Working with Bent

Sublime JS and Maat worked with Bent again! Sublime showed off his ability to collect and has started some green piaffe work. He impressed with his half passes, which have become much more collected over the past couple months. Although Sublime has confirmed passage already, as he becomes stronger, it's going to become one world-class passage! Sublime is still fairly young, so we worked a lot on straightness, collection, and throughness at the trot and canter. Here's some video!

Photos from Blanketing Baby Hava

Hava got a new winter blanket! The blanket comes complete with a picture of Tweety Bird (and clearly was made to appeal to a tween girl). These photos are from the 2nd time ever she's been blanketed.

She was quiet and accepted the blanket without a fuss. She has a super attitude!

She also trailers well, and has been trained to stand quietly while her mouth, ears, and feet are played with.

For sale. Email info@jsdressage.com for current price and details.

 

TopGear JS: Dressage Phase and Show Jumping Phase video

Here's some video from TG's last event! Although he had a minor spook at the judges booth in dressage, he recovered quickly for an excellent test, represented by his score of 40 penalty points (or 60% to us dressage folks). He jumped clear in show jumping, and his "happy ears" show he's enjoying his experience. Thank you to the Kerrits team, who provided the wonderful saddlepad TG sported that day!

 

 

TopGear JS at the Stephen Bradley Clinic

After a brief rest from his last event, TopGear participated in a clinic with Stephen Bradley, and wowed with his great attitude! Although TG hasn't done grids before, he took the task on full force, and enjoyed the challenge. He's realized that jumps are nothing to get your heart rate up about, and patiently took each question in stride. Here's some video!

Pink Ribbon Day!

November 4 was a pink ribbon day for DressurTeam JS when both Nikita and TopGear JS took 5th place at their respective competitions! Nikita and Maat were 5th in the GAIG/USDF Region 1 Dressage Championships at Grand Prix, and TG took the pink at Waredaca Starter Horse Trials at Elementary. TG went clear in both SJ and XC, and finished on his dressage score. Super proud of both athletes! They get the next week off to rest while Sublime is prepped for Prix St. George this winter!

Meanwhile, enjoy this video of TG in the show jumping phase from Sunday:

What's going on with Sublime JS?

Enjoy this photo and brief video of Maat and Sublime JS from a recent ride. Thanks to Sandra Abe for taking them!

Sublime is showing all the signs of becoming an excellent Grand Prix horse, even at the young age of 7. He's becoming stronger, and collection is becoming easier. Cannot wait to see the future of this star in the making!

He's also a great trail horse, and loves to be out and about. He spent last winter climbing mountains in Virginia after Maat imported him from Ukraine. He said he needed time to just be a horse after working very hard during his young life. It was a totally different experience for him, and he took it on like a boss. He's now settled into furthering his dressage education happily. He's a super horse with a huge heart.

Video from TopGear's latest xc schooling

Here's some video of TopGear's latest xc schooling. Enjoy it on this rainy day!

TopGear is still for sale. Feel free to share this video, and let's get him into a great home! Email info@jsdressage.com for details.

TopGear JS Schooling at Loch Moy

We were lucky, and it was a nice sunny day for TopGear's schooling day at Loch Moy Farm, where he successfully completed Beginner Novice - Training fences and combinations.

He's becoming much more confident cross country, and his potential as an FEI event prospect is evident. He tackled every question easily, and didn't blink at the Training fences. Brave boy!

Not bad for only 3 months of training!

Up next: Waredaca Starter Horse Trial on Nov 4!

Video to come!

2012 USDF Region 1 Pro-Am Challenge

Maat is teaming up with Paradise Farm & Tack to sponsor the USDF Region 1 Pro-Am Challenge award at the GAIG/USDF Region 1 Championships! To qualify, sign up with your favorite pro or amateur (1 pro and 1 amateur per team), and the highest combined scores from Friday Nov. 2 and Saturday Nov. 3 will win a beautiful ribbon from Maat van Uitert Dressage and a saddle pad from Paradise Farm & Tack! Teams should be sure to sign up in the show office by 8am on Friday Nov 2 to qualify!

Be sure to visit Paradise Farm & Tack, who will be onsite at the championships!

Gorgeous photo of Nicolbria JS and the fall foliage!

 Photo courtesy of Sandra Abe

TopGearJS at Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club Horse Trials

TopGear JS competed in his first event on October 6, and it was a success! He was a little looky in the show jumping and dressage, but went clear in the XC to garner 5th place. Not bad for only being in training for 2 months! Video to come!

TopGear JS had an xc schooling lesson with his rider, Katherine Rizzo, in the irons, and boy, was he ever made to event! He learned about ditches, water elements, and jumping odd-looking things, and tackled each question like it was nothing! His lesson was with Stephen Bradley, who thought TopGear was a great event prospect. His future looks bright! Here's some video, enjoy!

 

 

 

KWPN-NA Keuring at Iron Spring Farm

To finish off her year, Hava JS went to the KWPN-NA approvals at Iron Spring Farm.

She was awarded with a premium ribbon! This tops off a successful first competitive year!

The filly is still for sale, $15,000.

Looking to go south for the winter? Ask about spots at our private facility, located in the heart of Wellington, 5 min from the Global Dressage Festival and Wellington Dressage Classic! 15 min from White Fences. Reasonably priced, come for a week or the whole season. Call/text 240-479-5435 or email info@jsdressage.com.

Maat & Nikita's first Grand Prix Special

Maat & Nikita's first Grand Prix Special, PVDA at Loch Moy, 1st Place in the FEI Test Of Choice, with a 66.5%! The 2nd highest FEI score for the show (gap of 0.2% from the FEI High Score).

Nikita and Top Gear JS at Loch Moy

Nikita and Maat won the FEI TOC at PVDA at Loch Moy, with a 66.5% in the Grand Prix Special on Sept 1! Maat's score was the 2nd highest FEI score for the day (highest was 66.7%, only 0.2% higher). It had been a while since Nikita competed, but the decision to take the summer off to focus on training was obviously a good one!

Top Gear JS had a great day schooling the xc course at Loch Moy. The highlight of the day was when he mastered the training-level bank, which was a 2'6 drop, which he easily navigated, followed by a 2'3 log, which he jumped like it was nothing! This guy will easily go prelim, with talent for more.

Other than that surprise, he jumped the beginner novice logs, and ran through the ditches like a pro. He's been a little perplexed by water elements, but after a lead horse, has learned the water is fun! Not bad for 6 months off the track! He's been getting a lot of interest, so take a test ride before he's gone!

The results are in from the VADA/Nova Summer Breed Show I on August 11! Hava JS was 1st in her Dutch Warmblood IBC with a 73.7, and 4th out of 10 in the Fillies of 2012 class with a 73.3! Not bad for a 2 month old! Nicolbria was 2nd in the Broodmares 4 Yo and Up class with a 71, and qualified for the Broodmare Championship.

Next up is the KWPN-NA keuring on Sept 19 & 20 at Iron Spring Farm! Hava JS is still for sale, $12,000. She will be a lovely bay with black legs and 2 white hind socks. Snap up this champion before her price goes up! Call/text 240-479-5435 or email info@jsdressage.com for details.

Top Gear JS (2005 Thoroughbred Gelding) competed at his first show ever last week at Waredaca Farm in Laytonsville, MD in the 2'-2'3, 2'3-2'6, and 2'9 divisions. He was a champ, tackling each course like they were nothing! This is a talented horse with the ability to go far. His show jumping rider, USEA-certified trainer Katherine, also blogged about her experience with Top Gear JS. Here's some video:
Read all about his first competition experience here: http://korizzoinc.wordpress.com/
Top Gear JS is for sale for $7,000. Snatch him up before it's too late!
Call/text 240-479-5435 for details.

Show Success!

Nikita and I have had quite the successful show season so far, culminating in our recent win at the Global Dressage Festival National Show in the Intermediare II class! While we got a blue ribbon, Nikita also won a terrific mash, which she enjoyed along with the carrots she received for being so good.

Perhaps more exciting than winning at the GDF National Show was the experience of competing at the World Dressage Masters series. While we only did the national show at Intermediate II, we still competed in the 5-star ring, in a class packed with world-class competition. We held our own, and placed in the ribbons. On my flights to and from Maryland, I've met several non-horse people who have heard of dressage because of the WDM series in West Palm Beach, and a couple even attended the show as spectators. The series is quite important to the sport, and I expect to compete at the show next year (probably at the Grand Prix level!).

We are moving up to the CDI level at Intermediate I for the spring show season, which will be an exciting new experience for us!

AKA My Life With Too Many Mares

There are times when I feel like a mare wrangler. Now, I put myself in this position, given my affinity for the fairer sex of the equine world. Most of the horses I've ridden and trained have been mares, and currently, with the exception of Sublime, my competition horses are female (although there are times when I wonder if Sublime is a woman trapped in a man's body, particularly when he squeals when offended). I owe my career, everything I know, to mares.

Since we made our move to Florida, things have gotten out of hand, however. The estrogen levels are higher than normal, particularly with the re-arrival of Nicolbria. She was stationed at Hilltop Farm, as she is in foal to Bugatti Hilltop, but I decided to bring her to Wellington with me as a companion for Nikita and Sister Hazel. You'd think being pregnant, she would be too fat, too lazy, too entranced by her maternal glow, or some other such pregnancy-related cliche, to cause much trouble.

Yet here I stand, wrangling 3 very different mares, and it's Round 10 of the Fight for Boss Mare. Nicolbria and Nikita have been going at it nonstop, gleefully, as this is their "Mean Girls" past time. There days when I've left, leaving Nicolbria and Sister Hazel turned out together, only to find them in different paddocks upon my return. I'm surprised the neighbors haven't complained about the unending dinosaur sounds that emanate from my stalls. Sister Hazel, usually the silent-silent partner, has begun uttering her opinions. I'm certain she thinks the other two are nuts. Now I know how Mr. Bennett felt.

Still, as I look at potential sale horses, I notice they all have one thing in common: They're mares.