Sit and Ride!!

I've entitled this piece "Sit and Ride!!" because that seems to be Pam's motto this week.

We have been in White Fences Equestrian Center in Loxahatchee, FL training with Pam for almost 2 months now, and it has made a huge impact on my riding. Movements that I used to glide through, or as Pam likes to say "steer and pray", are now becoming much stronger. I never knew my canter pirouettes could be so small! However, when there is a 5' 4" ish woman standing on X telling you to turn NOW and NOT run her over, you become very inspired very quickly. Largo and I are progressing well and have started putting pieces of the test together. Thank goodness. We are competing in our first CDI show of the season in nearly 2 weeks! Additionally, this will be my first show ever with Pam.

In other news, we had a very calm and enjoyable holiday here at Double Bridle Farm. We did our regular morning chores and then ate a much needed holiday breakfast, compliments of my mom :), and then exchanged a few gifts. At the end of the day I was finally able to make my first visit to the beach! For the rest of the end of the week we mainly hacked the horses and continued business as usual. All in all it was a lovely holiday and I am very thankful for all of my family and friends. The new year has already brought me many new lessons and fantastic experiences.

Currently I am sitting in a Starbucks, stealing their wifi, and listening to the BK Burner End of Year 2015 CD. FYI this is the best indie music collection EVER, a friend of my family's sends it out every year.

Feeling very lucky.

-Eliza

My First Week in Wellington

No matter what anyone says, no matter what advice you get, no matter how much packing and planning and plotting you may do, nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING prepares you for your first week as a working student.

I arrived in Wellington, like many other first time working students, bright eyed, bushy tailed, and feeling like I was ready to rule the world. Well, it's been a little over a week and currently I am exhausted, not wearing makeup, still in riding clothes, craving coffee and a real meal, mustering the energy to walk alllllllll the way to the shower (which is 10ft away from me in my little apartment), and staring at the pile of laundry that still needs to be addressed. Long story short, I feel like I got slammed with a pile of bricks.

After a very successful year: competing at NAJYRC, winning the Region 8 Junior Championships, etc. I felt like a huge hotshot and I knew everything. Ha! WRONG! After two days of being a working student for Pam Goodrich it felt as though I knew close to nothing. Apparently I was leading, mounting, longing, and sitting on the horse all wrong. The. Whole. Time. Yikes!

However, one week later most of those things have been corrected, my position and seat is an ongoing battle. Pam is a phenomenal teacher and my time here, although tiring, has been amazing. Largo and I have settled in well and love our new home. He is happy and healthy, knock on wood. The lion and monkey preserves adjacent to White Fences provide a lovely morning chorus every day.

Along with six rides a week, Pam takes the time to further her working students knowledge beyond the dressage arena. This Wednesday and Thursday the members of the barn, Pam, and I spectated at the Festival of Champions at Global Dressage Showgrounds. Seeing riders like Laura Graves, Shelly Francis, and Steffen Peters up close was incredible. We are viewing the Grand Prix Freestyles tomorrow evening.

To be continued...

-Eliza

Hello!

Welcome to my Blog!

I assumed I should put a little information on here to begin; a short autobiography of sorts..

Eliza Gardner
Age: 18
Hometown: Watch Hill, RI
Region: 8
Riding level: FEI Young Rider (PSG)
Barn: Fox Ledge Farm, East Haddam, CT
Trainer: Ann Guptill
Employment: Working Student for Pam Goodrich 12/2015 - 4/2016

Horse: Largo 224
Age: 16
Color: Bay
Breed: Oldenburg
Sire: Ligretto
Country of Origin: Germany

I have had a lifelong fascination with horses. I asked, no, begged for riding lessons as a 10^th birthday present. I began regularly riding at the age of 11 as a hunter jumper, competing primarily in local, small shows. I started practicing dressage in 2012 while still competing with my local Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) team. I committed fully to dressage in 2013, riding Look At Me V, a 1989 Rhinelander schoolmaster. I then purchased my first horse, Largo 224, a 1999 Oldenburg gelding from Germany, in 2014. He has taken me from training level all the way to Prix St. Georges. In that same year, I was selected into the Emerging Dressage Athlete Program (EDAP) and was invited to audit at the Robert Dover Horsemastership Clinic. I have also attended numerous clinics and ridden with Eva Rainsborough, Lendon Gray, Conrad Schumacher, Lilo Fore, George Williams, and Dr. Jenny Susser. These opportunities increased my knowledge of dressage and proper horsemanship tremendously.

Last season, Largo and I competed as a Junior Rider pair and qualified for the NAJYRC in Lexington, KY. Performing at that level, and riding with a team again, was an amazing experience. I was then invited to represent my region in the USDF YPAS. Earlier this fall, Largo and I also qualified for the Region 8 Championships. We ended up winning the class and finishing our junior career at a record high! Largo and I are currently working towards the Young Rider tests and hope to have another successful season.

Show History  <-- LINK