Aiken Adventures

Posted by Patricia Vos on Feb 9, 2012 in Training Journal | Comments Off

The winter Aiken, SC event season is already going gangbusters. Katie has set up Tebogo South at Full Gallop Stables in Wagoner and she is settled in there with our off-track thoroughbreds and eventing prospects for sale: Crumpet, Peyton, Snowy, and her own horses Pandora and Norman (Norman, not a thoroughbred, but still very sweet!).

Katie’s schedule is as follows:

• Feb. 5 Sporting Days Schooling show (yes, this has come and gone – pictures with blue ribbons to come soon.)
• Feb 11-12 Pine Top
• Feb 17-19 Paradise Farm Horse Trial
• Feb 22 Paradise Farm Jumping Derby
• Feb 24-26 Pine Top
• March 2-4 Sporting Days Horse Trial
• March 7 Sporting Days Schooling Show
• March 8-11 Southern Pines I
• March 14 Sporting Days Derby
• March 21 Jumping Branch Derby
• March 23-25 Southern Pines II
• March 26 – HOME!

As I said to Katie when she sent me the schedule, that looks FUN! And EXHAUSTING! But hopefully mostly FUN! Of course not all the horses are going to all the events. She’s got a few that are ready to rock and roll at the recognized events and a few that need to do little field trips and jumper derbies. It is what we love to do with the young prospects – get them out and about – no pressure. Getting them to understand that not every trip on a trailer means they are going to the track to race! Aiken is amazing for this because as you can see from the schedule there are so many lovely opportunities to get this part of their education done.

Now, as mentioned, Sporting Days Schooling show has come and gone and sure enough, Peyton (Zippy Cat Rules) won his Beginner Novice Division. He finished on his dressage score of a 30.5 wherein he got an “8″ for gaits. Not too shabby a start to the 2012 event season!