The American Eventing Championships!

It was the first year the AEC's were moved closer to the west coast and located more central in Texas. 

It was quite the facility they found in Texas Rose. A first class facility with huge stalls, wonderful footing and true championship cross country courses. 

I was very happy we made the trip! Not only to compete at our championship, but to support the sport we all love! 

We live in a country that has a huge amount of land and therefore we have to drive. For a west coast competitor that comes with the territory.....so instead of complaining we jumped in head first! Much to our delight we had a great time and I couldn't have really asked for anything more. 

My horses were all fantastic and I am so happy to be sitting on some great horses right now. Sunsprite Syrius won the Open Training division and it was icing on the cake to be presented with my award by Kevin Baumgardner and Brian Sabo. 

London Calling OHF performed fantastically and I couldn't be more pleased with his progress. He came to my barn at the beginning of the year never have shown and now he is ready to move up to preliminary. He has won a handful of events, including Rebecca Farm and I'm really looking forward to seeing how he steps up to the challenge at Galway Downs. 

It's been a very busy year for NLE, we have travelled farther than we ever have before and been on the road a lot with some great successes. I'm thrilled to be this busy and so grateful for the team I have. 

I've said it before and I will say it again........my success is only because of the wonderful help and team I have. My success is because of my wonderful supporters and owners. We are like family and we all support each other 110%. It's the best feeling ever. My team at home of Kate Gillespie, MacKenna Shea, Katie Yozamp & Kendra Robison is the dream team and the barn runs like a well oiled machine because of each of them. 

I don't have an upper level horse at the moment as I made the decision to sell my advanced horse due to financial reasons and my 2* horse was injured and therefore it has sidelined my ability to be in the big ring. But the satisfaction I have received in riding and producing young talent has been an experience I have loved. I really have learned to understand that there is something about a partnership between a horse and rider. That ingredient is a must to be successful at the top. 

It has been a patience learning exercise, however I have developed relationships with each of the horses I ride and I couldn't be happier to be forming those partnerships. 

It is always difficult to watch your peers riding at the advanced level, but I just keep knowing that I will be back there soon!

So if your are wondering if the AEC's is worth the trip......the answer is YES!!!! 

The facility is top notch, the footing is superb, the organizing crew and everyone involved was very helpful and friendly, and best of all the prizes are incredible!!!!!! 

Now we are off to Woodside Horse Trials!! 

Hang on!

West Coast Dempsey Syndicate

First let me thank each and every one of you for joining Dempsey and I on a very fun filled journey. I say that because he has quite the personality. Very sweet by nature with a mixture of deceitfulness. His personality is such that makes him fun to be around and under saddle he has quite the expression and confidence.  He's very proud of himself!! 

This week we travelled to Twin Rivers to get him qualified for the 5 year old Championships and I was extremely pleased with his performance.  He scored a 81% which is a very good score as he needed to score at least a 75%.

Dempsey did his dressage and was very perplexed by the judges box, AND that they had judges in them. It was much to my surprise that he simply decided be a grown up and go into the ring and perform a very nice first dressage test. With over 15 entries in the class, Dempsey scored the best over all in the dressage and confirmation. I was very pleased!! Much more than I ever expected as he is very green for his age and has never been to a show. 

The jumping phase was challenging in many ways and was a true test of his  willingness to trust me. Only knowing me for the last month he had quite the leap of faith. 

I was so thrilled that he went around the show jumping and jumped beautiful and effortless. He had a green moment at the first cross country jump, but once he jumped it he galloped around the course like he had been doing it his entire life. Over the mound to a jump, jumping a log into water and out of water. He was very brave!! 

It is very exciting that he really stepped up to the plate. 

I decided to take him with me to Texas to fast track his education of learning to be a successful show horse. He is in great company with Syrius, Milton, Jefferson, and Metro. It is very cute to see Milton and Jefferson schooling him a bit in the trailer. If Dempsey were human he would be that kid who asks a million questions. 

So we arrived to Texas Rose, the American Eventing Championships and I am very excited to be here. 

Dempsey has learned to travel and be compliant thanks to Jeff and Milton. 

I will continue to keep you all updated on Dempsey's progress!

Looking forward to some fun and exciting times!

All the best!

Tamie