This message is from: Vivian Creigh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello List,
I am home from my last trip south for at least a month or so. On this last one I had the pleasure of meeting and staying with Jan Bonner and her lovely family. Also met Sue Banks owner of Lillehammer and saw her most recent dressage outing videotape where she placed first and second at a schooling dressage show. What a lovely job she has done with that mare. Jan lives on a beautiful farm in the heart of hunt country VA. and upon arrival I was treated to the smell of three freshly baked loaves of bread. Our children are the same age and both our sons are budding thespians, we like Fjords and I love freshly baked bread so we had quite alot in common! After a wonderful sleep I stole from their house at the indecent hour of 4AM and headed for NC to pick up my daughter. Had a lovely dinner with some friends in Southern Pines and then stole out of their house again at 4AM to head down to Ocala FL for Live Oak CDE. Live Oak is always such a great event. It's the first big advanced event of the season and usually a selection trial so all the big guns are there. But it's also in Florida so all the people from the eastern seaboard wishing to get into some real sunshine and warmth are also there. Everyone was sporting small green and black memorial ribbons in memory of George Hoffman who as many of you probably know just passed away. It was alovely touch to remembering a man who brought so much to the sport of Combined driving as a competitor as well as a TD. I know I'll miss him. We went down so Wesley could ride with Larry Poulin in dressage and cones. She sure looked cute all dressed up in livery with her top hat. Larry was in second after dressage behind Mark Schofield. Nancy Johnson rode with Larry on Marathon day so Wes and I got to watch. The hazards were very tight right angle hazards with few flowing routes. Although they were well constructed and had eye appeal I didn't like them at all. Larry had a decent marathon and did very well in the hazards that were more open but Lisa Singer's true forte is the marathon because her Morgan's are so much smaller than the big strided WBs she can wiggle her way around those tight spaces much more quickly than a big Holsteiner or Dutch WB. Her go on marathon moved her to first from fourth, and Larry dropped to third with David Saunders in second. Only four points, less than a ball seperated the top three competitors for Cones on Sunday. As we inched our way up the leader board on Sunday there had been no clean rounds in the Advanced Pairs. In fact one guy had 10 balls down!!! I was getting pretty anxious by the time Larry went in third to the last. He drove clean wiith 1.5 time penalties and really turned up the heat on David and Lisa. David was having a really good drive in cones and I actually thought after he drove the serpentine clean he might not bump a ball, but finally he hit one and that moved Larry into second. It was all up to Lisa Singer, but it wasn't going to be her day as she hit three which put her in third or fourth and made Larry the clear winner of the event. There was much smiling and hugging and kissing at the trailer. Someone opened a bottle of champagne and we all had a toast and took celebratory pictures so we can remember this when we are all real old. Wes had a great time riding with Larry and helping Rochelle take care of his horses which are actually owned by Natasha Grigg who is his sponsor as well as the President of the ADS. Wes will probably get her picture in the Chronicle of the Horse again since they won. This will be the third time, once riding with US Singles team member Nancy Johnson at Festival and now with Larry and once with Marnix and me in the year end issue. This win will certainly help Larry secure a berth on the Pairs team going to Reisenbeck this August if Hoof and Mouth has petered out and they have the Championship at all. My Dutch horses are still over there as they aren't allowing any trailers on the roads in Holland. If there are no more outbreaks in the Netherlands maybe they will come next week. I am really getting anxious. I bought a coming two yr old filly by Halldor out of a Toddy daughter who will be for sale. She is a superb mover with lots of suspension. If anyone is interested please call me 802 885 5762. I'd like to sell her soon as I know if she stays in my barn too long I will find a reason to keep her for my self. Also I am looking for a used Eagle or Jeff Day carriage suitable for a pair for dressage and cones. If anyone has such a thing please get in touch. Hope you are all having spring wherever you are.Vivian Creigh
