Courtney's Blog

Spring is finally here and horse show season is well under way. That means that Competition Services is in full swing. We are busy reviewing prize lists, which there seems to be an endless supply of...:) David, Carol, Cathy and I seem to be going non stop. Then on the other side of the wall, Cathy, Mary, Steve, Ashley, Rebecc and Jackie never seem to have a dull moment. I was trained to do some results, and after that one show, all I can say is that I have the upmost respect for them. They have to be very detailed oriented because they are looking at rows of numbers all day, updating and correcting them so that everyone gets the correct points.

April also marks the second edition of the Comeptition Services Newsletter that goes out to all the USEF Competition Secretaries and Managers. This newsletter is a to to help secretaries & managers with any new rules changes, rule clarifications and any reminders needed. if you would like to be included on this newsletter, you can either contact myself, cbarnett@usef.org or Diane Popp, Director of Competition Services, dpopp@usef.org.

Have a great spring and a wonderful horse show season!

"Change" seems to be the catch word of the year and it is no different for me. I have the opportunity to work in Competition Services Department under Diane Popp. I snatched that opportunity up right away.

In the two weeks I have worked in Competition Services I have learned a lot!! I am reviewing prize lists and now learning to process results. And now I truly believe this department is the Wizard behind the curtain. So much is accomplished by only a few people in order for our 3000+ shows to be able to take place and then for our members to get their results. I am truly amazed and a little overwhelmed!

Each week I hope to give our members a little peak behind the curtain as I learn the inner workings of the Competition Services Department. ~We're off to see the Wizard...~

Last night was an exciting night!! Watching the Masters was great with Jordan's draw being the last, my anticpation lasted all night. This year there was a good group of riders and horses. Not all of the riders were able to bring their own horses from home so they had to borrow, which can be difficult. But as the Masters continues to grow, more and better eligible horses are available. Smart Spook, Tinsel Nic, Chics Voodoo to name a few competed last night.

Unfortunetaly, the U.S. didn't bring home the gold but we did get the silver and the bronze. Rudi Kronsteiner riding Samrt Spook was the third to go and he came in a rode a solid 221. Both of the U.S. horses has beaten that score in competition, not once but twice, so I was hoping it was doable again. Craig riding Mr Dual Rey aka "The Ladies Man" drew up 13th, so I had to wait through ten horses and a drag before Craig when into the pen. Craig and Rey looked good; Craig was focused and Rey was alert. They started their pattern off and immediately impressed the crowd. They had the whole place cheering hem on and the U.S. flags were waving in the air. It wasn't until their first set of spins that a cue was misinterpreted and Rey took a couple of steps back before the spin and the judges marked it a freeze up; an immediate 2 point penalty from each judge. But Craig didn't let that stop them. He continued the run and wowed the crowd. When they were walking out of the pen Rey knew he had done a good job. The score was a 216, had there not been the penalty the score would have been a 222. But this happens in horse showing. Craig was very proud of Rey. They have competed well together all year.

Jordan was last, and I have watched him and Lena so I know that the can mark high so we just had to wait and see if they could tonight. Lena gave it his all under the Oklahoma City fairground lights, with the U.S. flags waving and fans cheering. In the end Jordan and Lena recieved a respectable 218. Though not what Jordan was hoping for he was happy with Lena. They too have been showing all year.

Now both horses are heading home for some well earned R&R. But Craig and Jordan aren't done yet, they still have the Futurity Finals coming up. Then they can relax! :)

This competition has been great. I have seen many friends that I made while I was in Italy for the FEI World Reining Championships this year and met some new ones. I also got to meet Nikki Kennedy, the new Director of Reining. Now I am off to go watch the rest of the NRHA Futurity, cheer on riders in the finals and watch next year's futurity horses being sold in the Prospect Sale and somehow managing to keep my bidding arm down. (It is too tempting!)

I can't forget our Chef d'Equipe Jeff Petska, he keeps everything going in the right direction and always adds a bit of humor.

Pictures coming, I am having a technology malfunction.

Another FEI Reining Championship is fast approaching, next week I will be watching the 2008 FEI World Reining Masters Final take place. The two U.S. riders that will be competing are seasoned veterans at FEI competitions, since both competed at the 2008 FEI World Reining Championships where the U.S. won the Team Silver.

I spent some time with both riders and horses in Italy, and I cannot wait to see them in action again. Jordan Larson and Lena Gallo put in a triumphant effort in Italy to win the Individual Gold and I expect he will want to see that same run again.

Craig Schmersal and Mr Dual Rey tied for the bronze in Italy but Craig has enough International experience that he will be able to get everything out of Rey. Craig has previously won the Gold medal at the 2005 FEI Masters Final and a team Gold Medal at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.

No matter what happens it is going to be exciting and I can't wait to get to OKC to see the competition! I will be updating this blog on the activities of the 2008 FEI World Reining Masters and the NRHA Futurity. I hope in the end I will have extremely exciting news to report!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

The championship has come and gone. We did well and I couldn’t be more thrilled for the team.

Pete and Ryan Kyle

After last night’s dinner everyone went their separate ways to prepare for their departure in the morning. Pete, Tom, Craig and Jordan are flying down to Mallorca for a show next weekend. John is headed home to L.A. Jeff is going to Whitesboro. Lauren and Ryan are riding with the horses down to Mallorca. The owners are all heading off, Becky Jordan, Judy Miller and Jerry Kimmel drove to Milan after the show in order to skip the early morning traffic in Milan. And I am heading home tomorrow (Tuesday). I want to make sure that everyone gets headed in the direction and that nothing is left behind. This morning started with Ryan, Lauren and I loading all the equipment and then the horses for their 12+ hour drive to Spain, then an 8 hour ferry ride to Mallorca. After Lauren, Ryan and the horses were headed on their way I went to check out of my room and pick up Kari Lapke (Lena Gallo’s owner). She and I are heading to Milan since we both fly out on Tuesday. We decided to take a different route to the airport then the one I had previously taken. Jeff said it was faster, “Just follow the signs.” I was a little apprehensive because the term of the week had been “Follow the signs” which is kind of a joke because there are a lot of signs on each possible turn. And when I sent directions to help everyone get to the hotel I had said “follow the signs” well let’s just say it didn’t turn out as I had hoped. So I was wondering if Jeff was getting revenge.

Kari Lapke taking pictures at Castello Sforzesco

Luckily he wasn’t, Kari and I got to Milan and our hotel in a decent time with minimal traffic. We dropped off the car and took a train into Milan to look around and purchase gifts. We got swept up in the sight seeing, immediately to our left was a big castle, Castello Sforzesco. After walking around the castle for awhile, which was awesome and I think I could be happy living in a castle, we spotted what looked like a street flea market. It turned out to be some street vendors who were selling everything from cheese to bath products, but nothing that I wanted to take home as gifts. So we moved along, stopping for gelato (of course). Soon we came across the Piazza Del Duomo, which is a beautiful cathedral. Close by we discovered a souvenir shop, which we picked up a couple of things. Bu close by was the mother load of shopping. We found Gucci, Prada, Armani, Mercedes, etc in an outdoor pavilion that had a glass ceiling. This shopping was strictly look but don’t touch. We continued to wonder around, looking into windows and observing the buildings but we never found that one store that would answer our prayers. We headed back to the hotel with only a few purchases, but over 100 pictures of our three hours spent in Milan. My Italian has improved so much that when I asked our hotel driver to drop us off at a restaurant instead of the hotel on the way back from the train station, he thought I could understand him when he spoke to me in Italian. Normally when they know you do not speak Italian they are slower and use common words. Not this time, he started giving me directions to another restaurant he thought we would like better, never missing a beat. Those confused I felt a little proud because my accent and usage of the Italian language was improving. Give me two more weeks and I might have understood him (or not).

Jordan and Taylor Larson

This has been a great trip. The medals weren’t the only things that made this trip come off as well as it did, it took a team of great people behind the scenes. Our vet, Dr. John Newcomb, took supreme care of our horses and making sure they were prepared to show. Our grooms, Lauren Jolly and Ryan Kyle never hesitated to get up at 2am so that the horses could be ready for a 3am schooling, then turning around and being back at the barn at 7am (that is assuming that they left the barn). Our Chef d’Equipe, Jeff Petska, who always made sure the riders were where they needed to be and that everyone was headed in the right direction. The owners have also been a great part of this team, without them there would not be horses to compete on the U.S. Reining Team, so thank you Sandi Holt, Casey Holly, Sarah Willeman and Lapke Quarter Horses. There is also one more person that made this trip possible, I would like to thank Jerry Kimmel for your generous gift that helped the U.S. team compete at the 2008 FEI World Reining Championships. From Milan, until next time. Arrivederci!

Individual competition

Jordan Larson and Lena Gallo are the first FEI World Reining Individual Champions!! In my humble opinion they deserve the title after the run they put in today in Manerbio at La Pasturla. Jordan and Lena put everything that he and Lena had out in the arena. The spins were dead on with quick precision; their large circles were fast and responsive which was demonstrated by the obedience Lena showed with slowing down to the relaxed slow small circles. The stops were beautiful! They were long, deep and balanced.

The crowd were behind Jordan and Lena, and thy showed their appreciation not only by clapping and whistling but by also stomping their feet in unision. I don't think Jordan could have been proudier of his mount.

Each rider bettered their core.Tom and Ruf Hearted Jac was the first in the pen and he bettered his score by three points.

Tomorrow everyone heads off into their own direction. The riders are heading to Mallorca to compete next weekend, they are all flying and the horses along with Lauren and Ryan are driving the 18 hour drive and 8 hour ferry trip to Mallorca. John is heading back to L.A., Jeff to Whitesboro, Texas and I am headed back to Lexington, KY on Tuesday.

Before we all leave we went to dinner one last time, making sure that we got our fill of gelato. What are we going to do without gelato when we get home? Thought I love ice cream it is just not the same.

It has been a great trip. The country was beautiful, the people were friendly, the food was good, the competition stiff and the team was the best. They supported each other throughout the competition. Watching the sportsmanship and the friendship reminds me of why this sport is so wonderful.

I am going to post some pictures soon.

Other countries stall decorations

It is the morning of the Individual Competition here in Manerbio. The competition won't start until 3pm, but the day has already started. Last night Craig, Pete and Jordan schooled in the main pen after the show ended. Then this morning starting at 6am each rider competing in the Individual had a paid warm up.

Pete and Julia before the Team Medal ceremony

Each rider came in and lightly schooled their horses, either smoothing out the ruffles or just getting their horse relaxed in the pen. Tonight is going to be an interesting night. I have my picks for the podium, and it won't be any stretch of the imagination to think that I would like to see red, white and blue on all three spots. We have the riders and the horses that could make it possible.

Becky Jordan and Judy Miller

Here are some pictures that I had previously taken. Until tonight.

Team Competition

We took the Silver medal! Italy took the Gold and Germany the bronze. The day started with an 11:30 team picture and a few press interviews with the riders. Both America's Horse and an Italian TV channel interviewed our riders. After that there were a couple of hours before Opening Ceremonies, but they couldn't go anywhere because the skies decided to open up in a major way. The downpour lasted about 20 minutes, and from the sounds on the arena roof there was some hail that went along with the rain. The sound was deafening, and made communications impossible. Luckily the heavy rain passed.

For the Opening Ceremonies each of the teams walked into the arena with the Chef carrying the flag before them. The pageantry was beautiful and the crowd loved seeing the U.S. team.

Pete was the first to ride for our team and the second to ride overall. He and A Bueno Poco Dunit put in a strong run that would lead our team forward with a score of 222. The first Italian rider was 10 away with two drags. Their first score was 220.5.

Jordan and Lena Gallo

Tom was our next rider in, he and Ruf Hearted Jac received a 219 for their efforts. After two scores Italy was one point a head of us. Our third combination was Lena Gallo and Jordan. They walked into the arena and showed the audience some gorgeous spins and were rewarded with a 220.5. Now we waited for the Italian rider, Davide Brighenti, to ride. But before he went into the pen Sylvia Rzepka riding Doctor Zip Nic gave the crowd an amazing run to watch, she was scored a 227.5, the highest score of the night. This now put Germany in medal contention.

Preparing for the Medal Ceremony

Davide Brighenti followed the Italian trend and received a 224, the highest Italian score. Craig was our last rider and he needed at least a 224 for us to take the lead. Mr Dual Rey and Craig went in put in a exciting run, with the last stop the cheers were deafening. The judges gave him a score of 221.

So gold would not be in our future for the team competition. The Italians stepped up and rode well. The U.S. team did a great job. We still have the individual competition on Sunday which should be very exciting.

Medals

Until Sunday.

Gosh, it is Friday already! Wow, the time has flown by! I apologize for the delay in posting but since the riders have arrived we are going full throttle. All the riders have arrived and have ridden their horses in the main arena. The horses seem to like the footing here and understand that they are getting ready to compete. I will be updating tonight after the class takes place.

When ever you go to show you get to see friends you haven't seen in awhile, the same goes for international competitions. Riders and Chef's we have met at past competitions or at the NRHA Futurity are here competing. We all catch up with each other and relate any news that we have. When you come to a new venue (at least new for me and a couple of the riders) everyone has great suggestions of where you should go to sightsee.

A Gift from the British Team

Plus, when things are a little slow they can be a great source of entertainment. Take the Great Britain and us. (I should preempt this with saying that Lauren Jolly, our groom, is British and knows the British Team.) We borrowed one of their pitchforks and promptly labeled it as "Property of the U.S. Team" then each of the riders signed it. Great Britain wasn't going to let that stand. When we arrived the next morning we found a child's toy mop and broom, and the British flag was attached to one of our chairs. Now we are trying to think of a prank to get them back.

Wednesday Michael Schumacker, a famous Formula 1 race car driver, came to the show in his helicopter. Talk about making an entrance. We were in the barn and kept hearing this helicopter hovering above us and then heard it land in the cornfield next to us. Of course, being the curious people that Lauren and I are, we went and saw who it was. Lauren is a Formula 1 fan, so she knew immediately who he was. I on the other hand had only heard about him, so she brought up to speed quickly.

That afternoon a few of the team decided to head up to Lake Como for dinner. It is normally a two hour drive, but when you ride with our Chef, Jeff Petska, we get there a little sooner. Jeff, Ryan and I were meeting up with Pete, Tamra, Tom, Mandy, Jordan and Taylor who had a head start on us. After walking around the piazza by the lake and stopping for gelato we found everyone.

Tom, Mandy, Taylor & Jordan on Lake Como

We decided to take an evening boat tour of Lake Como. The lake is beautiful with the Alps coming right up to the waterfront. We saw multi-million dollar homes, some were older then the U.S. even. We saw Steve Jobs home, a Sheik from Saudi Arabia's house, Sophie Loren's and George Clooney's house. In my next lifetime I am going to be in entertainment because I they seem to make a good living and can afford multiple multi-million dollar homes. If you come to Italy, Lake Como is a must see.

After the boat tour we decided to take a trolley up the mountain, to see the lake from a different vantage point. It was breathtaking. Of course, both my camera and my phone decided to have their batteries go dead. After getting off of the trolley we decided to take a stroll further up the mountain to see what it was like. Turned out it was a hike but well worth it. We found a quaint restaurant that overlooked the mountain. We then had to hurry back to make a 12:30am schooling time in the main arena. We Jeff driving this was no problem.

Jog

Yesterday was the jog, which is always suspenseful. We didn't have any worries, all of horses were sound. From the start of the trip thy have been under the watchful eye of Dr. John Newcomb. He is a great resource and I am glad that we he is our vet. He has been with the Reining Team since 2002 Jerez Spain World Equestrian Games and he has proven that we should never leave home without him.

In the evening we had the Draw party which was sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association, Italian Reining Horse Association and the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games Foundation. All the teams got to mingle and eat before the draw was done. In the background were videos from the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany and the upcoming 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. You couldn't get help but get excited not only about the upcoming championship and 2010.

Till tonight, I promise!

Front Entrance to La Pasturela

Monday always mark the beginning of a new week and today was no exception. The energy level has stepped up. The horses were vanned over to the competition grounds and the riders started arriving. The day started with John, Lauren and Ryan heading out to get the horses ready to get on the trucks. They would only have a 20 minute drive but all of our equipment had to go over as well. We were literally picking up and moving.

While they were getting the horses ready I was running errands. I was trying to find the hardware store that I had been looking for on but was closed on Sunday. I found it and it turned out to be a cross between an Ace Hardware and Home Depot. They had most of the departments but the store was just a little bigger than an Ace Hardware store. I went in with my list; chain, lock, broom, tape, etc. Since I don't read Italian and the clerks didn't speak English I just started going up and down the aisles looking for what I needed. It didn't take me long to find everything I needed and check out. Then I tried to get an eight foot 1 x 4 board into LuLu, my car. It didn't quite fit. No matter what I did there was always two inches sticking out. I bought bungee cords but there was no real place to put the hooks. Of course most do not use a small BMW to haul equipment. Luckily someone saw my struggle and took pity on me. We finally got the trunk down and the bungee cords attached where they wouldn't ruin the car.

U.S.A. stalls

As I was headed to the show with my finds I got a call from Jeff Petska, the Chef d'Equipe, everyone had landed and they were on there way from Milan. In about two hours two of the riders would be at the hotel. So I increased my speed to the show so that I could unload and help set up in order to get back to the hotel in time to meet the riders.

When I got to the show the horses were in there stalls and everything was getting set up. We started on the tack room curtains and the U.S.A. banner. This took a little ingenuity and some help from friends. We had the board but no staple gun. In steps a new friend, Andrea, he borrowed a staple gun for us. Then came the banner for across the aisle. This was a little tricky because we had to get it tight enough so that it wouldn't sag and be high enough so that the taller members of out team wouldn't get closelined when walking under it. Lauren climbed on top of the stalls and we started playing tug-o-war to get it tight. It worked and if I say so myself, it looks pretty good.

After this I headed back to the hotel because I got the call that everyone was close. Pete & Tamra Kyle, Jordan & Taylor Larson, Jeff Petska, Jerry Kimmel, Becky Jordan and Judy Miller arrived at the hotel. Jordan, Pete, Jerry, Tamra and Jeff settled into their rooms and then we headed to the horse show in order for Pete and Jordan to ride. All week long I had watched the horses who seemed pretty content but when Lena and Julia saw their riders their eyes got brighter. You could tell they love their job and they knew that they were going to work.

Practicing in the Main arena

After Jordan and Pete rode we decided to have an early dinner at the hotel. The Chef, Maria, and Manager, Alessandro, of the OneBar did an excellent job. They prepared a full salad bar with appetizers, two types of pasta and pizza for us. We also got to try a gelato dessert with coffee over the top. Since I am not a huge coffee fan I opted for the homemade chocolate sauce, delicious. Having the whole group at dinner was great. It starts to feel like a family. Tomorrow the team gets bigger as Tom McCutcheon and Craig Schmersal arrive with their wives.

So until tomorrow, arrivederci!