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Here is Maddie's Photo Gallery
October 2007
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Maddie has had a great season this summer learning to
compete in show jumping. She finished up at the VHSA Associate program
jumper finals held in late October at Deep Run Hunt Club outside of
Richmond, VA.
She was entered in the "Low Jumper" division and finished
up just out of the ribbons among over 45 entries!
She had no rails down in the "hit and hurry" class, where points are
accumulated over a timed course but ended up 9th. In the mini prix, she
went clean and within the time allowed in the first round but had two
knockdowns in the jump off. All in all, a great showing for her first
season!
We are very fortunate that our good friend, Sarah, was
willing to work with Maddie so hard and is such an excellent rider. Maddie
"jumps her hear out" for Sarah.
The arcs of water you see in the background of some of
these photos are from the grounds crew turning on the ring sprinkler
system in the second ring right when Maddie began her mini-prix round. It
didn't distract her from the job at hand!
We are so proud of our little orphan. |
June 2007
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Maddie went to her
second grown up jumper show at Foxchase Farm in Middleburg in late June.
She showed in the Novice Jumper, fences 2' 3" - 2' 6", and Low Jumper,
fences 2' 6" - 3', divisions and she had a great day, earning the top
prize, Champion, in both divisions.
Her very first effort was a win in Novice Jumper class 1, timed
first round and jump off, then a second place in the speed class. Low
Jumper is run the same way, with higher efforts, and she earned a second
place, then first in the speed class and ended up tied with an experienced
horse for the championship so both were awarded the honor.
She was very good all day and seemed to approve of the adulation we
bestowed on her. |
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April 2007
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| We were all amazed that Maddie
behaved Herself at Foxchase Farm for her first effort in a Jumper Show.
Unlike Hunter shows, form and style do not count, just being the fastest
over the course without knocking jumps down is what counts. We arrived at
the showgrounds two hours early so Sarah and then Katie were able to
school Maddie before the ring became crowded. Maddie was behaving herself
so marvelously that we stopped after she'd been over each jump, looked at
each other and exclaimed "Well, that's that. Nothing left to do!" Then I
mentioned we might be smart by leaving right then and being happy with
what we had. Katie rode her in the first two classes, the "Puddle Jumpers"
and we figured out just what we were supposed to be doing, seeing as this
was quite a departure from our safe haven in "Hunterland". Simply dressing
in casual attire seemed surreal. |
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Sarah, hunter princess to the
max, let out her inner wild child, wore blue gloves to match Maddie's
saddle pad and let our little gray mare fly in the Novice Jumper division.
The goal was to preserve Maddie's cooperative and relaxed behavior and to
just get around the course but, halfway through the first class, Sarah
found things were going so well she ratcheted it up and Maddie practically
became a blur. They earned themselves a fourth and a fifth out of a lot of
entries and we were delighted. It was a marvelous day, wonderful weather,
great company and a little horse that gave every thing she is capable of.
Maddie on a good day is a wondrous thing. |
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