What's New Down At The Barn.

Well, it's been 2 years since I updated the website and this is the 1st time doing it myself! Even in these tough times, 2012 was incredible and 2013 looks even better! In May of 2011, a new client named Carolina Villanueva Suarez came to us from Houston with her mare Coco Chanel. Carolina was doing novice equitation when she came to us and was winning championships in the low ch/ad jumpers at 3 star horse shows by July! She is also learning about equitation and how important it is to succeed in the jumper ring. Our goals together  in 2013 are to be jumping confidently meter 1.10 high ch/ad jumper classes and to qualify and compete in the BRHJA medal finals. This would set Carolina up beautifully for 2014 with goals of qualifying for the EAP, ZONE 3 child team show jumping in Lexington, and give her 1st experiences in the big equitation. Note Caro is only 10 years old, Wow!!              

  I'd like to congratulate Jamie Corn on her much improved record with her horse Cielo and the tremendous turnaround this past year. From not knowing whether she was getting around the course to winning championships in the adults at BRHJA, it's been great to train and see her success. This year they will be moving up to jr/am 3'3"!

 Next big Mike. We started out his rides in Gulfport last year . That gave us a real solid foundation to build on. When we got home, we did not show in the spring due to Mike's senior activities. Once May hit though it was great! 1 of the 3 junior hunters was champion at any of the A's and AA's. They all won classes at the big AA's and ribboned at junior hunter finals. Emma qualified and showed at Harrisburg, Washington, and the national. This 6 year old sweet mare was ribboning by the end of indoors! We just got the letter from USHJA announcing that Emma is ranked 6th in Zone 3 Horse of the Year for the Older Small Junior Hunters!

 Stephanie Easler's Bachelor #3 is  showing us that he is going to be an International Derby horse. Then there is the rock; Barley,Hops, & Whey (also owned by Stephanie Easler) who qualified for Washington, and the National but also was the workhorse getting Mike qualified for Medal and Maclay. Barley Hops and Whey got Mike his 1st big equitation ribbon (7th) in the Tad Coffin zone 3 medal finals! How can we forget Kapers? We started the year with the goal of  just making him a better horse, maybe finishing meter 1.35 at 3 stars. Well, he finished Zone 3 PRIX DE STATES team meter 1.40 at Harrisburg. Hokey Spoons! Finally the equitation finish. I want to thank Richard Cheska for his help and for his wonderful horse Diamond to the 5th place finish at the Maclay regional in St.Louis. Thanks also to our dear friend Jeannie Smith and her horse Timber Point for help in getting Mike qualified. We were very grateful to Missy Clark, her North Run team and her horses Catwoman and Luxor at the Medal, Maclay finals. Mike is off riding in Wellington for Alan Korokin and Castlewood until he starts college at Appalachian State in the fall.                                                                                                                                                     

Emily update time. After a year of what was supposed to be a learning year jumping 1 meter low ch/ad,we threw Emily into the big equitation to help fill classes for brother Mike including the 3'9" Talent Search. She did so well, that at the beginning of August, I asked her if she wanted to qualify for the Maclay. She had enough points at that time to get it done. She chose not to because she was entering her 1st year in high school and thought it would be too much. This is going to be a big step year as she takes over the 3 junior hunters and her and I share Kapers which is a big step up from Toy Soldier .

Well, thats all for now. Look for Emily's update in February The Adventures of Big Blue. A special super THANK YOU to Stephanie Easler, not only for being a great client and friend of 13 years but for her sponsorship of Michael!

Kelly Kocher: Blockhouse Stables