The weather has been less than cooperative as we all know lately, and needless to say even less this past weekend at Poplar Place Farm Horse Trials. 

Saturday was dressage for some of us! My dressage ride time was initially at 9:33, but this promptly changed, as in my early morning schooling ride (around 7:30) with Amigo, the weather seem complacent with some drizzle off and on, and then out of nowhere lighting hit very close leaving everyone scrambling to get to the barns.  That was just a hint of what was to come for Saturday and ride times were delayed 50 minutes.  The storms let up a little bit and it was actually not raining when I rode my test.  We had an okay first dressage test for the season. Amigo was a little tense (he always gets a little barn sour and tries to be a know-it-all).  The canter walk transitions that we have been working on were our weakest movement, but I was overall happy with our test and we were in a 3 way tie for 8th with a 40.00.  After my dressage test, storms came through again, and ride times had to be delayed once again. Luckily, Katie was able to squeeze in her ride on Westley. They as well had a "dusting of the cobb webs" test as well, with an unfortunate spook, but I was very pleased with Katie's composure and she finished up her test with a 35.7. 

After Katie's ride, we were waiting for our friend Krissy Hicks to go in her BN division, but then again out of nowhere, it seemed like all HELL broke loose, and everyone was sent to the barns, even a poor rider who was stopped as she went down the centerline. I say poor, because we know how frustrating that can be, but we all know SAFETY FIRST!! We were warned to take cover as a tornado had touch down 6 miles away!!! A lot of us went huddling into the bathrooms with our pups of course!  The rain was amazing, blowing sideways and it reminded me of the Forest Gump scene when he was talking about all of the different types of rain--yeah that was Saturday!  So the organizers decided to cancel competition for the day and they were going to squeeze it all in on Sunday.  I was trying to stay positive as rumors of full cancellation were being whispered.  The cross country was already soggy so it was a wait and see type of game.  I have learned to be patient in these types of situations since drainage and footing can be amazing! Then an interesting thing occurred around 5pm...the sun came out...and we actually had a sunset! It was kind of strange, yet incredible hopeful.

Sunday came around with a mist blanketing the grounds of Poplar.  The courses had been checked and everything was a-GO for an on time start.  The stadium had been moved to one of the arena's with the footing(it's excellent in rain), so that was a bit of relief.  The course seemed very doable, but you never know how your horse is going to handle it when you are in the moving-up stage.  We also had to go ahead and put our studs in, as we were scheduled to ride stadium then go straight to cross country.  My warm-up proved to be a little difficult, because Amigo swore we were going to do cross country first--he saw me with my vest on! The little adrenaline junkie that he is, he was excited and bouncing around a bit.  I can sometimes get the glare of "oh there is a Arab," but once he starts jumping everybody gives him respect.  He finally calmed down and we went into our stadium.  I let him move on a bit so he would stay relaxed, and he was jumping great--he tends to be a over-achiever and wants to over jump everything. I unfortunately, came in on a awkward stride to the double combination of 5A and B, taking down 5A. But he jumped around great and we had only 4 faults.

Then it was on to Cross Country--Finally!  This is what we all do if for, RIGHT!!! Amigo was pretty amped up and ready for his first course of the season.  My plan was to try to go slow, emphasis on try...he had other plans.  I didn't have my watch, but I figured I would go on feel and ride accordingly.  Riding a brave, clever, sure-footed Arab in the mud... equals a great cross country ride! He felt great and didn't even slip once, he was leaning on me to let him go, and my reins kept slipping (I hadn't switched back to my notch reins) so I had to work to keep him slow-er.  But he listened well and we finished with 1.6 time penalties.  I was very proud of him and his performance and we finished up 5th!

Katie had a good stadium round with an unfortunate rail, then she was on to cross country. You might see some video of Westley being a hasty little pony about mounting--he can be a quirky little thing! It was Katie's first time competing in these conditions, and her pony was barefoot.  She did an excellent job riding the terrain. She had a run-out in the novice combination in the back, but finished up well. Although it may be a little disappointing having that 20, it makes you a little grittier and I was very proud of how she handled the footing.  Plus the first event of the season means some clearing of the cobb webs!

Our friend Krissy Hicks had to basically ride a one day--all 3phases on Sunday! Congrats on her completing her eventing debut on Grey Goose!

So all and all it was a soggy weekend but we all walked away with some good experiences!

Start your season with a Rick Wallace Clinic, January 28 - 29. Register online today!

Rick Wallace is an accomplished 3-Day Event Rider and was long listed for the 1991 Pan America Games and the 1992 Olympics. He successfully trains and rides in the Dressage, Hunter and Jumper disciplines.

* Two hour sessions. Groups divided by experience.

To register, please complete the online registration form HERE.

Ride times will be emailed in advance of the clinic. For more information, contact Rick Wallace by phone at (850) 879 - 2649 or by email at rick@teamwallace.org.

Team Wallace is pleased to announce its partnership with BBG Wines, home of King Frosch!

The health benefits of drinking red wine in moderation are well established. Not only does it raise HDL-colesterol, thereby lowering one's risk of of coronary heart disease, but the pigments in grape skins function as disease-fighting anti-oxidants. Unlike spirits which contain very little in the way of nutrient value, the carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in wine have many benefits for aerobic athletes like equestrians.

Unfortunately, in spite of the benefits of red wine for the high performance athlete, many wines contain elements that are detrimental. On the one hand, high levels of sulfites can cause respiratory impairment in sensitive individuals. They are often also blamed for the infamous 'red wine headache.' The lead cause of this, however, appears not to be sulfites, but rather the histamines, allergens, and impurities from cheap and artificial taste and color enhancers allowed by US wine law.

We met Klaus Bellinghausen, owner of BBG Wines and distributor of King Frosch, at the 2011 EPIC Game Fair where Elisa delivered a series of eventing demonstrations. Embraced by Klaus's warm spirit of hospitality, we spent the weekend chatting and sampling from a wide selection of King Frosch wines. As far as their flavor profiles are concerned, King Frosch wines are distinguished by their extremely clean finish. They are also generally unoaked, which means that the grapes and the terroir (the distinct qualities of the soil in which the grapes are grown) are allowed to speak for themselves. More than this, however, Klaus selects King Frosch wines based on their low sulfite, low histamine content. As such, King Frosch wines are also "no-headache" wines, minimizing vasculatory problems that are often associated with red wine. The result is a clean and refreshing wine that can be enjoyed both on its own or with a meal. Elisa's favorites are the Portugieser/Dornfelder Semi-Dry (#120), the Gewuerztraminer (#612) and the Dornfelder dry (#2).

As we continued in our conversation, it became apparent that Klaus and Elisa share a common commitment to integrity, simplicity, and excellence, and that it is this philosophy that leads to high-quality wines and high-performance horses and riders alike. It is by virtue of this common approach that Elisa is pleased to endorse King Frosch wines, and to partner with BBG Wines to offer fans of Team Wallace a special discount. Customers who place their order through Team Wallace (via links placed on our website), will receive 10% off their order, and a free bottle of specialty wine (valued $80 and higher) on every two case purchase. Simply enter the coupon code TEAMWALLACE when you check out. 15% of every sale will go to Team Wallace, in support of Elisa's bid to join the United States Eventing Team.

For more information about King Frosch wines, or to place an order, you can visit their website HERE.