Getting Ready for Wellington!

It's unbelievable that I leave in a week for Wellington. I'm the World's Laziest Packer, which means I leave everything until the last minute, when I throw a bunch of unnecessary items in a suitcase. The last time I travelled to Istanbul, I packed that morning, and ended up with a single pair of pants for the entire trip. (Enjoy this ancient picture, left, of me on my first Grand Prix mount, whom I met in the mountains on the outskirts of Konya, Turkey. Our piaffe left something to be desired.)

And I'm the lightest traveler ever. In fact, when I went to Wellington to scout properties, I went with my check card, a toothbrush, and 3 pairs of underwear. (No, Sulin, I wore clothes as well.) Needless to say, I've spent the past week looking like I'm scrambling, but really just watching episodes of The Big Bang Theory and screwing around on the Gator. I'm certain once I arrive, there will be quite a few "D'oh!" moments (but that's what wallets and ATM cards are for, right?). Like my passport, the only thing I'm concerned about forgetting are my horses, which would make for an interesting winter (but that's what wallets and ATM cards are for, right?).

The horses are going down courtesy of Horse Jitney, because I'm too faint of heart to drive that distance with my FEI horses and a pregnant broodmare. This is interesting, because you'd think as a card-counting, camel-riding, chicken-playing-with-the-Gator adventurer, a 19 hour drive to the Sunshine State with my horses might be a cake walk. However, I'm on a solo mission to bring our hay and alfalfa the 1,000 miles, and that's about all the excitement with a rig that my free-wheeling self can handle. And it's not as if I can exactly throw Nikita into a suitcase last minute.

Top 5 Things I Love

1. My 5.5 horses! (The unborn foal counts as 1/2 a horse, right?) Where would I be without Nikita, Sublime, Sister Hazel, little Chamonix SSH, and Big Mama Nicolbria (and her as-yet-unnamed baby)?


2. My barn manager, Colleen. I think she rocks.


3. My new Gator. I spent half of our rainy yesterday off roading. And leaving barn chores for Colleen.


4. My new trailer! Yes, I bit the bullet and got one, because, let's face it, Nikita deserves it! It's shiny and bright, and I can't wait for the decals to be put on it. The Gator will get decals too!


5. My job! What other job lets you go off roading on both a horse and a 4-wheeler? And then piaffe wearing a top hat???

New Sponsorship with Southern States!

I’m very pleased to announce my FEI horses are now sponsored by Southern States! I’ve always believed in Southern States products, and my performance horses have flourished on their feeds and good advice.

Nikita’s been doing quite well on Legends Performance textured, and with the advice of Southern States nutritionists, I’ve added Triple Crown Complete to her diet, to ensure she’s receiving a complete diet for a competing Grand Prix horse. She’s a hard keeper, and must expend a lot of energy, so it’s a comfort to know she’s getting a balanced diet.

With the advice of the Southern States representative Jessica Morton and nutritionist Dr. Marty Adams, Sublime, when he arrived into the USA from Europe, was started on Safe Start Forage, then transitioned onto the same Legends Performance textured and Triple Crown Complete mixture. I received a ton of information and advice from Jessica and Marty to ensure Sublime was transitioned safely onto American feed, and I was very happy to have their guidance.

Sister Hazel, whose talent and intelligence mean she’s rather hot, gets Triple Crown Complete. She gets a balanced diet, and is able to focus her talent on performance!

All three horses are healthy, and ready for an exciting winter show season!! Starting in November, Nicolbria, my Prix St. George horse-come-broodmare, will join me again, and I look forward to consulting with Southern States to make sure big mama and her baby receive the best diet possible!

Winter in Wellington!

It's officially official: The team is going south for the winter. I signed a lease on a fantastic property in Wellington, which means Nikita and I don't have to freeze our butts off this winter (ok, well, I'll be freezing half the time, since I will still be in Maryland 3 days a week, but at least the horses will be sipping margaritas poolside the whole winter), and I get to wear flip flops year round again, which has been a personal goal ever since I left California 10 years ago.

I’m looking forward to the regulation-sized dressage arena, grass turnout paddocks, and access to a pool! The stalls also have connected, private turnout paddocks, in which Nikita, Sublime, Sister Hazel, and Big Mama Nicolbria will luxuriate. And although I'm sure Sister Hazel will miss her best friend Lexus, I'm certain my competition string will be happy to be in warm weather again!

The Wellington location has become full quickly, and I have only 2 spots left for horses, either in training or for sale. Call me at 240-479-5435 or email info@jsdressage.com if you’re interested in spending the winter by the beach. Be sure to check back often for photos and updates from our adventures in the Sunshine State!