Demo Team Photo Shoot: Fergus & Christine

Photos by: http://www.cherylstephensphotography.com

Update on Demo Horse: Steeped in Luck

Steeped in Luck traveled with trainer Tom Dvorak to Wellington, Florida, in mid-January. Their first show was the Gold Coast Dressage Opener the last weekend in January where they competed at Fourth Level. Tom and Steeped in Luck were only able to compete two of the three days. Steeped in Luck was 4th on day one and 2nd on day two.

This past weekend, Steeped in Luck competed at Fourth Level at the Wellington Classic Spring Challenge. His competitiveness improved daily placing 4th on Friday, 3rd on Saturday and 1st on Sunday. Steeped in Luck appeared to enjoy the more challenging test which was on Sunday when he attained his highest score of 68.78% and 1st place finish; however, the best news was that Steeped in Luck and Tom's consistency paid off over the three days - they were Fourth Level Champions!!!

Steeped in Luck received a championship ribbon and Tom received a pat on the back; while stallion owner, Keith Douglas, received a black jacket with the logo "Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge". Keith keeps a watchful eye on the jacket that he says cost him "$$,$$$".

Congrats to Tom, Pairadox Farm and Steeped in Luck on their 2010 successes to date! Watch for the this pair doing Dressage Demonstrations in conjunction with the Irish Village at WEG.

Volunteer Contact

It is now time to organize and establish our volunteer team for the Irish Village at the World Equestrian Games. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact:

Lyn Lindstrom
Volunteer Coordinator
Irish Village at WEG 2010
1399 SW Clevenger Lane
Port Orchard, WA 98367
tllindstrom@earthlink.net
fax: 916.209.9937

Spotlight on Demo Horse: Kiko

Kiko is a 14.2 hand 7-year-old bay Registered Irish Draught Sport Horse mare, sired by Welcome Diamond RID and out of the mare Moorpark Mystery Date RIDSH. Kiko was bred in Ireland and brough over in utero to northern Virginia by Wendy Ying DVM (http://www.sportcob.com/). She and Kiko then moved to Florida, and when old enough, Kiko was broke to ride and drive. She competed in ridden Dressage Intro level with Wendy and competed in prelim level Combined Driving Events (CDEs) in Florida, earning 1st and 2nd in 2008.
In the summer of 2008, Kiko was purchased by Boo Fitch West. The past two years, Kiko has foxhunted with a junior rider with the Smith Mountain Hounds. She has also competed in Training level Dressage at the IDHSNA Annual Show with professional Dressage trainer, Harriet Peterson of Lynchburg, Virginia, earning Reserve Champion competing against a multitude of different horses, including stallions. Kiko and Boo have competed in CDEs Prelim level at both the National and Local level shows. Kiko is training to compete as a pair in 2010 with a Section D Welsh Cob gelding.
A funny story Boo shares about Kiko was at a CDE in the Fall of 2009 when Kiko was a little behind time on Section A of the marathon. The course wound around farms and turned onto a dirt road. Boo and Kiko happened to turn onto that road right behind an unsuspecting bicycle rider. Kiko saw the biker and immediately raised her head, perked her ears, and became more forward, wanting to follow and stay up with the bicycle. The poor bicycle rider was pedaling faster and faster to get out of the way, and Kiko got faster to keep pace in the race! Boo laughed the whole way to the finish line as they followed and overtook the biker and came in on time.

Kiko has qualified to perform Demonstrations in Combined Driving (driven by Boo Fitch West) and Dressage (ridden by Harriet Peterson), so watch for her in the Demo ring in conjunction with the Irish Village at the World Equestrian Games.

Spotlight on Demo Rider: Christine McCarter

Demo rider Christine McCarter is a pre-vet student at Texas A&M University and has been riding for 15 years. After 3 years of the trail and western riding, she saw girls jumping and decided that’s what she wanted to do. She began riding English, doing the hunter/jumper circuit. When Christine turned 10, her parents bought her first horse, Doin A Dash (aka: Reckless). Reckless was 5 at the time, but Christine's parents thought she was experienced enough to handle him. The pair started doing the hunter/jumper circuit together and moved up very quickly through it.

Because Reckless was a Quarter Horse, they started doing the English side of Quarter Horse shows. After a year and half competing in the youth Quarter Horse shows, Christine and Reckless qualified together to go to the American Quarter Horse Youth World Show. They went, but never got called back for the final rounds. Reckless and Christine then decided to try their hand at eventing and began training with Nancy Lindsey. They worked their way through Novice and qualified for the Area V Novice Championship and ended up in 4th place at that event. After that, the pair moved up to Training level.

In 2007, Christine got a big, white birthday present, in the form of a beautiful 2 turning 3-year-old Irish Draught Sport Horse, Fergus Mac Finn, or Fergus as he's called. Christine backed him herself and put all the steering, brakes, dressage, and jump in him with the help of her trainer. He had natural talent, so he was very easy to train. Christine began focusing on getting Reckless to the Training 3-day in 2008 and showing Fergus Beginner Novice. She took the two horses to Kentucky in July that year to show at Champagne Run at the Kentucky Horse before she went off to college. Christine took both horses to college with her, so she could keep training them. She then turned her sights to move Reckless up to Prelim and make it to the Young Rider Championship. Reckless ended up getting injured during training and had to be retired from upper-level eventing. Fergus stepped up to the plate at the first fall show in Area V and obtained a 24.5 dressage score and finished on that to win first place. Fergus continued doing well in Beginner Novice and made it to the Area V Beginner Novice Championships the next month. After the championship, Christine moved Fergus up to Novice.

In the summer of 2009, Christine helped train two young Irish Draught Sport horses along with continuing Fergus’s training. In the fall of 2009, Christine and Fergus went to the Area V Novice championship and got 4th place. Now, Fergus has moved up to Training level, with the focus for 2010 to qualify for the Training 3-day. Fergus and Christine have had the opportunity to work with Leslie Law, Karen O’Connor, and Nick Larkin.

Christine, aboard Demo horse Fergus MacFinn, has qualifed to perform Demonstrations in Dressage, Jumping, Eventing, and Foxhunting, so look for the pair in the Demo ring in conjunction with the Irish Village at the World Equestrian Games.

Spotlight on Demo Horse: Fergus MacFinn

Demo rider Christine McCarter was looking for a young horse to train and compete. She was at a lesson with her trainer and saw a big white horse playing in the pasture. At the time, Fergus MacFinn (aka: Fergus) was a gangly 15.3 hand 2-year-old, but she decided to look at him in the round pen. He was a trooper and did everything he was asked to do. So, Christine's mother decided to buy him for her birthday. He had only done ground work, so Christine was the first to back him. At first, he had no power steering or brakes, but he learned those very quickly. After that he had to learn how to do eventing, but it all seemed to come pretty naturally to him. Fergus is by the RID stallion, Mac's Blue Erin, out of the Thoroughbred mare, High Dynah.

At his first show, Fergus did Green as Grass as a 3-year-old. Now, he has moved up through Beginner Novice and Novice. He is now a 16.2 hand 6-year-old that is running Training level. Fergus has not been a Grand Champion yet, but everywhere he goes everyone loves him.

Fergus is always in training for 3-day eventing. He is ridden anywhere from 4 to 6 times week, doing dressage mainly but jumping once or twice a week. To keep him fit for cross country, he goes on trail rides every couple of weeks, where he gets to do everything from walking, trotting, and galloping.

Fergus’s favorite toy in the pasture is Christine's mom’s minature horse, The Little Duke of Foster, also known as Foster. Fergus likes to play chase the minature and pick up the minature. They are hilarious to watch because Fergus is this big almost completely white horse, and Foster is little black minature. Another funny story Christine tells is one day she and Fergus were riding with some friends, when this woman brings out one of the young horses at the barn. As the group was jumping some of the cross country fences there, the lady decided to try to get the young horse down the bank. The young horse did not want to go. So, Fergus, ever the helper, got behind the horse and pushed the young horse down the bank with his nose. It finally worked! That's Irish ingenuity!

Watch for Fergus and Christine in the Demo ring on behalf of the Irish Village at the World Equestrian Games. They are qualified to Demo in Dressage, Eventing, Jumping, and Foxhunting.

Update on Demo Horse: Bridon Beale Street

Demo horse, Bridon Beale Street (aka: Liam), has gotten a little break over the winter, as his home state of California has experienced a extraordinary deluge of rain and water. Demo rider, Connie Arthur, has managed to get some work in despite the weather, and Liam has enjoyed learning his flying changes.

Liam's co-owner, Shirley Kahlert, has her new Stoneleigh Farm website up and running at http://stoneleighirishdraughts.com. Check the site out to read more about Liam, his offspring, and the Irish Draught breed.

Update on Demo Rider: Gaby Stephens

Young Demo Rider Gaby Stephens and her eventing mount, Reckless, participated in an eventing clinic at Pine Hill in Bellville, Texas, over the weekend with Olympic silver medalist, Gina Miles (www.mileseventing.com), rider of famed Irish Sport Horse McKinlaigh!

Although the weather was cold a dreary, all who attended the clinic had a wonderful time and learned an enormous amount.