April 2007

VOL.57

UPCOMING HORSE SHOWS:

Springtime in Dixie – 4/11 - 4/15/07

Springtime Encore – 4/18 - 4/22/07

Brownland Farm – 4/25 – 4/29/07

HORSE SHOW RESULTS

Week three of Gulfport proved successful!  Toby was 5^th in the Classic and 2^nd in the Washington Hunter Phase.  Woody won ribbons in the 1^st years and got two 2^nd’s in the A/O’s.  Tommy was 2^nd in the Classic and got two seconds in the younger juniors.  Clay got great ribbons in the Children’s Hunter Ponies.  Keepsake was Champion in the Level III jumpers.  Kenny won the Handy and was 5^th in the Classic.  Graphic was 4^th in the classic and got good ribbons in the Juniors.  Castle was 2^nd in the hack. 

Week four was a wonderful week for Taylor Byram and George.  The pair was 1^st in the Washington Hunter phase, 1^st in the USEF Medal, 1^st in two large Older Juniors over fence classes, was Reserve Champion in Older Large Juniors, and finally…was 2^nd in the Large Junior Hunter Classic!  Way to go Taylor!    Woody got good ribbons in the 1^st Years over fences and won the hack.  Mary Haley and Woody won the A/O Classic and got good ribbons in the A/O’s.  Tommy just missed getting Reserve Champion in the Younger Small Juniors with a 1^st, two thirds and a fourth.  Toby was Reserve Champion in the Younger Large Juniors.  Lordy and Michael won the Open Level V jumpers, and took 5^th in the Welcome Stake and 5^th in the Grand Prix.  Lemon and Keepsake got good ribbons in the jumpers.  Clay and Lauren were Champions in the Large Children’s Hunter Ponies, winning three classes and ended up 2^nd in the Classic!  Chip and Grace got great ribbons in the Short Stirrup Division, and the pair was second in the Short Stirrup Classic.  Lizzie and Drafi were 3^rd in the USEF Medal and 5^th in the Maclay.  Lizzie and Maggie had a great week earning the Small Older Junior Championship and they won the Classic.  Robin Morgan and Leo made their debut show appearance with Spring Mill and won ribbons in ever Adult class entered!  Castle and Lindsey won the USEF Pony Medal, took 3^rd in the WIHS Equitation, and placed 5^th in the Medium Pony Classic!   

During the last week of Gulfport, Lordy and Michael were 5^th in the Welcome Stake and 2^nd in the Grand Prix.  Woody was Reserve Champion in the 1^st Years.  Taylor won the Washington Hunter Phase again, and finished up 1^st in the Washington overall!  Taylor was also Champion in the Large Older Junior Hunters.  Toby was the Large Younger Junior Hunter Champion and ended up Circuit Champion in that division!  Hayley and Toby also won the Larger Junior Hunter Classic. Castle and Lindsey got two 2^nd’s in the Medium Ponies and finished 3^rd in the Classic and 2^nd in the Washington Pony Medal.  Keepsake and Barney ran away with the tri-color in the Adult Jumpers!  Lemon and Jaclyn got good ribbons in the jumpers.  Michael and Leo got good ribbons in the Gulf Coast Hunters and Special Hunters.  Maggie and Lizzie got two 2^nd’s over fences in the Small Juniors and finished 3^rd in the Classic.  Congratulations to everyone!  It was a wonderful five weeks!

 SMF SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

This month’s sportsmanship award goes to Debbie Mayes!  Despite the setback of her sweet horse going thru colic surgery the day she moved to Spring Mill, Debbie always seems to have a smile on her face and encouraging words to say to all of us!  Congratulations Debbie and thank you for being so positive!

AS THE WHEEL TURNS…THE HAMSTER”S CORNER

By Caroline Milot

I know everyone at Spring Mill and Aintree are going to miss Michael, Charlie, and Lordy.  All of our best wishes go with them as they embark on their new adventure. 

Gulfport was wild and wooly, as usual – Mother Nature sending us all kinds of weather.  We survived freezing cold, torrential rain, WIND, and then we had perfect spring time weather!  Congratulations to all of our exhibitors, and a special congrats to our first time Gulfport exhibitors! 

Now that we are home, turn your thoughts to our Spring Time shows, and Memphis in May.  These local shows are a perfect way to jump in to the 2007 show season if you were unable to attend the Gulf Coast Winter Circuit!  There are 2 Brownland shows in between our April and May shows, so give those a thought too!  Entries close for our April shows on 4/2/07, so please have your entries to me prior to that date.  I have most everyone’s 2007 USEF/USHJA cards except for Shelbie Banks, Maida Clifton, Emma Grace Pecha, Lara Pitts, and Allison Rayburn.  It’s easy to renew on line.  Just make sure you join both organizations (USEF & USHJA) and get me copies of your cards! 

As last year, always check with Katie or me about any standing lessons on the Tuesday of show weeks.  Our local shows are HUGE and we often need all hands on deck for set-up and schooling.  Check with the barn to see if your lesson will still happen.  On the Tuesday AFTER the shows, generally there are no lessons as everyone, equine and human, need a little break after a busy show week.  If you have any questions, give me a call.

I’m still in need of medical release forms from:  Barnhill, Clifton, Madole, Pecha, Wickman, and Woodbury.  Please get those back to me prior to the start of the Spring Time show.

With the warmer weather approaching, start rounding up your winter clothing to get laundered or stored at your home.  Please have all your horse’s or pony’s clothing items removed from your stall by the end of April.  You can replace them with your fly sheets!  Mark Matz and University Cleaners will once again launder your horse clothing items if you so choose.  The cost is $27.31 PER ITEM.  If you would like to use this service, put your items in a garbage bag, making sure ALL ITEMS ARE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR NAME!!!  Place a check in an envelope made out to MARK MATZ for the total amount and place the envelope inside the garbage bag.  You may leave your bags at the barn (see Lindy and she can show you where) until pick up.  I will arrange to have the bags picked up the end of April. 

Congratulations to the Steele family on the purchase of their new mare, Sephora – A.K.A. “Cates”.

SPRING MILL NEWS

We want to welcome Andy Kocher as our newest professional rider to our Spring Mill and Aintree Farm facilities.  Andy, age 24, is a third generation horseman.  Andy started riding as a kid under the tutelage of his father, Kelly Kocher, out of his grandmother’s “Kocher Farm” in State College, PA.  Andy rode ponies, hunters, and jumpers at major shows up and down the east coast.  At the age of 13, Andy successfully jumped many Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur jumper classes in the north east.  He competed in Harrisburg, Washington, and Devon in the Junior Hunters.  After competing in the junior ranks, Andy, who had always had an interest in race horses, decided to try his hand at operating a thoroughbred training stable in the Midwest while keeping his hand in the hunter/jumpers.  After realizing that hunters and jumpers were his true passion, he joined the staff at Spring Mill farm.  Andy will be on board with us as of April 2^nd – just in time for our Spring Time shows!  Talk about a busy introduction to our world!  Please introduce yourselves and welcome him to our barns!