BLAINVILLE 2010 - June 18 Update
We're here! Drove up in the smart car with Cheryl and met Doug here (he was coming in on his Harley from motorcycle week in Laconia).
Doug and I came to the Blainville Dressage Show last year for the first time. This is Cheryl's first time here (tomorrow and Sun. she'll take a clinic to update her judging training - Developing the Eye).
I'm hoping to run into Mies Riives (a fellow RIDERS Board member) and her trainer / teacher Wiley Roberts, who are here on a mini vacation and to audit the same clinic Cheryl is taking.
Doug and I are in heaven here! The facility is absolutely beautiful, the people are very nice and we get to see Canada's top riders and horses, along with those starting out. There are a few riders from the Maritimes here. Rather than try to describe everything, here are some pictures with notes:
This is Alexandra Hosein from Nova Scotia and her stunning Grand Prix mount Lucky Star. I had the privilege of scribing for judge Linda Trenholme when Alexandra rode the Grand Prix test at the Windsor NS gold show on Labour Day weekend 2009. They did very well, but I saw an even better ride today. You could have set a metronome with their one tempis and the ride in general was very smooth and mature. I heard a bystander remark on his beauty and unusual coloring (all chocolate brown including mane and tail).
This is Jacqueline Brooks, Canadian Olympian, on her Prix St. George horse (name escapes me). My original intention was to post Maritime Riders, but I love watching Jacqueline ride. She has a very sweet air about her, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. She has an obvious enjoyment of her horses and riding and it's a pleasure to watch. She didn't win the class, but they were a great combo and I'm sure we'll see them at GP. We saw her ride her two GP mounts last year (Grand Gesto was one, can't remember the other - was it Balmoral?).
This is Sanatana Royakkers, a Maritime rider. She's doing YRI (Young Riders Individual). They looked gorgeous and had a great ride. I don't know anything about them but I've seen them show in NS. So great to see them here. I think I saw them here last year too.
Catch the chrome! This is a great story. On the way here, Cheryl was telling me about seeing a 20 something year old rider, about 20 years ago. She was so impressed that she contacted him and arranged to trailer her horse (Casablanca) to Ont. to work with him for a month. She hasn't kept in touch, but I asked her "do you think he'll be at Blainville", to which she responded "I have no idea". Turns out he had two PSG rides today and placed 1st and 2nd out of a big, competitive class (including Jacqueline Brooks). Boy, does Cheryl know how to pick them!
This is Linda Trenholme who I scribed for late last summer when she judged the Windsor bronze and gold shows - strict but fair, and very kind and giving when it came to providing feedback to help the riders. Man these older gals are tough as nails! She'd recently had a hip replacement and planned to train the horse she'd recently purchased to GP. I thought I was strong until I met Joan, Cheryl and Linda (I'm sure there are lots more), but beside them I'm a sniveling princess.
On a related note - scribing is a tremendous education!
More coming tomorrow.
Doug and I came to the Blainville Dressage Show last year for the first time. This is Cheryl's first time here (tomorrow and Sun. she'll take a clinic to update her judging training - Developing the Eye).
I'm hoping to run into Mies Riives (a fellow RIDERS Board member) and her trainer / teacher Wiley Roberts, who are here on a mini vacation and to audit the same clinic Cheryl is taking.
Doug and I are in heaven here! The facility is absolutely beautiful, the people are very nice and we get to see Canada's top riders and horses, along with those starting out. There are a few riders from the Maritimes here. Rather than try to describe everything, here are some pictures with notes:
This is Alexandra Hosein from Nova Scotia and her stunning Grand Prix mount Lucky Star. I had the privilege of scribing for judge Linda Trenholme when Alexandra rode the Grand Prix test at the Windsor NS gold show on Labour Day weekend 2009. They did very well, but I saw an even better ride today. You could have set a metronome with their one tempis and the ride in general was very smooth and mature. I heard a bystander remark on his beauty and unusual coloring (all chocolate brown including mane and tail).
This is Linda Trenholme who I scribed for late last summer when she judged the Windsor bronze and gold shows - strict but fair, and very kind and giving when it came to providing feedback to help the riders. Man these older gals are tough as nails! She'd recently had a hip replacement and planned to train the horse she'd recently purchased to GP. I thought I was strong until I met Joan, Cheryl and Linda (I'm sure there are lots more), but beside them I'm a sniveling princess.
On a related note - scribing is a tremendous education!
More coming tomorrow.
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