# Hope for the Journey- Eventerdrew's adventures in Kentucky



## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

*Uma*- 8 year old 3/4 Thoroughbred 1/4 Shire mare that I got as a 10 month old from a sporthorse breeder in Texas. She was SO TINY when she got here that we had no idea that she'd end up being 17 hands! Uma has always been a personality. She's goofy, stubborn, a typical mare and so much fun to be around. We completed one recognized event together in 2008 and schooled up to Prelim, cliniced with Buck Davidson and then took a break for a while while i found a new trainer. I moved her to Kentucky with me with the intention of selling her. Though she's a good girl, she's just entirely too powerful for me. Unfortunately, with all that jumping talent, we found out that she has moderate arthritis in her left hock and can no longer jump as much as she used to. We are now selling her more towards being a hilltopper in the hunt field or a trail horse... both of which she LOVES!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

*Demi*- 7 year old Thoroughbred bred and raised in Kentucky. I got Demi about a year ago. She had evented Novice before I got her and her old owner and I are still very good friends . So far Demi has proven to me that we are the perfect match! We have competed in one unrecognized horse trial so far in our partnership and this coming weekend we will be competing at Midsouth Team Challenge. We've been training very hard for this event. She's spooky, a typical TB mare, and very very hot. But it's all worth it because this mare's got TALENT!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

Well... to start the journal.. I'll start with today

10/20/10- Today Demi and I had a GREAT jumping lesson with my coach, Tanya. We're preparing for Midsouth Team Challenge where we will compete on a team with Tanya and two other students of her's. We really focused on getting Demi to make tight turns to the left, as she throws her shoulder out and likes to get rushy to jumps. We were jumping 2'6" consistently today complete with a triple line at the end of the course!

Uma did not get ridden today, as I ran out of time. But there are several people who are interested in coming to try her out from the local hunt club. hopefully one of them will work out!

I miss Ginisee, who is at home in Kansas 

Hope we're ready for team challenge!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

Hey all!

Thought I'd let everyone know how I did at Team Challenge this past weekend! 

Well to start off, Demi was WILD WILD WILD the entire weekend. NEVER settled in her stall. Was pacing back and forth, weaving, whinnying her head off the whole time. She was a huge handful from start to finish. That girl is 15.2 hh of spitfire! 

The minute I got on her to warm up for dressage was hell. I mean HELL. I chipped my tooth getting on her because she leapt so far up in the air. Warm up was absolutely miserable but we got through it. But, she put in a LOVELY test and we scored a 34.3! Not bad for our first recognized together! That put us in a tie for second.

Then stadium came along later that day. STILL a handful. But she was better. Then after a few jumps, she starts hesitating and refuses a lot of warmup fences. I go into stadium VERY nervous. I had to encourage her and yell "GET ON" over every fence but we squeaked by with a double clear. we were then in second, but out of a tie.

I was very very nervous going in to cross country. I had walked the course and the second fence was max and the fourth fence was a turning combination of cabins. We had two banks and two waters. And since she had been sticky the day before I was very hesitant. Warmup was good though and I went into XC saying "it is what it is, I'm going to ride the horse I have". From the minute we got out of the starting box she was FANTASTIC. I mean, this horse was attacking every fence like it was nothing. She was amazing! We came in right at optimum to secure second. However, then I learned that the first place horse had a refusal.

So, at our first recognized event together, both of our first events in two years, my first in Kentucky and Area Eight...

Drew and Demi brought home the BLUE! It was both of our first win at a recognized competition. I couldn't be more proud of my pony! And our team brought in third overall!!!!! :grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin:

here's a quick shot after dressage of Demi, Me and her old mommy Lisa. I'll get more as I get the rights to the professional pics!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

So, A lady came out and tried Uma yesterday. She seemed like a really good match. She kind of underestimated her powerhouse nature but she and her trainer both enjoyed riding her. She'd be looking for a horse to do occasional mini horse trials with. That would be great for her. Plus her hubby is a vet and is going to look at the xrays of her hock before they make a decision whether to take her or not.

FINGERS CROSSED!

Demi has a jumping lesson with Tanya tonight! We're jumping Novice/Training height in preparation for our Novice combined test at the Horse Park this weekend for Octoberfest. YIPES!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

Well, the lady decided to pass on Uma. Oh well. On with life, right?

on the bright side...BRILLIANT jumping lesson on Demi tonight. We were doing rollbacks and cutting corners. Getting her to sit down on her butt and really move out from under herself. We even did a 3 foot swedish oxer and a triple line at the end! And Demi still had room for more. Tanya's comments were "you guys are amazing together" "you're the perfect match" "this mare could easily do Training" "you are riding amazingly".

 She has been so much better since Dr. Chris gave her a shot of poly.... well I forget the name of it... but it's to help her joints. It was just an IV injection but after the show she is getting hock injections as soon as we can afford it. she's jumping so much better that I really think they'll be worth it.

ON TO OCTOBERFEST!


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

Hey guys!

I just got back from a fun-filled weekend at Kentucky Horse Park for the second week in a row! Last weekend we went to KHP for Team Challenge and took first at Beginner Novice My weekend at Hagyard Midsouth Team Challenge and this weekend we took the big step up and did a Novice combined test! Demi was AMAZING! Last weekend she was pacing in her stall and overall a wild child. This weekend she was calm, cool and collected. We had a nice dressage test and got a score of 35.0 which put us in fourth place. Considering we had a little under a week to learn a completely new test, I was very impressed with my little girl! :grin:

Today we did stadium and last weekend was really not our best stadium performance. Yeah, we went clean but I had to fight her for every fence. This weekend (after a quick injection on anti-inflammatories for her hocks earlier in the week) she was fantastic! Great warmup and a nice, steady round in the ring. She had plenty of go and we ended up double clean!!!!!! We ended up getting a nice pretty white ribbon for fourth!

That's the first time I've gone Novice since 2005 and it felt even better than I remembered! Next season, we're doing a few BN horse trials then hopefully (if her hocks are up to it... we're getting her injected) go Novice by mid-season!

YAY DEMI!:grin::grin::grin::grin: 

Uma has had a couple of phone calls from professionals in VA, GA and SC. hopefully one of them is THE ONE.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

So... Yesterday a lady from Tennessee came out to try Uma. They fell in LOVE! So she took her home yesterday. I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO sad to see my baby girl go. I've had her for so long but I know she has a fantastic home with Niki!


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