Photography Friday: Tryon International Equestrian Center

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Britt

While visiting Tryon for Foster’s surgery, it was an absolute must-do to go visit the fancypants new International Equestrian Center. I’ve heard so much about this place over the last year and pretty much every equestrian that visits it compares it to some version of horsey Disneyland. So, with camera in tow, I got the grand tour and later came back to watch an actual show in progress.

It started by checking out the barns and the special horse paths, that as you can see are fenced off and flanked by human and motor-vehicle pathways. Along the horse paths were also shaded overhands with fans and misters for those hot Carolina days. fb_DSC8618

Then we made our way over to the rings typically used for the Hunter competitions, and I puzzled over the pink-toned footing that is supposedly magic due to it’s shock-absorbing qualities. It has even been thought to have prevented at least one broken neck from a serious fall earlier in the year.

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Hunter’s show arena

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We slowly made our way towards the now-famous (at least in this area) George Morris arena, complete with jumbo-tron, astroturf, and again, more fancy footing.

Warmup for the George Morris arena

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Jumper in the 1.40 meter class

Then we roamed over the Roger’s diner for a bite, a delightful little vintage spot where you can get breakfast any time and the price is just right.

And to wrap up we admired Bellissimo’s stunning imported carousel, and the front entrance with the ever moving grazing horse statue.

Our photographic tour does not include, of course, the simply vast scale of all the barns and proposed arenas that exist and are currently under construction, nor the quaint temporary-living cabins for competitors and the stunning cottages by the river for long-term rentals. I have no doubt that the next time I visit it all will look completely different, and I definitely want to add this to my list of competition venues for 2016!

Have a happy weekend and a wonderful Labor Day!

Photography Friday: Bette & Johnny

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Britt

Bette, Johnny and I go way back before the days before college, but our friendship really found its roots as dressage teammates in school. Since then, Johnny, an Irish Sport Horse gelding (7/8ths TB- can you believe it?! Not me!) is retired at 21 years old and living the life of luxury while Bette has made a life for herself amongst the beautiful Tryon mountains. We all have that one horse in our lives that simply cannot be replaced, and for Bette, I’m guessing it’s Johnny.

And a couple photos of the famous Jello, for good luck! #jellosleeping (instagram- you won’t be disappointed!)

Many thanks to Bette again for all the tours, meals shared, and tack store visits that made our trip to Tryon fly by! Happy Friday all!

Photography Friday: Foster Edition

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Britt

It’s very rare that I get a chance to photograph my own horse, since said creature typically doesn’t like to stand unassisted at a photographable distance, unless I want my picture to be of his nostrils. Or his tongue.

But with the impending surgery in my mind, I decided it was worth the trouble to get some proper portraits of him, you know… just in case.

So with that somewhat melodramatic thought in the back of my mind I trimmed and braided, washed and show-sheened the bejeezus out of my horse (and put him in a certain somewhat-new bridle that I just adore) just like we were about to go down centerline.

These just happen to be some of my favorites. They capture his intelligence and his sweet eye.

They hint at his presence.

And they manage to get a bit of his sense of humor in there as well.

I just love this horse. And I can’t wait to get him home and spend even more days with him.

VCBH: Cubicle

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Britt

No news is good news I suppose? For now, no news on the Foster front… the x-ray appointment is coming up in a few days so I expect to share more then. So until Monday, I decided to participate in the latest blog hop from Viva Carlos.

Most of us work for a living, some of us in way swankier places than others. I am curious for a pictorial tour of your office or cubicle.

Office

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that about a year ago I got a job at my dream company. One of the central ideas to the company is that the employees are the company’s greatest assets, and so employee happiness/satisfaction carries a lot of importance here. Among other perks then, one is that pretty much everyone gets their own office. So while it may be a bit dark, and though my manager calls it the fridge (since the light turns on when you open the door), it’s been kind of exciting to me to really have my own space into which I can infuse my weirdness and sense of whimsy.

My newly acquired Jeff Goldblum poster is an obvious reference to Jurassic Park, and makes me chuckle every time I look at it. The shelves below house my photos, an equal shrine to both Foster and the husband. The photo on the top left is probably one of my favorites of Foster, trotting through the water at the Carolina Horse Park a couple years ago. It’s printed in metallic ink and I just love the way the water and fall colors literally shimmer if the light hits it. Rolled up on the bottom shelf, which you can’t see here, is the tackiest blanket that is basically just a giant Elvis head, in case the office gets cold. Love that thing.

My workspace compliments the Foster theme with his miniature sitting under my main monitor. Drake also takes the spotlight here. And then my Elvis bobblehead (like the blanket, another random Elvis gift) because duh, Elvis.

In the last corner, my cardboard unicorn bust lives. The Clydesdale pictures are a couple chintzy little things that I picked up last year, and were so cheap I decided to use them as decor until I find something better. Too many horses? Nah…

So there you have it, a little dose of where I spend the majority of my days!

Photography Friday

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Britt

Taking a break from my own work or from family photo albums, today I want to feature another photographer’s stunning art.

http://www.gigiembrechts.com/a-genuine-draft-blog/2015/5/7/photographing-the-horse-fishermen-of-belgium

Photo by Gigi Embrechts

Gigi Embrechts documents the dying tradition of horse fishermen in Belgium, and it’s truly worth the read. A stunning study of light and the amazing things we ask horses to do for us.

Have a happy weekend, all!

Ode to the Horse Friends

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Britt

pond riding

I’m going to make a lot of guesses in this post. I’m guessing that, if you were like me, you probably didn’t have many girl friends growing up. “Typical” girls didn’t understand your competitiveness, your drive to succeed, your connection to ‘a dumb animal’, your need to be strong and your willingness to get your hands dirty, literally, to achieve your goals. If you did have girl friends, they were likely other “horse girls”, or strong women who recognized your ‘ganas’ and respected them instead of fearing them.

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It’s no surprise that we as horse women relate so well to other horse women, and less to the domestically correct ideals of old that society continues to offer us. Cook dinner every night? Maybe when I get home from the barn. Keep everything spick and span? Ha, have you even seen my car? Smell like roses all the time? If the name by which a rose also goes is Foster, sure.

Still, to say that all horse people will immediately befriend one another is to paint that picture using only rainbow colors and maybe those fuzzy animal stickers we coveted as children. Many of us are sportsmen as well as horsepeople, so there is always going to be an array of opinions and competitiveness that makes everyone being everyone else’s best-friend-forever just impossible.

So when we find another horsewoman (or to be fair, horseman) that then becomes our best friend, well, that’s something special.

Photo by High Time Photography

It takes a special person to not only put up with, but enable hours of conversation on one subject (duh, horses), supports you in your many goals on your path to personal equestrian world domination, and then still probably won’t judge you for the mysterious stains or smells you bring to the party. That person that makes the effort to watch your rides at shows, and hollers and whoops at the end of your dressage test, even if their ridiculous jubilance draws looks from passersby. And if that person can’t be there, you know they are going to call you the second you get done, that they care enough to want a play-by-play of how a line rode, or your iffy canter transitions, even if that stuff will bore most people to tears. And you would do the exact same for them.

Nikki Star Dressage

It wasn’t until I was an adult that I really discovered this rare breed of ‘horse friends’. Much of that I owe to my collegiate dressage team, which first introduced me to the concept that collegiate or not, being an equestrian is much better when it is a team sport. 10 years later I still keep in touch with those girls, and the memories of silliness and bonding are more important to me than any show of my college career.

When I left college, bought Foster, and moved to new farms, I thought those kind of relationships were unique to the college experience, and so a thing of the past. But once again I found kindred spirits, and started new adventures, and with those people I made new memories. We have cried, we’ve been scared, we’ve been brave, and we’ve (I’ve) certainly embarrassed ourselves a few times, and it’s been glorious. The only thing that makes these different than the days before is that now we are old enough to imbibe in an adult beverages to celebrate, or drown our sorrows~~, or attend the local schooling show~~.

Being an equestrian is not easy. And I don’t mean just that riding horses isn’t easy. Living with and loving animals so breathtaking, and yet so fragile, means that we constantly are living lives of highs and lows. The ride will always be sweeter when you find someone to join in the journey.

Photography Friday: Mother’s Day Edition

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Britt

In the past, I have mentioned that I have a lot of respect for my mother’s opinion regarding horses. As a horsewoman, breeder, and entrepreneur, much of her life has been spent around horses. Growing up in England, she competed in showjumping and other English disciplines, before coming to the states and starting a business in reselling off-the-track thoroughbreds. She then started a breeding business, standing stallions of varying breeds- including but not limited to Belgian Warmbloods, Trakehners, Connemaras, and more.

Our main stud, Hadrian, taken at the old farm

The cornerstone of her breeding program, Hadrian

Even though growing up on the farm I got to see much of this first hand, it wasn’t until a conversation we had earlier this year that really opened my eyes to her success. While not in her nature to name-drop, we started talking about many of the people she has had business with over the years, and the list was impressive. Susan Beebee (eventer) and Jim Koford (dressage/Art Deco) both boarded stallions at our farm at one point, and she regularly dealt with and sold a couple horses to Daniel Geitner (showjumping/hunters), just as examples. So here are some images documenting the bi-continental journey of one horsewoman! Thanks mum, for teaching me so much and infecting me with the horse bug.

Starting young (middle child) at a horse show in England

Showing as a kid

Pony jumpers

A handsome Grey in England

Competing alongside her sister in England (left)

Late 80s perm and a cute bay

I’d take this chestnut home if I could!

Another family love – german shepherds

Ribbons with one of her favorites, Blue Boy

Schooling Blue Boy

OK, so not of her, but of one of the OTTB’s, and my brother hanging on the gate

New Millenia, New Discipline! Dressage on her own Bud Light

Another current family horse, Cochise

Happy Mother’s Day, and have a great weekend!

Let’s Discuss: Besides horses

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Britt

Though most of the readers of this blog likely fall into the pony prince or princess category, we still are all unique individuals with other varying interests besides horses. With this post, I would love to get an idea of the ‘you’ that falls outside of the realm of being an equestrian.

So I ask- besides horses, what topics bring out the gleam in your eye? What gets you excited besides soft muzzles and the smell of a barn?

For me, I fall fairly confidently into the realm of nerdiness. Here are three things that will make me bounce in my seat with enthusiasm:

Oh yeah, I like Big Bang Theory too

Jurassic Park
Because VELOCIRAPTORS. I have weekly, sometimes nightly nightmares about velociraptors (last night I was matched up with a velociraptor – Intercollegiate Dressage style- that could talk and had to battle it to the death with only a syringe in hand, ya I know I’m weird) but that only adds to my obsession with all things Jurassic Park. I’ve mentioned it before, but JUNE 12 PLEASE HURRY UP.

Too excited to include a raptor gif

Harry Potter
I grew up with these books and the sadly for me, the obsession never faded. I’m embarrassed to admit that I own two Snitch necklaces and these DVD’s are on constant rotation in my video collection. I is sad adult.

[insert juvenile gif here]

Outlander
A decidedly more adult obsession, but a fervent obsession nonetheless. When talking to the husband I’ve stopped referring to the series by name and just call them “my books”. I talk about Diana (as in Diana Gabaldon, the author) as if we are bff’s. I convinced the husband that we should include a pilgrimage to Culloden Battlefield as part of our honeymoon, even though the place is as far away from romantic as a place can be. It could be argued that I have spent more time reading the series than riding, and with a new book in progress, so thankfully the preocupation is not over yet.

Which is now a show, but we all know books trump tv x 1,000,000

So friends, do tell? Besides horses, what gets you excited?

Photography Friday: Rolex Edition

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Britt

How I never thought to do a post with my 2012 Rolex photos, I have no idea. So, in honor of America’s only 4*, here are some of my favorite shots from Rolex 2012!!

Unknown Rider at the Head of the Lake

Boyd Martin and Remington

Kristi Nunnink and R Star

Karen O’Connor and the gawgeous Mr. Medicott warming up for dressage

Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott Note the hackamore/snaffle combination- lots of hardware!

Oliver Townend and Pepper Anne over the coffin ditch

2012 Winner William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk

In which Britt whines about stress

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Britt

If you want to ignore my whining, and trust me I don’t blame you, tune in next week. I promise I’ll be back to cheerful then.

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I’ll admit it, I’m a little overwhelmed. Life is coming at me with just a trifle too much for me to process everything at the moment.

My car decided to have a sick day, which was not cool of it at all. Like, barely got me to work and then was straight up fussy for 36 hours. Of course after that it goes back to normal and even though the shop went over it with a fine tune comb, they can’t find a single thing wrong with it. Oh, except I need four new tires soon. Awesome.

Normally awesome car decided to be not awesome for a day

Elliot also decided to have sick days, and now needs medicated eye drops three times a day on top of his regular anxiety meds. Thanks Elliot, I promise you I don’t enjoy wrestling you to the ground three times a day either.

And of course Foster’s ulcers and recheck tomorrow are on the brain. Hopefully it will go well, since he’s becoming more and more like himself. By the way, thanks Fosterpants for the solid dressage ride last night. Preesh.

Still, some of it is good- I am absolutely swamped at work but the upside of running to meetings is that I actually get out of my office instead of shutting myself within my windowless four walls murmuring My Precious to the Thunderbolt display before me…

Can’t. Stop. Laughing.

Also, I get to celebrate this weekend as part of an old friend’s wedding party. Like, this chick and I go back to kindergarten together. Should be lots of fun. Just gotta get that dress altered, then hemmed, and then try not to give a crap about my semi-permanent farmer’s tan arms.

Aren’t they cute?

And lastly, we are so close to wrapping up our master bathroom I can taste it. All it’s lacking is a couple decor items, which I simply haven’t found time to install between coming home and collapsing into bed.

Things will calm down, I know. But whinging about it in the meantime is therapeutic… right?