Invited to Gladstone, NJ, for Festival of Champions

Monkey (aka Escorial) and I have been officially invited to the Festival of Champions for I-1 in Gladstone, NJ.  Aaaack!!!  I wasn't expecting to even come close this year, as I felt my CDI scores just weren't strong enough.  But they held (I think in part because the focus is on the Grand Prix and the Olympic Games, so the competition for the PSG/I-1 wasn't as intense as it can be).  I just eeeked in, initially as an alternate but then I was given the invite.  Exciting, and terrifying as well; the competition is in less than 3 weeks and entries are due on Friday (I received the invite yesterday, Tuesday).  Yikes!!!
Erin Alberta, a para dressage rider from Seattle, has been immensely helpful in sorting out the transportation issue.  It is one thing to get invited to such a prestigious event, and another thing to figure out how to get (you and your horse and your stuff) there!  I still haven't sorted that out yet, but hopefully (or necessarily??) will have that done in the next day or so.
Attending Gladstone has been a big goal of mine for a long time, and it's hard to believe its actually happening.  Initially I was inclined to skip it this year, but opportunities like this don't come around very often.  Like Lana said, "Heather, this is what you've been trying to do for so long!  And you actually did it!!"

2012 Idaho Dressage Festival a huge success!!

Last weekend's Idaho Dressage Festival was a huge success for my clients and my horses.  I was thrilled with everyone, they have all improved so much from last year and were able to showcase their improvement at the show.  I broke my personal record for number of tests ridden in two show days with 14...8 rides on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.  Whew!  Here is a brief summary of the results:

• FiveStar HW (owned by Cynthia McKim, ridden by Heather): 75.6% Training level test 3 (including a 9 on gaits) and 7.6 in first FEI 4 year old test (including an 8.0 on the trot) on day one, 7.3 in the second 4 yr.old test and 73.2% Training level test 3 on day two
• Quite a Star (owned by Michelle Surkamer, ridden by Heather): 66% Training level test 3, 68+% Training level test 2, 64% Training level test 3
• Victor (owned and ridden by Heather Oleson): 69+% in both the Intermediare I and Prix St. Georges
• Bolero (owned by ZoeAnne Arrington, ridden by Heather): 73+% in First level tests 2 and 3 on day one, including 8s on gaits and 8.5 on rider position/seat, 65+% on day two in First level test 3
• Charismatique (owned by ZoeAnne Arrington, ridden by Heather): 69.5% in Developing Horse Prix St. Georges (including a 71+% from one judge) and 66% in Intermediare I
• Beth Harris and Samorano: 61 and 63 in Fourth level tests 1 and 2 on day one, 62 in Fourth 2 on day two
• Paige Haas and Donegal McSweeney: 58 in Fourth 1 on day one, 62 in Fourth 2 on day two
• Barbara Sparks and Wolcott: 62 and 64 in Second level tests 2 and 3 on day one, 58 in Second 3 on day two

Congratulations to everyone on a successful first show of the season!!  I'm so proud of everyone, and have to extend a special "thank you" to Paige Haas for helping everything to run so smoothly over the weekend!