Lanzelot Eventing riders arrived in a convoy of 8 horse trailers on Thursday afternoon - the large crew had riders in every division. It was a wet, muddy weekend - it rained, and rained some more, then just when we packed up to leave - it rained again. Most of the paddocks had tents strapped to them and every tack up included a game-time decision of whether or not to screw in studs.
Performance highlights:
The Holmes-Smiths and Rowans were excellent hosts – with socials and campfires and a beautifully run event. There were constantly fixing the footing on the cross-country course to keep it safe and the free wine and beer (and someone brought ‘schnapps’ too) helped keep us all warm. It was a fantastic start to the 2016 show season! Most of you are likely curious what happened in the cross-country phase at Copper Meadows – so here is a play-by-play.
Dressage was great. We have been focusing on dressage since our last trip to California and Brad is on a B12 supplement and helps a lot with his relaxation. As a result, Brad improved in all his movements – yay! We did lose big marks in one flying change - which was multiplied by 2 - so we got a 2/20 instead of, for example, a 14/20 (a mark of 1 vs an expected 7). But we were super happy with 4th place after the first phase. For whatever reason, in the cross country warm-up I felt a little unsure what to do - so I just ran around and jumped - NOT a great plan (well, actually not a plan at all). Out on the course, it felt the same, I just ran around and jumped. We didn't turn; we didn’t slow down! Brad ducked out on the B element of the double ditch and brush. I came around for a second approach, cleared it and carried on. Then another run out at a corner at fence 10B. I decided to call it a day. It wasn't the time nor place to start schooling, I should have done that in the warm-up and missed my chance. We schooled everything on Monday and Brad felt super. The ditch wall and brush skinny still presented problems, but we got it sorted – with a plan and focus! We jumped all the water lines with no wobbles. In hindsight, Brad needs more time to rest before we run. TJ and I powered through the drive down here and he was dehydrated when we arrived and not quite himself. We have been down here for a while now and are settled at Galway. With some rest, a routine and some lessons learned I feel recharged and so does Brad. We will press on to do the Advanced horse trials here at Galway on April 1st (http://eventingscores.com/eventsr/galway/ht0416/) and aim for the CIC 3*** at Twin Rivers. I posted a quote on Facebook that resonates right now “I never lose. I either win or learn.’ Lesson’s learned J We are excited for next weekend.
With the great success in 2015 for Lanzleot Stables, the 2016 schedule sets the stage for bold opportunities and rewarding goals. With over 24 competitions potentially starting as early as February at Galway Downs and including eyes on Brazil for the Olympics in August, we can look forward to an amazing adventure together! The complete schedule is in progress and will be posted shortly. The schedule will morph and expand as the year progresses to include several lectures and clinics at our home, Lanzelot Stables in Kamloops, BC. We would also like to take a moment to introduce a valued member of our support team, Tiffany Burns from Performance Equine Therapy. Tiffany Burns is a certified Equine Sport Therapist with Performance Equine Therapy located in Kamloops, BC. Equine Sport Therapy is the therapeutic application of hands-on massage techniques for the purpose of increasing circulation, relaxing muscle spasms, relieving tension, enhancing muscle tone, and increasing range of motion in performance horses. In addition to these techniques, Tiffany also offers saddle fitting sessions and custom herb blends to help your horse achieve their optimum comfort and performance. "Her thoughtful process has given me valuable information about how Femika's training is going." - Sara Sellmer Thank you to Tiffany Burns for her dedication and ongoing professional services. For more information on Tiffany and Performance Equine Therapy please visit www.performanceequinetherapy.org As for 2015, all the hard work and perseverance paid off. Awards were presented in Harrison Hot Springs at the HTBC award ceremony in November. Congratulations to all competitors! HTBC Year End Awards 2015 HI POINT RIDER TROPHY - Recipient was Sara Sellmer at 135.5 pts Awarded to the rider - Senior or Young Rider that has earned the most year end points, all divisions, all horses ridden in B.C. competition and for intermediate or 2 star level riders all recognized intermediate or 2 star level competitions competed at out of province in the current competition year. OPEN INTERMEDIATE DIVISION 2nd Place Recipient was Sara Sellmer with TF Kreisler Awarded in recognition of HTBC riders who have achieved success in International Competition at the Intermediate or 2 star level. PRELIMINARY SENIOR DIVISION 4th Sara Sellmer with Good Times TRAINING YOUNG RIDERS DIVISION 1st Allisa Taylor with Good Times 3rd Madeleine Scott with Mini Cooper 4th Madeleine Scott with Maxcima PRETRAINING SENIOR DIVISION 4th Sara Sellmer with Midnight Tango II 2016 - GAME ON!
Participating in 25+ events, travelling over 10,000 kms to 7 international competitions and the birth of Kawston (Sire: Connanaisseur), Lanzelot Stables sees the 2015 competition year come to a prosperous close. The perfect place to finish the year off strong was in Temecula, California at Galway Downs International Event. TF Kreisler (Brad) walked away with a proud 5th place in CCI** and Sloan McQuick (Femika) with a 12th place in CCI*. Femika also received the respected recognition for the best conditioned horse in her division (out of 51 entries). Sara would like to give a huge thanks to TJ Drake (groom) and Madeleine Scott (working student) for all they do. Also to her husband, Mike Martin, her parents-Wolf and Tricia Sellmer for supporting her throughout the year and Tim and Gail Dundas for believing in her and their home bred Brad. "And to my students and clients at Lanzelot, and my sponsor GastroGard, the home support kept me going all year!" - Sara Sellmer |
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