Home from AHS meeting

Returned home from the AHS annual meeting late on Sunday.  Mary and I had organized a training session for the Mare & Stallion Committee judges.  It was held at Deborah and Marvin Hausman's wonderful facility Quailhurst.  Deborah went over the top to make this session a success providing many of her wonderful horses for demonstrations and ending the day with a tasting of Quailhurst wines.  Dr. Christmann from the Hanoverian Verband in Germany was the clinician with the help of top German trainer Stefan Blanken and Maren Schlender, who coordinates the Young Breeders organization.  Our mare Chatarina (Contendro I/Fabriano/Lemon Park) was used as a demo horse for freejumping, finishing with a fence 1.5 m high and nearly 2 m wide!  No problem.  Our young Escudo I/First Gotthard/Pik Solo) jumped well but was not up to form.  He'd had a BIG week with his first body clip, first trailer ride, and first trip away from the farm - he was not as confident as usual.  Good training for him.  After the jumping, the judges reviewed a riding test using Chatarina, ridden by Morgan Barrows, and La Jolla (Linaro/Pik Solo/Windy Sands xx) ridden by Blair Niemcziek.  The girls rode well, showing the horses to their best advantage.  The judges were most appreciative.  More news on the annual meeting soon.