The entire family arrived in Florida for Christmas. Soon after, the clients began to staggle down from the frozen north. And the north sure took a beating this winter. We are grateful to those hardy souls who stayed behind and kept River House, New Hampshire plugging along. Lisa LeBlanc has her Maronjo youngster there as well as riding Maronjo himself and the Spanish stallion, Sisi. She has organized the cooperative barn efforts and helped our stable master, Jason to keep things running. Thanks to all involved for making it possible for Jeanie to finally take some pleasure in the Florida farm.
The crew here has been having a fun and exciting winter. Bretone has been excelling in his Grand Prix Freestyle with scores of 72 and 74%. Amanta has been just as successful in here I-1 Freestyle with an average over 70%. Nora is qualified with both horses at their respective levels. Weide and Jeanie are qualified at Grand Prix. The young sales horses are doing great things on the flat and over fences.
Gary has leased Sebastian from Deecie. They make a great pair and he has learned so much and has improved immensely. Sebastian is a very generous FEI schoolmaster. Gary ‘s partner, Jim, hosted a huge birthday party here at the farm for Gary. There was a country/western band, Rusty the fabulous clown and two elephants!! We all got to feed and stroke them!! After a great catered feast and too much to drink, we enjoyed a huge bonfire, thanks to Emma’s new friend, Aaron, who tried to light himself on fire in the process!! Enjoy the photos of the event at http://thephotoenthusiast.com/archives/1462 !!
Besides enjoying the local scene of restaurants, dance bars, state parks(kayaks, birds, swimming, manatees, etc) and all the many horse events, the clients have taken many lessons and attended several shows and schooling shows. Amy Bresky did her very first I-1s with Welkin and is qualified as well as at PSG! Congratulations Amy! We have just backed her fabulous Bretone/ Day Dream colt, Brent. He is as beautiful to work with as he is to look at!!
Winter 2008 Verne is having a super time on the Florida farm. He is so busy, with upwards of twenty horses, a full house, lessons, horses in training, riding the young sales horses, clinics! It should keep him out of trouble. He couldn’t do it without his manager, Mary Jane and her jack russell puppy, Southern Belle. They keep the operation flowing. The Andalusian ladies, Joyce and Mary keep the place hopping with good humor. Debbie and her fabulous Royal Rico are near daily visitors. Leslie Sant , her support team of James and standard poodles, have spent most of the winter on the farm. It has paid off in wins at the Canterbury and Ocala shows at the Prix St Georges level. She received scores to 66 % and her silver medal. Congratulations!! Amy Bresky and the wonderful Welkin got great scores and wins and seconds at the same shows competing against the open horses. Verne found this partner for her a year ago on his German buying trip. The plan is to move on to PSG. Should be a done deal. Verne is very excited about the progress of his Rotspon mare, Rotschrome. She is finishing her changes, working on the pirouettes and piaffe. He is also riding Ravenna, a lovely black Rotspon, getting ready for the six year old FEI test, Bahai, a talented four year old and many others.
Jeanie is holding down the fort in New Hampshire. She has several horses in training as well as riding some of the youngsters and getting the coming three-year-olds started under saddle. She was lucky enough to spend a few days at the Florida farm in March. She got to fresh- squeeze her orange and tangerine juice after picking the fruit from the farm trees! The wisteria was just budding, the manatees and otters were very cute, the footing at the Ocala show was amazing, then back to reality! But the corgis were waiting in New Hampshire as well as the Weltmeyers, Weide and Wild Card!! She has been having a great time in swing dance class and planning a spring sail down the Rhine with her mother and sister!
Emma just got back to North Carolina from visiting Verne in Florida. He made her ride nine to twelve horses a day! The social life was fun but her butt is sore!! She is about in the middle of her accelerated nursing course at Duke. She has her corgi Nettie to be her therapy dog during exams and has had two four year olds to ride all winter. She is settled into her new house and life in the south.
Nora is in her senior year at Amherst. She is busy writing her senior thesis entitled “The Design and Synthesis of Organic Nanotubes of Defined Length.” We sure understand it!! She has had Bretone and Amanta at school but has been riding one-footed for the last six weeks as she is on crutches after a rousing game of intermural basketball!! Her second major in art, has produced many beautiful pieces.
north CaC
