken at Evie & Phillip Dutton's Red Oak Farm!

Thanks to Ryan Wood (www.woodstockeventing.com) for doing such a fantastic job with our stallion - Avebury WF! He has made great progress and really showcased his talent over the weekend!

Footage from the frist 3 days in Aiken

So I finally had a bit of time (not tied to the broodmares for a couple of hours) and I got the bits of Aiken footage edited & uploaded to You Tube.




The first clip is from the very first morning that Avebury was at Red Oak Farm. This jumping area is just a small part of the Bridle Creek community's schooling complex and this is the first time Avebury had seen any of it! :) It is worth mentioning that it was about 36* and there was a steady cold rain coming down.



The second clip is from the fantastic Gibbs Farm located a bit over an hour from Aiken. It was just 2 days after the initial clip and this is the second area that Avebury & Ryan schooled in. It was the first water of the day. As it was still a bit chilly, I did abandon the video camera and shot stills for the remained of the day.

Thanks to Ryan for schooling the big guy so nicely!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l9gLEZCqrU

Ryan Wood Clinic Monday April 12th

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting another Ryan Wood Jumping Clinic on Monday April 12th!

Please see the Calendar Page of the website (www.watermark-farm.net/calendar.html) for fees, forms and more information.

Auditors are welcome and encouraged to bring a chair.

We will be in the outdoor arena (weather permitting), so the larger space will allow for gymnastic exercises as well as working on riding courses.

Foaling Season 2010 has arrived!

Southern Leigh WF & Wallstreet Rose WF are now under close observation as we are getting closer to the arrival of their Waldaire foals!

Baby announcements & plenty of photographs will follow as soon as the new bundles of joy join our equine family!


Leigh's baby is going to be chestnut - and more than likely have quite a bit of white!









Gretta has only produced black foals so far, so she is more of a surprise as to what she might present us with....




And this is a friendly reminder to all those visiting our barn in the coming weeks - if you have been around or in contact with horses that are ill or coughing, please respect the vulnerable immune systems of our new foals and change your clothing and shoes along with a fresh shower. Thank you for your understanding.

Achival photos

So mom did a bit of sorting of old magazines and found the 1995 AHS Yearbook. In addition to a whole bunch of dead and gone imported stallions & various mares, there were some interesting photos -

These 2 are of Able Spirit (Abundance x Today I'm Trying xx), a 1979 homebred mare who was very special to us all. She campaigned as an FEI horse for 10 years and these images are from her final year of competition with me. She was actually pregnant with her first foal - Sabrina WF during the latter part of this competition year! And she still was AHS HOY at Fourth Level, 16th in North America and in the top 4 at DAD! We did have to miss the Regional Finals as she had passed the FEI cutoff date for her pregnancy...but what a great mare!













Also in that very same yearbook, was a lovely photo of our now senior stallion - Waldaire as a 6 year old!



The caption reads - "Competing at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby at White Fences are Dana Fiore and Waldaire (Waldgott/Aries/Adios III). The pair won 27 blue ribbons and three reds on the Florida circuit, with scores averaging more than 71%.... Their highest score was 81.92%. At the ABIG/USDF Region 3 Championships in Atlanta, Waldaire was named the First Level Champion, Training Level Reserve Champion and Reserve Champion Breeding Stallion."

Avebury WF has another top 4 finish at Full Gallop Horse Trials!

Congratulations to Ryan Wood & Avebury WF on their 4th place finish at the March Full Gallop Horse Trials! They completed the weekend on their dressage score with no penalties on either cross country or show jumping!

Photos will be available for viewing here shortly - http://www.hoofclix.com/Full-Gallop-Farm/2010-03-14-USEA-Horse-Trial/RyanWoodN-A5/11517541_6fAFv


As You Wish and Ryan had a brilliant dressage test for a score of 31 and then a fantastic cross country...Ryan calls her 'The Bomb' in that phase and praises her straightforward approach to all the obstacles. Show jumping was a bit challenging with a twisty course, so she finished just out of the ribbons.

Her photos are here - http://www.hoofclix.com/Full-Gallop-Farm/2010-03-14-USEA-Horse-Trial/RyanWoodT-A192/11517764_z7uMJ#811186770_oqgwt

We will order a couple and then upload them when they arrive. Sara G. also had my big camera in Aiken and got photos of Avebury...but the camera is in SC until next week, so we will all practice some patience until then!

Ellie will be in Aiken for their final southern competition at Pine Top Horse Trials in 2 weeks, so there will be lots of on site photographs of both horses. :)

Schooling photos from here in PA!

The temperature came very close to 60* yesterday and we took full advantage of the outdoor arena & sunshine! :) The snow has melted away from the ring surface which does make for a bit of mud, but given the alternative, we will not complain!

Here is As You Wish's daughter Wilona WF (by Waldaire) with Sara G. riding...





Wilona is coming along beautifully as a riding horse! She deserves special mention with her exceptional use of her front legs - she is FANCY! Of course, Wilona has excellent engagement of her hind legs...she is quite a fun horse to have for the future!



Not to be outdone by a barn mate is Wizard WF!





He too is coming along nicely and was quite well behaved in the outdoor for the first time this year. His gaits continue to impress us all and it is not every horse that I dismount with a cheek splitting grin...this guy is special!

Sporting Days proofs are up!

Avebury & As You Wish had excellent outings with Ryan Wood this past weekend! Both horses had moved up a level and Ryan has been riding As You Wish (aka Kitty) for just a few weeks while I am home on foal watch! He was very pleased with their clean cross country runs with the comment of 'amazing' for Kitty! :)

Proofs are up for viewing, so if you have a favorite, please share with us as we might purchase an image or 2 for the photo gallery!

As You Wish - http://www.hoofclix.com/Sporting-Days/2010-03-07-USEA-Horse-Trial/Wood-RyanAs-You-Wish-WF312OT/11449622_vpPB5#805101706_pvLqv

Avebury - http://www.hoofclix.com/Sporting-Days/2010-03-07-USEA-Horse-Trial/Wood-RyanAvebury-WF173ON/11449359_yq6Tt#805324021_Gkobv

Both horses are competing again this coming weekend with Ryan at Full Gallop Horse Trials and we'll be sure to keep everyone posted on how they do!

Photos from Sporting Days & Paradise Farm Horst Trials arrived!

Yay for the USPS! The photos of As You Wish at Sporting Days Farm Horse Trials & Avebury at Paradise Farm Horse Trials arrived in today's mail!



All photos courtesy of & under copyright by Hoofclix Photography