Well Loosi's (Bask N Coins) 2009 fantastic season just keeps getting better and better.
While we didn't expect to get any awards other than mileage accomplishments (Mother, Loosi and I all got our 1500 miles) at the OCTRA banquet due to the fact that we spent the majority of the season stateside. We completed only 3 Endurance rides and 1 CTR within OCTRA, well Loosi was 15th Endurance Horse and 19th Overall (combined CTR and END) - wow, guess everyone else had short seasons as well due to the e…
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Added by Diana on December 12, 2009 at 6:03pm —
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Well I really rode Pixie for the first time today. I've had her in the boarding barn since Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. I did groundwork for a week, then hired the girl that been training the ponies all summer. I must say Heather has done an excellent job with the boys and with Pixie. I had started both the boys over the past couple of winters but COLD weather after working outside all winter doesn't make me want to get on a green pony and time is just not there in the summer. Both boys w-t-c…
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Added by Diana on November 28, 2009 at 4:23pm —
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Just looking back over my 2009 season and all I can say is "Wow, what a year it has been!"
First off I would like to thank the Graber Family in Indiana who purchased my matched pair of Hackney Horse fillies last October thus giving me the funds to make 2009 possible. Also to Leigh Gowdy-King for letting me pair up with Bask N Coins+ (aka Loosi). Many more thanks to my pit crew Vivianne Macdonald and Art King and all the others who have helped along the way.
I started off the year getting pumpe…
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Added by Diana on October 10, 2009 at 10:24am —
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Labour Day weekend saw us presenting 3 animals at the North American Sport Pony Inspection.
Quest For Gold (Rocko's Gold X Shades of Spring) - First Premium with a score of 7.3
Appassianata DS (*Rhoson Pasiant X Clovercroft Lucky Jenny) - First Premium with a score of 7.6
Clovercroft Jenny (actually Clovercroft Lucky Jenny but they have an 18 character limit on names) - First Premium with a score of 7.1
Quest and Apple are both Half-Welsh but distinctly different builds and types. Jenny is a p…
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Added by Diana on October 3, 2009 at 9:49am —
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Well as you know Loosi is a known runaway that had had issues just a month prior to us heading back to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, just south of Cleveland OH.
Now that the bolting issue had hopefully been solved and the fact that I had come down and ridden the National trail on a CTR in July, I was hoping and planning to ride to win!
We arrived at camp on Thursday and met up with fellow Arab/Appy rider who was hosting the Appaloosa rider dinner. I had gathered up sponsors for the ride and m…
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Added by Diana on October 3, 2009 at 9:42am —
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Okay now where was I? ..... Oh yeah, I'd just finished the amazing Shore to Shore in Michigan riding 150 miles in 4 days.
Well from there it was back to work and conditioning. The following weekend we had 2 working students come for the week at my parents' farm - Heather and Steph. Heather's mom used to come stay with us when we were teenagers as her parents bought her a pony from us and later she sent the pony's son to us to be broke and shown.
What a week that was the girls rode every style…
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Added by Diana on October 3, 2009 at 9:20am —
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Well I just got news that the Percheron mare that I prepped for my boss went Supreme Champion at the CNE. I know she still has the Mare Cart class yet to go, so I will have to wait to hear the news on that class.
Also the 4 year old Clydesdale gelding (over 18.2hh) that I have been "creating" since last Sept is most likely sold. I like this gelding but I hear that I might get a couple of fancy young geldings in replacement to "create". Nothing like taking a gangly, growthy youngster and turning…
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Added by Diana on August 9, 2009 at 7:50am —
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Friends have been talking about what an awesome experience the Shore to Shore Endurance Ride Week is so finally we bit the bullet in order to work on Bask N Coins' (Loosi's) ApHC Medallion.
On Sat drove to the beautiful town of Oscoda MI to the base camp for the first 2 days of competition. Having met most of the ride management (manager, head vet, timer) at the White River Ride we were made to feel like long lost friends.
We quickly set up camp and then headed back down to Tawas City to go gr…
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Added by Diana on August 8, 2009 at 9:54am —
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We took two Sport Ponies to the Fieldstone Breeders Show on July 25/09. The past couple of years we have been unable to attend the closest of the Sport Pony Star Search Qualifier show due to conflict with other competitions but this year we MADE IT.
Two year old Private Benjamin (Babs) was 2nd in her class and was later named Reserve Junior Champion. Her 3 year old half-brother Kolonel Mustart (Dijon) was 2nd in his class. We had an great time - Shannon and crew put on a terrific show. We were…
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Added by Diana on July 26, 2009 at 9:00am —
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The last weekend in June saw me in Kemptville Stewarding the Tulip Arabian Horse Shows. I think this was my 6 or 7th trip to Steward the Tulip show. Great bunch of people in the Ottawa area and some lovely horses. Always a good time in the Ottawa area.
Then I had to work a weekend while the boss was on holidays. Finally I got back on the road for July 10-12th to head to the OAATS Celebration CTR in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park just north of Akron OH. A 7 hr trip with a stop for unloading L…
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Added by Diana on July 18, 2009 at 1:38pm —
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Well I've completed 100 of the 350 Endurance miles I've set as a goal this season.
First was the Aprilfest in May ride on May 17th where we finished the 50 mile Endurance ride in 7:02 for 21st place. Not bad as I didn't consider either Loosi or I fit yet for the season so we rode slowly for the completion.
Last weekend (June 13) saw us in Hesperia MI, about 1 hr north of Grand Rapids saw the Canadian invasion of the White River Summer Ride. 18 Canadian horses attended this 2 day event with th…
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Added by Diana on June 21, 2009 at 11:15am —
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After a couple of false starts and mother not being able to head to Aprilfest in May Endurance Ride on Sunday, Spring (Shades of Spring+) finally decided to let the baby out.
Good strong, correct filly by Section B Welsh stallion, Rocko's Gold. Unknown colour at this time - black, black bay, smokey black, black buckskin???? 3 white feet and a reversed question mark on her face.
Name is giving us some trouble as well - Where's The Gold, What Gold, ..... along those lines (name has to contain Go…
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Added by Diana on May 23, 2009 at 9:18am —
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Appasianata DS or Apple arrived tonight around 10pm. Black bay filly with what appears to be no white (will have to check more closely as mom tends to hide white on her babies until after the application papers have been sent in requiring photos and money for changes.
Sire: *Rhoson Pasiant - imported Section B Welsh bay stallion
Dam: Clovercroft Lucky Jenny - Hackney Horse black mare
Many thanks to stallion owner Darlene Morton, Morton Welsh & Sport Ponies for the free breeding to replace…
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Added by Diana on May 14, 2009 at 7:48pm —
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Well a couple of weekends later than normal the 2009 competition season is starting to gear up. Tomorrow mother and Loosi head to the Queen's Bush Training Ride where Loosi is used as a demonstration horse for the vetting etc. My dad acts as timer and my mom is planning on riding all 3 loops 15-18 miles as drag rider. My mom will get the last few miles needed to achieve her next mileage milestone with OCTRA - 1500 miles.
I get to stay at the farm on mare stare!!! Spring is due today and Jenny i…
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Added by Diana on May 9, 2009 at 11:00am —
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Not sure where the last month or so has gone but it's gone and past.
Spent one weekend in Toronto helping my best friend at a science fiction/fantasy convention Ad-Astra. The committee needed warm bodies to help run the Green Room where the guests of honour hang out away from the masses and the media. While I do read sci-fi/fantasty at times it was interesting to see the many genres and how other people get as into a topic as I do horses. Got to attend a Writer's Workshop and can apply many of…
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Added by Diana on April 11, 2009 at 10:04am —
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Well the foal didn't make it. Found it dead in the middle of the stall on Monday morning. Further inquiry to foaling farm found out that he had had some seizures during the first couple of weeks of life. They hadn't seen any recent ones when he was sent to me at 3 weeks of age. I don't think he would have ever been right - certainly not right enough to race. The mare knew something was wrong and was solictious of human help with the foal.
Knock on wood the bad streak is over and on to the good.…
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Added by Diana on March 21, 2009 at 12:18pm —
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Well I've been sick with a cold since I got back from the AERC Convention. Only since yesterday have I finally quit coughing! Haven't felt much like riding or long lining after work, so the poor beastlies have been sitting idle again.
Yesterday had to go lift a sick foal at work for 4 hours till the weekend staff figured out how to do it properly without harming the foal and making sure it nursed and urinated when up.
Today headed up to the Centre Wellington Tack Swap in Fergus - not a bad tur…
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Added by Diana on March 15, 2009 at 3:12pm —
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Well last weekend (Feb 19-22) I spent in Louisville at the AERC Convention. What a great weekend full of seminars, panels and opportunities to pick the brains of some of the top Endurance riders and veterinarians in North America. I came home with pages and pages of notes of things to keep in mind this coming distance season. Not that I haven't been doing badly just I want to up my game a tad bit more, plus you never stop learning.
The bad news is that it was -3 and snowy in Louisville. I had h…
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Added by Diana on February 28, 2009 at 10:05am —
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Okay if this wasn't right on the nail or what for February (and we are only on day 8, so far).
Aries - March 21 - April 19
Your expertise will be needed this month more so than ever. It appears that you are suddenly being seen as the great trainer you are with your gentle and effective methods being brought to the forefront and put on display. Just enjoy the compliments. Taking some time for yourself and your horse will be uppermost in your mind, it will be beneficial to spend some quiet time…
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Added by Diana on February 8, 2009 at 7:56am —
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Back in the fall of 2005, I attempted to set up a formal organization called Pony Breeders of Ontario, similar to the organizations of Virginia Pony Breeders Association, Maryland PBA, Florida PBA and Minnesota PBA. I held an information/working session the end of October and we have a small number of very enthusiastic people attend and a lot of work was done in ironing out what the group wanted and how the organization should work.
I and the interim Board of Directors spent many an hour on ema…
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Added by Diana on February 7, 2009 at 12:14pm —
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