Mike McNally Photography

When we were at The Fork in April I rented a golf cart for the first time ever. The weekend there becomes very long when you have to walk or mountain bike back and forth between stabling and the competition area every day. Having been a pedestrian plenty of times, I made sure that with my golf cart I picked up every person I could who was on foot. A few weeks ago at Jersey Fresh I was approached by a couple. The husband was Mike McNally the photographer. It turned out I had picked his wife up not once but twice as I buzzed along. Mike was so gracious, he had made many beautiful prints of Jet on cross country. As he said, "It pays to pick up the right people." After Jersey Fresh I emailed him about using his images on my website and on Facebook. He was great to work with and I am currently in the process of getting all of the pictures up. Please check out his work! He can be reached at mikejmcnally@aol.com.

Jersey Fresh CIC*** Cross Country Pictures of Jet

Here are two pictures of Jet on cross country on Saturday. One was featured on the Chronicle of the Horse website. The other was taken by a photographer working for the ReRun adoption organization. This non-profit thoroughbred adoption program tries to give horses coming from the race track a second career. Jet raced until he was five and we bought him off the track. Jet's photos are going to be featured on their website, which is www.rerun.org.

Sunday, Jersey Fresh CIC***

We had a 6th place finish today. Sadly, my wish for a good stadium round did not come true. We jumped by brail and had four rails down. The good news is that our score from this weekend qualifies us for the CCI*** level, and the plan is to take Jet to a CCI*** at Bromont in Quebec, Canada in June. We have five weeks to smooth out the flying changes and work on our stadium skills. Good boy Jet this weekend! We are all very proud of him. The Chronicle of the Horse has a picture of us in their Jersey Fresh photo gallery. Here is the link: http://www.chronofhorse.com/photos_videos?page=0&nid=19571

Day Three, Jersey Fresh CIC***

Holy cow! Who ordered this wind? Sustained gusts of up to 40 miles per hour? I just got inside for the first time today and I feel encrusted by dust and pollen.

Jet was a gem on cross country today and he knew it. We jumped clean. We did not make the time, but neither did anyone else. We posted the fifth fastest time in our division and moved into 6th place overall. Going into the wind on one or two of the jumps, with billows of dust coming straight at our face, I was more or less blinded. I don't know how Jet kept his eyes open, but he did. He jumped us safely around.

Our CIC*** course was partly shared with the harder CCI*** course. This morning I watched several riders in the CCI*** end their day at the water jump. Both divisions went through the same water complex twice, sharing the same track both times. The water was a little deeper than it sometimes is, and as such the combinations didn't ride in a designated striding. Some people got six strides where others got eight. I thought Jet was a champion in these two difficult combinations. As one of my friends said who was watching, "He didn't look like an old pro yet, but he was keen and he understood it and he got the job done." On our second trip through the water we took down the flag of the last element with my knee. Today was not the best cross country round I've ever had on Jet, but as the levels get harder the need for accuracy gets greater. Jet is still young at the advanced level, and this is his first three star competition. We had a few rough moments, but he easily left the hiccups behind him and came fresh to each new jump. Overall he did well.

The Wetherills were both able to come to watch today and we also had Holley Russell, Lynn Rzonca and Dr. Pat, who came to help with Jet's bodywork. I didn't realize how proud Jet was of himself until we got back to his stall where he wouldn't stand still because he was demanding attention from everyone! That is very unusual for Jet. It made me laugh, and it reminded me of a comment Holley made two summers ago. In July of 2008 we traveled out to Maui Jim in Wayne, IL with Jet and Doc. Jet was competing at training level and it was his first overnight competition. Doc was in the CIC***, the same division Jet is in this weekend, and wound up placing fourth. The whole weekend, both in the stable and out, Jet seemed tuned into Doc as a big brother. At the time Holley said that "Jet knows he is traveling with the big man and he wants to be just like him." Well, now he is and he loves it!

Congratulations to my friend Colin Davidson on Draco. Colin pulled up after a stop at Rolex a few weeks ago. Today he jumped into second place in the CCI*** division.

Everyone think good thoughts for us tomorrow around noon (just after brunch with your mothers). That is when we will be show jumping and unfortunately my little Jet likes to tip those rails!

Day Two, Jersey Fresh CIC***

Jet produced a steady test today, except for two exuberant flying changes. Other than the changes, he was very obedient in the ring. He has been suffering from a sore back for different reasons over the past few weeks. First, we decided that he needed his hocks injected. That helped the soreness in his low back. Then, when I returned to PA I left my County jumping saddle in Florida with Karla, the Hanoverian mare I was riding this winter. The horses love the County saddles and that one fit Karla better than the boys. Before I left, though, I ordered a new jumping saddle with a tree that will fit my thoroughbreds perfectly. It is being shipped from the UK and is not here yet. Last week I resorted to putting my old cross country saddle on Jet, thinking nothing of it. Boy was that a mistake. After two days in it, he would sit down when I pressed wrong on his back. In a minor panic, I called Kaity, my lovely County rep from Ocala, and explained my situation. She immediately shipped me a saddle to use in the mean time. This is one of the reasons I love County as a company. They work really hard to do the best thing for their clients and their horses. All of this is to say, I wasn't really sure what kind of horse I would have in the ring today for dressage. By yesterday, thankfully, my intense laser and massage treatments of the past week along with Dr. Pat's chiropractic adjustment on Tuesday had paid off. Jet was feeling much better. Today we scored a 62% and are in 11th place in the division.

Tomorrow is the big cross country day. When I walked around the course yesterday I thought it looked like great fun. Today, however, it looked harder. Usually it goes the other way around -- when you first walk a course it looks hard and then it gets easier looking the more you see it -- so I'm not sure what to make of this! I do know that I have come to grief at more than one of the fences on the Jersey Fresh course. I have also had years where I had great rounds. Tomorrow I will have to keep my head in gear and make sure I give Jet a smooth, confidant ride the whole way around.

In other news, my friend James Alliston has come all the way out from California to ride this weekend. After dressage he is in last place on his own off the track thoroughbred in the CCI*** division, but in first place on his girlfriend's horse in the CCI** division. That can't be too common! Also, four star rider Wendy Lewis has just had her second baby, a boy, and he is at the show with her this weekend spectating. He is six weeks old. Wendy trains with Buck Davidson and Buck is riding her horse right now.

There are several horses running this weekend that had mishaps at Rolex, so they are looking to make amends of their spring season with a solid finish at a CCI***. It will be interesting to see if that goes well for them.

Signing off for now!

Ashley

Snow Birds Fly North, Day One at Jersey Fresh CIC***

There is so much to catch up on! I have been on the road for much of the past few weeks. Brian and I drove his shoeing rig out to Rolex two weeks ago to watch and to help his clients there. As always, it was very inspiring to be in such a great venue with the opportunity to watch world class horses and riders. In particular it is wonderful to be able to watch riders from abroad who I do not get to see compete very often. Congratulations to William Fox Pitt on his first Rolex win!

From Kentucky, I hitched a ride back to Ocala while Brian drove on to Pennsylvania to leave his rig here for the summer. Once back in Ocala, I made a two day turn-around and then headed up the I-95 corridor to my summer station here in Plymouth Meeting with Doc, Monte, Jet, Jada, and a few of my plants. In the mean time, Brian flew back down to Florida.

This week, Jet and I are competing in the Jersey Fresh CIC***, held at the Horse Park of New Jersey. This event is always fun for me because I grew up about thirty five minutes from the Horse Park and many of the key players in organizing, hosting, and running this event have known me since I was a wee lass. Today was the trot up, and pictured at the top are Gina, Holley, Jet, and me. We will do dressage tomorrow morning and then cross country on Saturday. I will try to blog through the weekend, but I am making it short and sweet tonight. I need to be in bed by 10:00!