My new home (until Flo-rida again!)

So as promised, here are pics of Foster Meadow in the metropolis that is Boscawen, NH! ( Please note the sarcasm intended with the word 'metropolis') Boscawen is a small town 15 mins north of Concord, NH. Concord is the capital of the NH state.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boscawen,_New_Hampshire

The most activity about Boscawen is the Dunkin Donuts and the 2 petrol stations. Woot craziness here lads!! But mind you, it is has a large surrounding farming community and there are plenty of farm stands that sell fresh produce.

But the MOST AMAZING THING ABOUT BOSCAWEN (besides Pamela Goodrich's top class dressage training facility) is Richardson's ice cream parlour that is situated no less than a third of a mile down the road!

https://sites.google.com/site/richardsonsfarmnh/home
 
Holy moly lads they have the BEST produce I have ever come across. Not only that but Jim and Sue are the cream on the sundae. I get such a kick out of them. Ever remember the couple John and Mary O'Leary in Father Ted? Mind you there are no murderous business about them as seen to the extent in Father Ted! But they are always slagging each other and everything. Pure highlight at the end of a work day. Their sundaes are killer, and their ice cream flavours are to die for. I love their coffee oreo, cookie dough, orange sherbert, peppermint oreo...the list is endless! Sue's pies and crisps are heavenly.

Ok, ok I know all ye want to see are the farm pics so here you go lads!!

                              Front view of the barn

                           Stabling on the left side, and indoor to the right

                         Parking lot and indoor. Delia is still alive and kicking too!!

                                    Barn aisle - Sixteen 12ftx12ft stables

 Grooming and wash stalls on left, tack room on near right, door to our apartment by the indoor last on the right

 

 

 

                                 Indoor

 

 

               Outdoor view...with a beautiful backdrop and a hilly field for 'play days'

 

 

                      Where all the yelling at happens

 

                      Pam's house

 

 

 

So here are all the pics! Not much said, but I am writing the next posts on the horses I have been riding. So the fun stuff is coming up!

 



New Hampshire...the first days

After the shock of falling down through my newly appointed bed the first night and the fact that it was bloody cold up here, I began to feel a little ill in the following days.

Mind you it all boiled down to the fact that I was pretty dehydrated and wrecked tired from the packing, driving 25hours with lack of water and sleep. Once we had settled in the apartment, resurrected the Lyons Tae and caught up on sleep I was a new woman!

All the horses travelled well, they did lose some condition but that was expected. However, the colder weather had all their backs up!!

Pam was due to fly to Europe as soon as she got back from clinicing in Ohio. Her holiday was both business and pleasure as she was going to visit family in France and then on a 3 day horse hunting trip in Denmark for herself and clients.

Of course we had a list as long as my nicely grown out haircut.

We had the whole barn, indoor arena mirrors, windows and screens to clean, the outdoor arena fence to put up, our apartment and her house to clean and put order to again. Luckily, we only had max 6 horses in the barn to look after until Pam came home!

                                                             The tack room floor needed painting

                                       
I used to work for my mother's family business, Shanahan Paints. I was a colour consultant and assistant to all home decor needs. My Dulux dog was not happy that I was using other brands :( Nonetheless, I had stairs to sand, stain and varnish.

                   Our only way out of the apartment since the stairs were undergoing a beauty treatment. Scary.

Finished product!! I know, I only had a circular electric sander, hence the edges are not great. I'm calling it "New England Rustic" ;)

The best thing was though, was that Shauna's family came over for Easter week. It was just so good to see them all again. They really made me miss my family, but I am thrilled that they could see how happy Shauna and I are here. They saw us ride ( I had Wyvern to ride while Pam was away). They bought us a kettle (YAY!!! No more boiling water in a saucepan!) and they fed us and all!

But the best part was......

                                                         No more falling through my bed in the dead of night!!!

                                                       Fair play Bernard and Kevin Finneran!

The rest of April went pretty quietly and smoothly, until Pam came back and kicked my butt for letting Bernie (Wyvern) take me over ;) So I knew then my dressage education was going to take a major turn for the better!

Next post...pictures of Foster Meadow!

The big move!

I am now royally annoyed at myself for not keeping on top of this. Consider this a mid-year resolution!!

Quick few posts and pictures up to the present day methinks!

Early April was our marker date on getting up to New Hampshire. So the logistics behind it were pretty simple. Ali and Shauna leave a day earlier than the horses, driving in convoy that consisted of Pam's truck and trailer ( packed to the scut with all the barn things) and Shauna in Ali's car. So that left me on my ownsies in the Mini :D

                                               Ali's amount of things broke the wheelbarrow

                                                                  Packing the trailer!

It was 5am when the girlies left, so I had the barn to do myself with the help of Pam throughout part of the day. I made sure that all the horses were happy, clean and that all their belongings were all ready to go. I had to make sure that all the horses' halters had shipping fuzzies on them and that each horse had a pair of bell boots.

It was WAY too quiet that day, no Ali and Shauna, no clients just me and a handful of horses. Too weird!

D-day approached, I was up at 4am stripping the stalls trying to make my workload a little easier once the shippers start to arrive. We had three separate shippers due to come that morning. Our own being the first, which was scheduled for around 6am to take 6 horses back to Pam's. Then Alpenkonig's was due before 8am, and Remy's around then also.

It was hell for leather getting our own guys on, as the shippers were not just taking the horses, but all the feed, hay, water and feed tubs, barn utensils etc that we needed for the past 2 days. It was easily 25 degrees celsius at 6am that morning, I was a sweaty mess before the horses even got on!! Humid and dark. Totally weird.

                           Shipper has arrived!!  'Twas like looking out for the Xmas Coca Cola truck!!

The last friend I made in Florida!!

It was a relief when our guys finally went underway, as then all that needed to be done was strip the stalls and get the last two horses gone.

By the time all that was done, I had sweated through my shorts and t-shirt covered in a layer of shavings dust and more dust!! A shower was in dire need! There was no way that I could face driving 12hrs or more feeling stinky, itchy and icky! Quick shower, packed the mini, of course 200miles down the road I realised I left my overnight bag and all my cosmetics behind. Typical me. Don't worry folks, I got it "mailed" to me the following day.

So by the time I was ready to hit the road it was just short of 10am. I dropped Pam off at WPB airport as she was travelling off to teach a clinic and I was on my way!! Next stop, North Carolina to a hotel.

                                                           I wanted to shoot myself

Stayed in a pretty ok hotel, all I needed was a bed really and I was off again by 6am the following morning.

I handled the drive by myself quite well. I thought about nothing really, just bopped along to the music and took in whatever sights I-95 could offer me. It was amazing how much varied landscape I passed through the first day. I drove the length of Florida, into Georgia, South Carolina and then North Carolina. I drove through the palm tree scattered landscape of Florida to big leafy green hilly states like North Carolina.

I only stopped when I really needed to. I would tie in eating, peeing and getting petrol into each stop if I could!! I really wasn't too comfortable stopping regularly since I was on my own. And I stupidly drank very little the whole drive to minimise stopping which I paid for dearly a few days after I got to New Hampshire.

Second day went smoothly, drove through North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, part of Vermont and then into New Hampshire. I knocked 2 hrs off Shauna and Ali's time for that same journey. Lads, I should have gotten a million speeding tickets! That Mini Cooper S series is a fecking rocket!!! Not only that, but it only took maybe 4 tanks of petrol for the while 1500mile trip. I am in love.

Got to Pam's about 7.30pm. It was freezing cold and a major kick up the arse, as I can now say I am a soft weather person!!

Hit the bed as soon as I was able, only to figure out at 1am that my bed was tied together with socks.

February and March! Settling into Flo-rida life

Sorry for  being a lazy bones in getting this post up. I have no excuse other than I was lazy. Haha!


Since January was a blur full of excitement, it was time to settle down and explore working in a dressage barn and Florida in general.


Feb and March were mainly months full of fast-paced craziness and Pam whipping me into shape. With the odd night out in West Palm Beach, a quick road trip to Miami, some Paddy's Day celebrations.....need I continue? ;)


As the heat began to rise, so did my photo collection of all the horses and other animals in the barn! It is amazing how over a short period of time how you can get to know the horses that you look after. So much so, they are willing to have their pictures taken.

                                                       Peanut drinking a cup of Lyons Tae

                                                    Amalon heard that the kettle was on to boil

                                                       Ginger hit the town too hard last night

                                                         Jealous? 30 degrees celsius in Feb??!!


February was a great month for me and my riding. I was finally getting going and OWNING IT with Peanut and I was having a great time. As Pam says, "You are going TO RIDE not going FOR A RIDE!!!" He is a great little horse to make you work for it, that is for sure! I perfected my half passes, my passage transitions and getting the base of the neck. It is a very different way of riding to the way I used to ride at home, but that is what I am here for!




March came in as quick as Feb did. March is the ending month for the winter season in WPB. So it was busy month to see as much as I could before we would head up to New Hampshire until November. So, I had Paddy's Day to enjoy, a road trip to Miami, more shows to groom at and more riding to do!

                                                    My last grooming gig for the winter season

                                                              Alpenkonig and I (the heat disappeared)


So of course me being a Paddy and all, St Patrick's Day HAD to be had. So the sister (here is a shout out to my older sis - Stephanie!) sent me over a St. Patrick's Day Survival Kit. It was full of t-shirts, whistles, hair ties and hairbands, hair clips and ribbons and wands. Watch out Clematis Street!!


I couldn't resist the urge to dress up a few of the barn regulars...

                                                            Yankee getting into the spirit

                                                    

                                                               Care package from the Ma


After Paddy's Day, Cavalia was showing in Miami for a few nights. So we were Miami bound. Yurt!


http://www.cavalia.net/en/odysseo


Check out the website, it surely was the best show involving horses that I have seen live. We had to cheapest tickets in the nosebleeds but we could see everything!

               The stage was semi-circular with a hill up the back...and the front of it flooded into a lake!!

After our Miami excursion, the three of us felt that we could re-enact something similar on the horses back at the barn. Riding bridle-less, saddle-less, on our heads etc. But I think that was due to the copious amounts of Skittles and Coke we consumed to stay awake for the trip. The next day we didn't feel so brave...Peanut...Bridle-less??!!

                                                     Miami sunset with the Cavalia tent


Towards the end of March I got to ride Pam's Inter 1 horse, Wyvern. How cool!

                                                       Shauna on Peanut and I on Wyvern


I apologise for the mainly picture filled posts, but I truly left writing this blog too long and it really does catch up! I could write all day but I want to get up to date asap. Next blog post is on packing up the Florida barn and the drive up to New Hampshire. Then all about New Hampshire!!!

World Dressage Masters 2012 - long post beware!!

After the holidays, things got pretty busy pretty fast!


January was a busy month competition-wise. Not only were there two major CDIs being held back to back, but the Palm Beach leg of the World Dressage Masters (Jan 26th-29th 2012) was fast approaching. Tellin' yis... excitement overload!


The most anticipated dressage spectacle that I am sure I will ever see could not have come around any sooner.


5 CDIs were being incorporated into the The World Dressage Masters weekend, as well as separate day competitions (i.e. competitions not being run under CDI ruling). It was also a 2012 World Cup, 2012 Olympics and Paralympics qualifier! I was literally a walking sponge that whole weekend.


Pam was entered to compete in one of the CDIs, and I was her groom. So not only was I there all day, I also had a wristband to get me into the CDI barns were all the top horses were stabled!! Mint.

But wait!! There is more! Pam gave us tickets for Christmas to watch the entire World Dressage Masters. Again, I was at the show grounds all day AND I got to stay there for the night too??!! Epic. Dreams are never this good.


Between cheering on fellow barn and Paralympian hopefuls Dale Dedrick and Ellie Brimmer, grooming for Pam and watching all the top riders preparing and riding in the Masters, I was a made woman.

                                   Admiring my plaits on Pam's La Rusch (my favourite pony)
I do have to say something. Years ago in the North Munster Dressage region (my dressage region from back home), an Irish para rider named James Dwyer competed and trained with my trainer from back home. I used to plait (not braid-I refuse to succumb to such a term!) for James a lot and I had not seen him in the longest time. He moved here to the states. Well guess what!! I got to meet him at the Masters! He was stabled the block behind us. I bumped into him a ton over the weekend and it was so good to catch up with him and see him ride again. Seeing that green coat with the Irish flag made me smile. Talk about another great thing happening on such a great weekend. He pulled out all the stops in his tests. He won all around him. His freestyle gave me goosebumps, made me miss home. But in a good way, a proud way! Stupid of me not to have gotten a picture with him. :( Next season maybe? I hope to see you James in Florida this coming season! Be prepared for a photo session :D

                                                                    James Dwyer
                              (I stole this photo, but I do know it was taken Masters Weekend!!)


Being able to stalk all the top competitors became my forte over the weekend...


I got behind the scenes photos of Charlotte Dujardin working in Valegro on the thursday. Well, when I say behind the scenes I meant behind the barriers as my wristband was a great asset. I also tried to build up the courage to jump Carl Hester for an autograph or something but reckoned that him talking into Charlotte's ear piece was more important. Oh well. My quest to meet that man continued!

                                                          Charlotte and Valegro

                                                           Herself and himself again

I literally bumped into Anja Plonzke (Germany) after her Grand Prix on Friday evening. We were in the show office and I was trying to get the day sheets for the next day. That woman is a GIANT. Couldn't take a picture as that would be totally obvious and a bit creepy on my part. But seriously she was well over a foot taller than me.

Creeping on the famous also coincided with me actually watching some dressage. It was great to watch all the greats together working in on the thursday. It was nice to notice that each one of them rode differently than each other to match their horse-type. There were so many different types ranging from longer backed, to longer necked to longer limbed horses. Not forgetting different temperament types also. But the one simliarity between them all is the harmony each had with their horse.

                                                 Ashley Holzer (CAN) on Pop Art

Steffan Peters (USA) was mind blowing in the Saturday's freestyle. He went from extended canter to double canter pirouettes - flawless and harmonious. I read an article in Dressage Today (a US dressage magazine) that ultimate training and harmony is achieved between a horse and rider when they can go from extreme extension to extreme collection from movement to movement. Think of a pendulum of a metronome. Extension is on the far left, collection is on the far right. If you can glide from extension and collection without stopping along the metronome harmony, balance and confidence is achieved. I am trying to find that article as we speak... I am not so good at explaining it. Anyway, it was jaw dropping. Another rider that showed great harmony between collection was Anja Plonzke on Le Mont d'Or. She rode from piaffe straight to double canter pirouettes. Perfectly!


I guess my favourite riders that I followed throughout the Masters were of course Carl and Charlotte but also USA rider Adrienne Lyle on Wizard. Check these guys out on YouTube or something. She is THE most beautiful rider. Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (SWE) with Favourit was another favourite (haw haw excuse the pun!)

                                                             Tinne and Favourit

                                                                Tinne again

Now due to the ultimate kindness of Dale Dedrick, she put Shauna's, Ali's and my name down on the competitors party list that was being held on the first night of the Masters. Shauna and I were grooming all day and had ten minutes to change in the toilets while dousing ourselves in perfume and putting on some make up. Another competitors party, great. Tacky, awkward and probably the only good thing there would be the food.

                                          Dale Dedrick, her mount Erik and friend Meagan

                                                     Dale after kicking some serious bum

                                


Could we have been anymore oblivious??!! First of all the address for this party did not click with us. The International Polo Club in Palm Beach. Second of all we completely misunderstood the whole affair. Pictures can only describe:

                                                       We were greeted by these ladies

                                                           Polo Club Poshness

                                          THEY HIRED MERMAIDS TO SWIM AROUND!!!!

                                                   Ice Sculptures and Shrimp Table

                                                                    Take a seat!

                                                           Polo Mallets above the bar
 
FINALLY!! The celeb stalking finally paid off.....

Carl Hester himself!! (He smelt amazing and he called us lucky ducks for being here to train :D )

 Charlotte Dujardin. Wowsers, what a lovely person. She was shocked that we asked for a photo with her!

Note to self:

1. Next year have the decency to at least shower before meeting some of the world's greatest dressage riders - baby wipes just don't cut it
2. Find a designated driver - the alcohol was FREE
3. Consider my outfit - stretchy trousers need to be worn, the food was never ending

All smartness aside, that weekend was a big learning aspect for me. I figured out why and how much I love this sport....you can never stop learning and you can never stop trying to be a better horse person. Plus, the tailcoat and shiny boots get me every time ;)