WRF Scoop

10/28/20: It seems only fitting that it's nearly November before I update the Scoop page in 2020. What an unexpected, upside down, silver linings kind of year! COVID certainly threw a wrench into everyone's plans, and staying nimble, flexible, and go-with-the-flow was the only coping strategy that seemed to work!!

We had such big plans for the year - EIGHT recognized horse trials, six mini trials, a couple combined driving events, Equine Affaire, camping, a drive through Acadia in Maine, HorseFest, Country Lights....the list feels endless. Alas, every SINGLE one of the horse trials got cancelled, along with nearly everything except the mini trials (thank GOODNESS for the mini trials).

However, this year was largely about remembering why we love our sport so much, and learning that any day spent with our golden ponies is a day to celebrate.

I'll give you a couple of the major highlights from the year:

Our longtime barn favorite horse Lavinia-Lena YES (Lena) had to be retired due to recurring soundness issues. We've had Lena since she was nine, and she retired this year at the ripe old age of 18. The list of things she's accomplished and the riders she's safely carried on her back are too numerous to count. We wish her a long, happy, content retirement!

We also added a horse to our show string - N'Pressive - an 8 year old gelding, previously owned by Tara Williamson, who is a good friend of ours. We've taken to calling him "Wezi" (sorry Tara!) and he's fit right into our program seamlessly. Nicole is hoping to qualify him for the American Eventing Championships for 2021.

We did have the chance to attend SEVEN mini trials, so that certainly gave the team something to work towards all summer and into the fall. Also of note, it rained at over half of them (BOO!) and we invested in some really good rain gear to keep us dry!

The 2020 American Eventing Championships were cancelled, so our two qualified riders (Megan Szymczak and Gina Keller) are hoping to hit the ground running next year and be ready for the 2021 AECs. Additionally, Kelly Cooper qualified for 2021, so we're hoping to have quite a Haflinger presence at the 2021 AECs.

As the leaves continue to fall and bare tree branches are more and more visible, it certainly has begun to feel as though winter is creeping in. Our winter goals are somewhat in flux, as we don't know exactly how indoor winter horse shows will operate. However, we do know there will be lots of dressage practice in our future!!