Farrah goes to CANADA!

Valerie Durbon Photo Fair Hill 2014 CCI**

Sinead was invited to challenge Tik (her Canadian husband) at Toronto's Royal Winter Fair in Indoor Eventing.  I think Farrah Pony will love the tight turns and lack of dressage :)  I am so looking forward to seeing video of them go!  Wishing the little Paprika and Sinead the best of luck at Horseware's Indoor Eventing!

Where Farrah Gives Sinead a Heart Attack in the Week prior to Fair Hill.

Plantation Stadium Jumping CIC**

I believe this photo is courtesy of Michelle Carson!

We are in the week leading up to the Fair Hill CCI**.  Farrah, as well as Contaro (YEH-5) and Sinead are currently in Middleburg, VA, where they are hanging out to get in a few more gallops up real hills.  Farrah decided Sinead needed a bit of additional excitement in her life during this prep week and so she worked really hard yesterday to give Sinead a heart attack.

Now, Farrah is a bit of an antsy pants in a horse trailer, so pawing is a fairly common occurrence and normally ignored.  Farrah's pretty fit right now and decided she just COULD NOT WAIT to be unloaded. Additional theatrics ensued when Farrah jumped the CHEST BAR while still loaded in her stall in Sinead's head to head rig.  Mind you, there were bales of shavings to negotiate on the landing side, whereby Farrah must have touched down on them (hoof print evidence) and then Farrah proceeded to end up in the straight stalls on the far side.  Sinead was convinced Farrah must have at minimum scraped herself to no end, or at worst have suffered a broken leg from leaping the chest bar from a standstill.  Apparently that answer is No, not when you are the Farrah Pony.......she is missing a bit of hair off her stifles and she proceeded to jog up sound.  Half an hour later (in the almost dark) they made it out to the gallop hill and Farrah again trotted up super this morning....Pony Mares!

I think you have made your point, Farrah, and Sinead and I would both appreciate no further random displays of exuberance or athleticism, please!  At least, save them for the jumping phases at Fair Hill and not the dressage!

You asked for Video of Sinead and Farrah! Plantation CIC**!

Video Courtesy of The Horse Pesterer!

Plantation Week and Seneca Valley Pictures!

 

 

Both photos in this post are courtesy of Mike McNally, who so graciously

allowed me to use them in the blog! Thanks Mike!

 

 

Seneca Valley Horse Trials are now a wrap and Sinead and Farrah came out of dressage sitting 6th of 19.   Happy to say Farrah is becoming more rideable in dressage even when she is intermediate fit.  In the past, fit = bad dressage, not a great combination.  Even with a few bobbles in the test, Farrah put down a respectable intermediate dressage test for Sinead.

 

Stadium was clean jumping, with a bit of time, a huge improvement over VHT.  At VHT, Farrah thought she should drag Sinead to the fences and her exuberence cost them some rails.  From the pictures Mike took, it is pretty clear that 3'9 isn't difficult for this Pony!

 

 

If Farrah keeps jumping so well, Sinead's going to wonder if they do have a rail, was it Farrah or her own foot!  Great to see that Farrah is still allergic to wood!

 

After the SJ they went right out on cross country.  Sinead said the ground was rock hard and they wouldn't go for time, just a nice prep run for Plantation 2*.  Even with time faults, Farrah and Sinead moved up to finish Seneca in 5th place in the Intermediate.  Awesome!  Now I begin the nailbiting that occurs for me before the pair's big events, Plantation and in October, Fair Hill.

 

Shoot pictures and video of the pony and Sinead for me if you are spectating at The.Best.Event.Ever (Plantation)!  I can't wait to try their new live feature for cross country day:  PRO TV.  GO PONY and TEAM SHE!



Prelude to Plantation Fields........Seneca Intermediate!

Brant Gamma Photo (May VHT)

It's almost showtime!  Sinead is back from the WEG, where she and Tate had the experience of a lifetime competing for the USA.  Sinead hit the ground running with competitions almost immediately for the horses who stayed stateside.  The good news about Sinead's absence?  Farrah seems to have missed Sinead and has been super agreeable lately!  Here's to hoping that Farrah's good humor bodes well for an excellent showing in all three phases of Intermediate at Seneca.

Seneca is a prep run for the CIC** at Plantation, a mere week away.  Then a bit of a breather until a final prep run at Morven Park for FAIRHILL.  Farrah is being entered today for Fairhill CCI**. Come on out and cheer on your favorite PONY and Sinead...........

ps.  I am still working on the shirts, looks like Fairhill will be a more realistic target!

Seneca Intermediate and Plantation CIC **!!

Farrah was entered in the Seneca Valley Horse Trials at Intermediate and the Plantation Field's 2*!!  Meg Kep had to enter them from France!!!  More later as Miss Sinead and Tatey are busy preparing for WEG but Farrah's fall season is about to START!!

I can't wait!!!

Fall Schedule Update and Stadium from HITS IV

Farrah and Sinead at HITS (Saugarties, NY)

Level 3 Stadium Jumping

(they were also clean Level 4's)

Sinead is busy bubble wrapping Farrah's barn-mate, Tate, for his trip to Normandy.....quarantine at Gladstone starts on Tuesday and then he is off to France later this week!  In case you haven't been following eventings Elite squad, Sinead and Tate are representing the US in France at the World Equestrian Games!!! We joked that Tate will miss his pony buddy and maybe Farrah should stow away in the tack trunk, but Farrah will have to keep her toes on US soil for now and let Tatey show them how the Redheads do it in France!

Farrah's fall schedule is now somewhat revised, with Sinead jet-setting over in Europe for almost a month. A few of Farrah's barn-mates joined her at Saugerties for practice at Stadium the last weekend in July.  Farrah went clean in the level 3's and the level 4's.  The plan was to keep Farrah working through WEG with working students until her famous stick impalement occured last weekend.  Sinead and I were lucky; Farrah will only need about ten days off and was never lame.  On a hack, Farrah managed to step on a long stick, at one end, such that the other end came up and impaled her hind leg near the stifle.  Being the true pony that she is, Farrah was never lame and Sinead said she'll be back to work in a few days time.  Silly pony, I think she was going for attention seeking with Taters preparing to leave and all!

Farrah's fall now looks like it will shape up to the following events:

Sep 13/14 

 Seneca Valley Horse Trials (Intermediate)

Sep 19-21

 Plantation CIC**

Oct 3-5

Morvan Park  (Intermediate)

Oct 15-19 

Fairhill CCI**

Farrah and Sinead need some supporters out there at these shows!!!  Especially for the CIC** and the CCI**, the entry fees are getting pretty pricey!  Seriously, $$$$.  Want to show Sinead and the pony some  love?   I am taking orders for Farrah and Sinead "Proud Supporters of the Pony" shirts, for delivery in time for Plantation.  All proceeds will benefit the Redhead and Sinead.  Any takers?  Email me at pcwertb@yahoo.com for sizing and quantities (I anticipate shirts will be approximately $30).  Don't forget, shares are available if you would like to come aboard and join Sinead and Farrah as a member of the syndicate.  Embryo option!  Syndication questions, contact MegKep@gmail.com.  Go Sinead and Go Pony! 

Jumper Show!

                   Farrah resting up!

Farrah and her friends at Sinead Halpin Eventing are going to pass on Milbrook and head to a jumper show instead.  Farrah will join her stablemates (including WEG bound Tate) in the stadium ring this weekend to add some polish to their jumping effort.  For Farrah, this means that although she is intermediate fit, Farrah is not allowed to run off with Sinead between fences :-)

Fall Plans for the RedHeaded Pony and Sinead!

Brant Gamma Photo, Intermediate, VHT May 2014

The RedHead had a nice easy run at The Horse Park of New Jersey at Preliminary with Sinead last weekend.  The show oddly offered Advanced and Prelim with no Intermediate, which probably explains why there were 5 sections of Prelim!  The pony put in a very nice dressage test (31.7) and a reasonable SJ round (1 rail) and they were one second over optimum, giving 4th place to Buck Davidson on the same score to finish in 5th place!  

Sinead has mapped out the fall now that she knows that she and Tatey are headed to Normandy, France to participate on the USA's WEG Team.  Yay for Team SHE!  Farrah and Sinead are aiming at:

August 2-3, Millbrook Horse Trials (New York) - Intermediate

September 19-21,  Plantation Field Horse Trials (Pennsylvania) - CIC**

October 15-19, Fairhill International 3-Day (Maryland) - CCI**

I am planning to go to Maryland for Fairhill, as I can visit a dear friend and his boys and then head on up to the show.  If any of Farrah's fans are at the shows, stop by and say "Hi" to the RedHead as she loves visitors!

New Jersey Run this Weekend!

Facebook photo from Kevin Mead

Farrah's farrier since she was six months old has been Kenny Mead.  He started trimming Farrah when she came from Trevelyan Farm (PA) to her first owner, Lynn Simpson, and he as been shoeing her ever since.  I think Kenny is a bit crazy to drive all the way to NJ from FL, but he just delivered this new mobile farrier box for himself.  Now he can fly back and forth and he has tools on site.  (Thankfully Kenny also does horses in Maryland as well, and those horses also have their own tools on site, although not quite so fancy as this mobile rig!).  All the more amazing, Kenny and his son built this box from scratch.   The workshop where they built the mobile was also built by Kenny.  Guess the man has some skills in addition to shoeing!

Farrah gets to prance around the Preliminary this Sunday at the Fairhill, NJ show facility.  Why Prelim and not Intermediate?  For some reason, this show has NO Intermediate offered, only Advanced and Preliminary are options.  While it would be fun to see what Farrah could do at Advanced, I don't think Sinead wants to tackle that one yet with only two Intermediates under their belt!  Not to mention that this show is jammed pack with all the "who's who" in eventing on the East Coast in the Advanced divisions.  I am not sure how many are entered in Preliminary, but Farrah is in section D if that doesn't tell you how big this show is!

Go RedHead and go eventing!

Forrest Nymph and Sinead Halpin Photos from VHT Intermediate.

I thought this you tube creation might be a nice way to show everyone some incredible still shots from Farrah and Sinead's trip around the Intermediate at VHT!  Enjoy.  GO PONY and TEAM SHE!

The VIDEO from OI at Virginia XC!!!

FARRAH GOES TO VIRGINIA!

VHT just posted ride times! Sinead Halpin and Forrest Nymph in Open Intermediate go at:

Friday:    1:59 Dressage

              3:54 Stadium

Saturday:  10:30 XC

I am SO excited to be road-tripping up with great friends to see Farrah in action!  Go Pony and Team SHE!  Farrah finished in 7th place at her first Intermediate at MCTA in the beginning of May, adding just time on cross country to their dressage score.  Way to rock it, RedHead!

UP NEXT: INTERMEDIATE!!!!

MCTA May 5-6, 2014

Fresh from her 4th place finish at Rolex with 4* super horse, Tate, Sinead will be back in the irons on the RedHead to make their debut at Intermediate at the MCTA Horse Trials in Maryland this weekend.  I am beyond excited that Farrah and Sinead are moving up to Intermediate..................the pictures above are all from successful preliminary runs this spring.  They are well prepared and ready to roll.  Their next outing will be May 23-24 at VHT, which I will road trip to watch in person!

While making time is not important this first run at Intermediate, Sinead will get to see what the pony thinks of the cross country questions that Intermediate presents. I predict an enthusiastic response from the RedHead for the cross country phase......we'll see if Farrah is interested in playing well in the sand box this weekend.  Farrah is super talented in dressage, but as Sinead says, she is certainly not the easiest ride on the flat!  Come cheer on Farrah and Sinead if you are on the East Coast this spring!!!

Go Pony and Team SHE!

The Pony Rocks the Mid-Atlantic Shows!

Photo Courtesy of Brant Gamma

Farrah and Sinead have been cruising around some very big shows since they left Florida and the pair have done a fantastic job at the preliminary level!  At the Carolina International Show in mid-March, Farrah and Sinead finished 4th in a very tough preliminary group (photo above is from Carolina).  

This past weekend, Farrah and Sinead contested preliminary at THE FORK, finishing in 7th place on a tough track, adding just a little time to their dressage score of 33.  Sinead and Farrah have now logged four events at the preliminary level, never finishing out of the top 10 and twice finishing 4th!  The average number of starters has been over 20 and they are now aimed at Intermediate in May.

To say that Sinead and I are thrilled with how well this partnership has developed would be an understatement.   The Redhead loves how Sinead rides her and both of us are very confident in the abilities of this pony to move on up the levels.  When DOC raves about Farrah's canter, you are allowed to get a bit excited about the possibilities.

Sinead and I are now offering shares in the Redhead, as syndicating this special pony to a small group of people will allow this partnership to continue moving onward and upward.   Yes, we could sell Farrah outright, but the Redhead is special!  A team is what is needed to realize Farrah's eventing prowess with Sinead in the irons.  If you would like to join the Redhead's Team, please email Sinead's farm manager and right hand lady, Meg Kep, at megkep@gmail.com for details.  We'd love to have you join us on the pony ride of your life!

Go North, Pony, Go North!

Photo:  Anneke Davidson

I got to visit the pony last weekend and a whole group of us from Black Dog Farm travelled up and booked Sinead's weekend.  We had great lessons from Sinead while we were in Ocala, including a visit to Clayton Frederick's cross country field.  I even got to hack out the RedHead while we were there.  Farrah loved having her former pasture-mate Mia to visit, as none of Sinead's other mares are tolerant of the RedHeaded pony princess.  

Farrah will be leaving tomorrow for the Carolina Horse Park, then on to The Fork and then New Jersey!  I think the East Coast weather is going to be a big surprise, but I am so excited about Farrah's continuing adventures in Eventing with Sinead Halpin.

Sinead and I are working very hard to get everything organized properly to offer Farrah for syndication:  Crazy about eventing and want to be a part owner of an upper level event pony?  Crazy about ponies?   RedHeaded Mares?  Love Team SHE?  Talk to Sinead!  We are looking for fun people to join us in having a great time supporting the sport of eventing with the incredible Farrah pony and Sinead Halpin in the irons!

GO PONY!

Building a Partnership

Photo Courtesy of Palmer Photography

Farrah and Sinead had a successful first run out of the state of Florida.  After some discussion on xc on who was calling the shots, they cruised around the Pine Top Prelim course with just time added to their 33 in dressage and clean Stadium round.  Clearly, Farrah is enjoying herself and Sinead!  Although I don't envy Sinead the task of figuring out how to drive a sports car version of a Red Headed Equine, especially when the equine in question is both a pony and a mare.

In case you missed it, Farrah and Sinead were featured on Eventing Nation with Sinead's 4* mount, Tate (who is hopefully bound for WEG - World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy, France).

EVENTING NATION ARTICLE

We also are pleased to post some XC video of Farrah and Sinead through the water complex at Pine Top Farm (Thomson, GA).  Go Pony Eventer and Team SHE.  Onward to Carolina Horse Trials March 22!

Video XC PINE TOP

Pine Top Bound!!!

Farrah and Sinead are off the wait list and are competing this weekend at Pine Top in Georgia!!!

Ride times dressage: stadium jumping: cross country.

Sinead Halpin	Forrest Nymph  Beth Davidson	Saturday	11:38am	1	Sat.	1:28pm	Sun.	2:58pm

Video Open Preliminary XC!

Courtesy of the Horse Pesterer!

Many thanks to David for shooting some excellent video of Sinead and Farrah cruising around the Open Preliminary at Ocala Horse Properties last weekend.  On to Pine Top in two weeks!  Sinead and Farrah finished in 4th place in their division, the first time this pair has been out at Preliminary!  Go Pony.

Farrah Conquers Ocala's New Water Hazard!

Farrah and Sinead toughed it out in the rain at Ocala Horse Properties this past weekend!  The rain and 500 entries was a strain at the facility and there were quite a few divisions with a lot of scratches, but many stayed to play.  So glad we did and Sunday was gorgeous and sunny and Farrah and Sinead finished on a clean XC in 4th.

Tomorrow I will post a bit of cross country video, but suffice it to say that Sinead and Farrah jumped fantastically all weekend and had a great first preliminary.  Love the RedHead and her new rider.  Wonderful weekend all the way around as former stable mates of Farrah's managed to finish well:  Mia and Lauren DeLalla were 2nd at BN and Nataly Pacheco and Mateo were 6th at Training.  Great pony weekend for Black Dog Farm and Team SHE.

First one down, hopefully many more to come!!

Farrah after her training cross country run at Rocking Horse.

Farrah and Sinead completed their first event together and I would say it was a success!  With less than 2 months together, they laid down a 30.5 in the dressage (the Redhead's least favorite phase) and came home with nothing added to their score to finish in 7th in an open training division.  The test included a few bobbles so we know that score can get lower and Farrah finds the training test a bit boring.  That's ok, Farrah, Sinead has you entered in the preliminary division at Ocala Horse Properties, so game on.

Farrah has a Question.

Farrah would like to know if she can get a plane ride to Mexico, please.

Sinead somehow picked the coldest week in Florida to jet to warmer Mexico and Farrah is a tad jealous. The pony is not super fond of the cold and is anxiously awaiting her rider's return now that their first show has been entered!!

Have fun Sinead and Tik and we will see you next week.  Hopefully you will bring back warmer weather on your return!