2011 News

Holiday Half Halts Dressage and Fun Show 12.10.11

                

The Holiday Half Halts Dressage Show was a “barrel” of fun and will probably become an annual tradition. Rain Thursday put the show in jeopardy, but luckily the warm up ring dried out in time! Riders worked on their first points for the new show season. We had some young horses as well as riders making their dressage show debut. All did well. Sally and her youngster Rockafella were stars, with a 72% at Intro and the high point score of the show. Minerva and Donna were also noteworthy with a 66% in their first third level test…that bronze medal is getting closer. Team Encore members looked “spiffy” in their new vests! The fun show was just that…fun. Barrel racing, ride a buck and a costume classes were all closely contested. It seems dressage riders and their horses like to barrel race…who knew? There were very original costumes, a few corgis even made it into the mix. Thank you to everyone who attended and had a good time. Happy Holidays and see you next year!

            

Team Encore Racks Up Tons of Ribbons at the 2011 NCDCTA Championships

         

Team Encore rocked it out at the NCDCTA Championships receiving 14 placings in the Championship Finals! The weather was cold, wet and windy on Friday and windy on Saturday but the horses were all extremely well behaved and went to work like the pros they are! There was a real battle for the Reserve placing in the Open Training Level Championship class. Susie received a combined score of 64.122 on Pieter and 64.100 on Delmonico, it couldn’t have been much closer. Susie and Curt won the 2nd Level Championship with only their 3rd and 4th classes at 2nd Level at a recognized show! Sue was “under the weather” but managed to have some good rides in the opportunity classes. With Wendy’s help, Pam and Marvin were able to successfully address a training issue in her last class. We were the best turned out bunch in our new Team Encore vests! The competitor party Saturday night was a pig-pickin’. There was an awards ceremony for the Sotheby’s stakes and the A+ AA award. Teena was a 4th place winner of an A+ award! Team Encore thanks the sponsors for their generous awards. The Championship awards were very pretty crystal trophies. Patrick Horning was once again margarita maker extraordinaire! Tanya’s new mare is very pretty and we look forward to seeing them together in the show ring. As always it was a well-run show and we had a great time. We can’t wait til Regionals in 2012!

      

2011 NCDCTA Championships

The Hunter Pace was Cold but Fun

Team Encore once again sent multiple teams to the Moore County Hunter Pace. Thanks to Lola for her annual organization of this event. The day started as one of the coldest so far of the season! But a little cold weather doesn’t keep Team Encore home! Some of the horses were a little frisky (*cough* Chivas *cough*). James and Socks made their debut as a team and had a great time.

        

Welcome Back Wendy Warner!

Wendy Warner is back as an Assistant Trainer at Encore Sporthorse. We are really happy to have her back. She didn’t come alone…she brought Watson, her crazy cute ConnemaraX foal with her. Wendy is ready to work with you on the lunge line to get you ready for the 2012 show season! Contact Encore Sporthorse at encoresporthorse@gmail.com or 919.258.9740.

Sue gets a First Place Birthday Win at Buckhorn

Team Encore had a good showing at the Oct. 1 show at Buckhorn.  The highlight was a first place win for Sue and Farbie on Sue’s birthday. Susie took Winnie and Donatell and did well with both.  Nancy was pleased with her NCDCTA Championship “tune-up” on Curt.  Robert and Naroby continued their work at second level.  Congrats to the Love/Sills on their First (Nancy – 1st Level) and Reserve (Robert – 2nd Level) placing at the Buckhorn Series Championship.

Team Encore Welcomes Debbie and Howie

Team Encore Welcomes Debbie Craycraft  and “Howie’s Shooting Star”  to Ovation Farm.  Howie is another talented Quarter Horse to add to the Team Encore roster! At the MacNair’s show on Nov. 20, Debbie and Howie were in the 60s+ for both of their Training Level classes. Looking forward to having them show with the team in 2012! 

Congrats on New Horses for Team Encore Members

Lola has purchased “St. Croix”, a TB gelding with a background in eventing. Lola is really enjoying her new partner. Lola and Croix have already had a blast at 2 hunter paces. 

JJ Tate Clinic – Oct. 8 and 9, 2011

Susie Wiedman and Ovation Farm hosted the NCDCTA JJ Tate AA Clinic. The weather was beautiful for the weekend.  10 riders and many auditors participated. Mary/Delmonico and Sally/Flash were Team Encore riders who rode in the clinic.  Susie and JJ share many of the same teaching philosophies which only enhanced Mary and Sally’s rides. Susie hopes to invite JJ back to Ovation Farm in 2012. Thanks to Polly Yeago and NCDCTA for organizing and sponsoring this clinic.

         

Visit from Dylan

In Addition to the JJ Tate clinic, Team Encore was excited to have a visit from Dylan Handy and Chesnee Faulkner Oct 8-9 2011. Susie wasted no time utilizing Dylan’s recent training in Germany on her young horses Frankie, Winnie, and Nico.  Wow! Dylan had them all looking like the superstars that they are. Dylan enjoyed his time in Germany and felt that it was a wonderful learning experience.  We are all very proud that he was invited back should he decide to return.  Chesnee took the fantastic photos of Dylan seen here.

        

Congrats and Good-bye to Hannah Cail

Hannah received her Bronze medal this summer riding Minerva.  Congrats!  Hannah has moved with her husband Jake to Woodlawn, TN and opened Hannah Cail dressage.  Take a look at her website and say “hi” on Facebook.    Team Encore wishes Hannah good luck on her new endeavor.

Belated Welcome to Donna Fowble

Donna joined Susie as an assistant trainer this summer. Donna is a 2011 graduate of St. Andrews. She comes from Maryland and can and will ride anything! Donna’s expertise is with young horses. Currently Donna is well on her way to her Bronze medal riding Minerva. In addition, she has been working with Sally’s young horse Rockafella (Rocky). Watch for Donna and Rocky’s Intro debut at the Holiday Half-Halts Schooling Show 12.10.11!

   

Devastating Tornadoes 4.16.11

There were devastating tornadoes that ripped through NC on Sat. April 16.  22 people died in NC. Unfortunately Ovation Farm was grazed by the tornado. The lower barn roof was blown off, there were trees down and much fencing lost.  However we at Ovation Farm consider ourselves lucky and are very thankful. People, horses and dogs were all OK.

Neighbors Marian and Tom Brinley and Tania and Dany Pelletier were not as fortunate and took a direct hit.  Their Misty Creek Ranch was decimated and 12 horses were lost. All people on the farm survived the storm.

The support of many veterinarians (headed by Sally Vivrette) who selflessly provided their time and expertise in treating injured horses and the many volunteers who are helping to restore some order to Misty Creek is greatly appreciated. The volunteers at Ovation Farm have also been selfless.  Thank you all.

Also we are having a Men with Chain Saws day next Saturday, April 30, weather permitting 10 am - whenever. Guys who have and can handle a chainsaw or help pick up debris are welcome!

Fundraising Efforts For Our Neighbors At Misty Creek Ranch

There are two fundraising efforts for those at Misty Creek who were affected by the tornado. There is a fund for Dany, Tania and their 2 sons. You can contribute through “ChipIn” through this link http://nrhafriends.chipin.com/tania-and-dany. This site will be open through 5.17.11.

     

There is also a fund to help defray the costs for seriously injured horses that are/were treated at the NC State Veterinary School. Some of the bills are $500+ a day. The photos below are of “Little Girl”, a successful reining horse who was seriously injured but made it through the storm. If you would like to donate funds to help defray medical expenses for the critically injured horses, funds for the grooms who have lost their housing and possessions then go to PayPal.com and enter the email address info1@encoresporthorse.com. You can also mail donations in care of Misty Creek Horse Fund, 4275 Avents Ferry Rd, Sanford, NC 27330.

Congrats on New Horses for Team Encore Members

Congratulations to Allison Delong on her purchase of Prescott’s Ruby RID (“Ruby”), a 2002 16.2 Irish Draught mare.  Allison has been searching for an Irish Draught for quite a while and she is thrilled to have found her sweet new partner.  Allison and Ruby have been very successful at the Ovation Farm Schooling Shows I & II and are looking to continue their success off of the farm.

Congratulations to Meredith Wilson on her purchase of Gienevia (“Gigi”), a 2001 16.3 Hanoverian by Gluenkspliz. Meredith had Harald Cornelissen help her find Gigi in Germany this spring. Gigi is a “look at me” type horse schooling all of the Grand Prix movements. We can’t wait to see this pair in the show ring! They should make their NC debut at Pinehurst in May.

Harald Cornelissen Clinic 4.10 – 11.11

The weekend of April 9th was a busy one, the day after the schooling show, Ovation Farm hosted a 2 day clinic by Harald Cornelissen, an FEI rider and judge. Harald is the owner of the beautiful farm Hof Hoisdorf in Germany (http://www.hofhoisdorf.de/).  The clinic was awesome.  Harald is very supportive and encouraging.  The emphasis on the clinic was the relationship between submission and “throughness”.  He wanted happy horses softly chewing and reaching toward the bit.  It was impressive to see how much better the horses moved after his instruction.  We have all been practicing our “German riding” and hope to show Harald our progress when he returns.

               

North Carolina Caravan for the Cure

The 2011 PVDA Ride for Life will be held June 25-26 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. This show is a fund raiser for the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center. Once again the North Carolina Caravan for the Cure will be raising funds and participating in the show. There is a great article in the March 2011 issue of Dressage Today about breast cancer fund raising in the Dressage community. Tanya Horning is the founder of NC Caravan for the Cure and has a section in the article about fund raising. There are also pictures of previous fund raising activities featured. Please see the NC Caravan for the Cure Facebook page and the PVDA website (http://www.pvdarideforlife.org/) for more information about this important cause. If you would like to join the NC Caravan to travel to the show, please contact Susie today (closing date 5.25.11).

March Magic 3.25 – 27.11

March Magic was all about Pony Power!  Tiger showed those big Warmbloods that a pony can compete and win.  Susie and Tiger placed in all classes ranging from 1st -4th.  Tiger now has his first score at Third Level. Meredith and Landgravin were again successful at Fourth Level.  Cricket and Never Better Magic placed in their classes with 60+% scores.  Since Cricket’s horse is a Quarter Horse, he also received points and cash for his success. The AQHA dressage program is becoming more popular in NC.  Check it out Quarter Horse riders! Sue and Jonson continue to make progress at First Level. 

      

Teena and Paris Receive Awards from AQHA

The Quarter Horse people do it right!  We are so proud of the success of Teena and Paris in Dressage in 2010.  Teena and Paris were Champions at Training Level and Reserve Champions at First Level for the AQHA.  Teena got a gignormous trophy and this groovy belt buckle for her efforts.  Hey Dressage people – take note!

Win a Free Week of Training from Susie Wiedman

Susie is excited to present the Encore Sporthorse Performance Award. Both training and lesson students have the opportunity to compete for a week of free training. Winning will be based on performance in the show ring in 2011. Click here for more details. Join us for a fun and successful 2011 season!

Monthly Clinics in Wilmington with Susie Wiedman

Susie is traveling to Wilmington on a monthly basis for weekend clinics.  She and “Team Encore East” are preparing for the 2011 show season. Participants report they are making good progress.

Get those Dirty Blankets Cleaned Today

Teena and Al are the owner/operators of At Your Service horse blanket service.  They do a fantastic job of cleaning, waterproofing and repair of blankets at a competitive price. There is a drop off container in the middle barn at Ovation Farm for dirty winter blankets. Get your blankets ready for next season!