Ocala with the O'Connors

I am sitting in a hotel room having  just tucked Dez in his stall for the night, in Dunn, North Carolina. All is well and we set out tomorrow morning at 7 am for NY.

I was very sad to leave the O’Connor team and the wonderful environment there. Coming home to NB will be a bit of a challenge to say the least. Thank goodness we have Brae Fearann to keep me motivated.

I had an AMAZING time at the horse trial last weekend at Florida Horse Park. I was so very proud of Dez and his efforts. He is becoming quite an amazing horse. However, the event was quite unlike any I have ever ridden. I ended up in the bottom of the results for my division – life, lessons and growing pains through all my new knowledge gained.

For those who know me, you know I usually do well in dressage which places me in good standing for the rest of the trial. However, I knew Dez was in a frustrated mood early in the morning when I was braiding. The flies just arrived in Ocala and Dez was bitten up quite badly. So, braiding was a real treat as he shook and kicked and tossed his head to deal with these biting flies. Although our 10 minute dressage warm-up was amazing and I felt very confident, the actual test was less than ideal. In attempting to get Dez’s quarters in on the trot circle (which I had been working on in lessons) Dez took the outside leg as an aid for canter and broke. One move ruined. Then, in the canter lengthen again on the right rein Dez got upset at my outside leg and kicked out – another move ruined (I think that was partly fly related too). Plus, the whole time he was swishing his tail because of the flies. Dear, dear, the dressage test was likely the worst I have ridden in 10 years. Ah well, the fun jumping was still to come….

Florid International HT stadium warm-up

I was alone for stadium warm-up as Karen was riding six horses at the event (five of which she finished in first place with!!), although we had walked the course together and all felt good. (I did have my trusty husband/groom with me though and that helped a lot). Karen had warned that the triple bar oxer that was ridden on a bending line going towards the big dignitaries tent was stopping a lot of horses and so I needed to get his attention on the fence early. Well, it ended up being a problem for us too, with a stop.  However, I must say that I was very happy with all other parts of the round – it was very organized, controlled and I had great spots to the jumps. My lessons have paid off and Dez is becoming such a finessed horse that he requires that I do it correctly or he is not happy with me. He is a technical ride, and when ridden well by the rider, he performs amazingly.  

My xc was simply divine!!!!! I loved my ride so much! It was perfectly balanced, great rhythm and wonderful spots to each fence. Drops, corner, water, combinations; all of it – really nice…..all except for the first fence. I was happy that Dez was so calm and was also slightly distracted saying Hi to a friend who came over to the start box to see me, and so I left the start box pokey and with Dez not in front of the leg, so as we sauntered up to the first fence, Dez said “No thanks Lori, get with the ride!”. So I calmly stopped, re-grouped (which used up time thus my time penalties) and then picked it up and rode a wonderful course. I felt completely connected to Dez as we moved over the course as one unit – it was really great. He jumps effortlessly and just loves the xc. Karen really likes Dez too so this summer should be lots of fun!

Debriefing with David at the Florida International

Karen was warming up on xc as I finished. She hollered at me to come over to her. She said, “Tell me you did NOT stop at the first fence!”. “But Karen, the course was amazing” I said. “Tell me you did not stop at the first fence” she repeats. “Come here so I can hit you on the head”. So I walk over to her as she is mounted on Sammie and she taps my helmet with her crop. She smiles at me and off I go to un-tack. As I arrive, Max asks how I did. I explain what happened and her comment was “Well, you will never again stop at a first fence, will you Lori?”. Nope. Not after this razzing!! Always ride aggressively to the first fence regardless how calm and great the ride feels. Lesson learned, but hey, I still had a smile on my face which I have had on my face since riding around the xc course. I actually was smiling and loving my ride on the course, which felt great!

As I was cooling Dez out, walking over to watch some intermediate stadium I see David. He walks over to me and asks about my ride. I tell him. His response is “You stopped at the first fence”, “You stopped at the first fence…”  This was a déjà vous from my talk with Karen. Boy, you can sure tell that these two are married and both coaches.  Never-mind, it was all said with a smile in the corner of their mouths and a lesson to be learned. Later Karen was joshing with me saying the name of the next book I write should be “Don’t Stop At The First Fence” – cute; and yes, it would be a clever name for a book.

The last week has gone by so quickly and I am upset to be leaving this wonderful world. I have had a lesson every day this week and I feel quite ready for the competition, albeit with some questions about all my new learning that have not yet been totally incorporated into my normal riding. But, hey, it is all good and I am so grateful for all that I have learned. It will all sink in as I get some time at home to process and practice.

Today Karen asked me to prepare for my dressage test alone, and then she came over and parked her golf cart at C and was my judge. I did the test in front of her and she scored each movement and then we went over it and how some movements could have been improved. Overall it was a good test and I am looking forward to dressage tomorrow.

 Jeff and I did the course walk tonight and it is BIG again and even more questions – like a chevron three strides to a big drop to 6-7 strides to a corner. Quite a training level question. Sunken road the same, log on ditch in and bending line three strides up and out to two strides to a cabin. Jeff is going to take pictures of all the xc fences tomorrow. Got to get to bed. Wish me luck!

So much time since I last blogged…..things are so busy here.

Monday April 5

Karen and the crew got back from the Fork and I went over and made supper for everyone so they could relax a bit. There ended up being about 12 people there including Stephanie and Trish (Steph’s mom) whom I had met last year at The Fork. Steph is a Canadian from BC and Rebecca coaches her a lot. She is here in Ocala this winter training with David and Karen. Great folks. 

The Amazing Max Corcoran

I learned a lot from Karen (as usual) about what her goal was at The Fork. It is so amazing to be surrounded by this caliber of riding and training. She did not head to The Fork with the intention of a ribbon; she was there as a training school to have a nice, solid xc ride on Manidiba prior to Rolex. She wanted to avoid being concerned about getting the time xc – it was all about getting the correct ride. She was thrilled with Mandiba and her goal was accomplished. So many people just go for the time and the ribbon.

In my little competition world, I am often surrounded by those who only know to go for the ribbon. Now, I see the depth of competing and the real quality of training. There is such excellence and so much to learn here.

I was thrilled again as Karen was telling Steph and Trish what a nice horse I had in Dez and when I asked her if she would be willing to continue to train him she said “whatever you want” – because she really enjoys riding him. That simply sends me over the moon!

 April 6 – Dressage Lesson

In my lesson today, I felt like a true upper level dressage rider. Karen and I worked on canter lengthen and shorten and trot lengthens. The technique worked wonderfully. I find it amazing that Dez can go flat or heavy on a rein for only a second and instantly Karen can see that from the ground and tells me the correction. She has such an amazing eye and fast reflexes for corrections. Timing, again, is key. Softening after one gets what is requested is also key. But softening needs to be only to ‘allow’, not to give away. I took great notes after my lesson on all the techniques I have learned and I spent time in bed a night reviewing my notes. So many notes and so much to learn!

April 8 – Jeff arrives

Jeff arrives late tonight so I have the day to ride and get organized. Dez and I did trot sets today. For a horse at Training level, two 15 minute trot sessions per week is sufficient (depending of course on the fitness level of the horse). The scenery here is beautiful and Karen and David have a great conditioning hill  that everyone uses for trots and gallops. It is startling sometimes to be riding in a lesson in dressage or stadium and suddenly hear the thundering hoofs of a Canadian Team member training with David doing gallops at fast speeds in the big field with the hill.

The weather has been HOT – in the 80s and Dez and I get tired from the heat. Dez is in great shape and fit and looks wonderful. The nights are beginning to be humid (as well as the days) so he is no longer wearing anything at night in his big airy stall. I do night check every night with him to hand graze for a bit, pick out, top-up water and feed hay. He really munches down this hay. There is a new stray kitten that has been hanging out near the guest barn and I give her lots of attention each evening too. She knows my truck sound, I guess, and is always there to greet me and ask for patting. Karen says I should take her to NB but that’s not possible given the border requirements, so we need to find her a permanent place on the farm.

 April 9 – xc lesson

Well, I know that in order to progress there must be a few steps backward in order to gather the info and move forward……that is where I am at right now. I have learned so much and changed so much that it has challenged my confidence level a bit and put me in challenging positions in the tack. Karen has asked me to change my xc gallop position so that it does not look like an amateur!! “But Karen” I say, “I am an amateur!”.  She is such a riot. To get used to shorter stirrups and to practice balance, she cranks my stirrup leathers up to the highest hole and makes me get into my gallop position and walk around (remember we are in a huge open field). I just get my balance doing that when she asks me to trot. “Good grief” I say and trot I do. Ok, this is not bad I think to myself….can I stop soon? Nope. Karen then says, “Good, ok, when you are ready, canter”. “Karen, are you serious?” I ask. “Come on” is the reply. Off I go in canter and Dez is a star. Karen yells down to David, who is teaching a Canadian Team rider… “Hey David, look at Lori.” There is laughing going on and something David says that I can’t hear, but I reply to Karen that she must hate me and want me to go back to NB!!  Of course, this is all with a great smile on my face.

David debriefs one of his students

The entertainment does not stop there. She asks me to take Dez over a double bump mound that has a skinny hanging log on the top of the second mound. I pick up the canter and off I go. She warns that sometimes horses will buck after this type of question. Well, he had a bit too much canter (as I am experimenting with bits and did not have the right on in today and Dez was strong) and Dez willingly goes up and down the first, up the second, flies over the log and lands beyond the knoll’s downward slope on the other side, running away with me and lets out this huge buck! Karen meanwhile is laughing her head off very loudly at the whole thing. So glad I can be entertainment!!  “He jumped that like it was an intermediate jump” Karen says, still laughing. “Again” she says, “but with a little less speed.”  It was beautiful the second time, thank God. I have this all on video which I will show some of you when I get home.

So, the new position has me feeling a bit out of kilter and my prep time for a jump is compromised a bit. I just have to practice and put the hours in and stick to this method, believing in the long run it is what I need to do. That is why I am here – to learn and improve, as Karen keeps reminding me. At some points in our lesson today I felt like a beginner rider honestly and that can be a bit humbling, especially when I am on a horse that she thinks is so great. I really hope I can develop that connection with Dez and gives him the ride he deserves. I know it is coming along, but I keep worrying about this because he is such a great horse and a such a good boy. He can be a bully if I let him sometimes. I need to be the leader all the time. It will all be good….in the long run.

April 13

I had a marvelous stadium lesson yesterday. After a few glitches to coordinate myself and get the hang of the line between balancing and allowing, I had good, organized rides around a few courses. Having Jeff here to videotape my lessons is just super as they will be great learning tools for me when I head back to NB and don’t have Karen around (God I wish I did!!).  I will, however, still have her voice in my head and the phrases she so often uses. Used the 3 ring but only on the regular snaffle ring with a loose flash – worked well. Figuring out bits for Dez is a challenge because he changes as the season progresses and a good bit at the beginning becomes too “sharp” as we progress. I have to figure out what to wear for the show this weekend.

We also got  to watch Karen teach a few xc lessons over at Longwood. I have such admiration for her coaching and her eye. She as an amazing ability to ride the horse from the ground and her reflexes are so very quick.

There was a crew for dinner at Jo’s last night, which was a ton of fun. Cathy Weischoff (a great eventer who is based in Kentucky), her mother and her groom joined by Karen, David, Max and Scott (Max’s partner) along with Jeff, me and Jo (and of course a pack of dogs, as usual). Dinner was meant to be early and fast because David has to leave today for Switzerland for an FEI meeting. However, with all the great chatting, food and stories, along with the fact that Karen is always socially late!! , it turned out to be quite a late night. David told the most amazing story of getting hit by an ambulance while on the course xc in Europe……I know, I know, how does that possibly happen? Well, needless to say the family was offered life free entry to that event after that incident.

I need to figure out a way to entice Karen and David to New Brunswick sometime in the future to thrill the Canadian East coast riders. Karen jokes that she and David should come and ride in our event!! Now that would be awesome!