Virginia Horse Trials Update

We took two Tag offspring to the Virginia Horse Trials a few weeks ago, and both were stepping up to new levels. Keeper, the 8 yr old, competed in her first recognized Training, and Class Clown, or Hokie, was enjoying his first recognized sleep-over BN. The love affair between the two was the most difficult part, and Keeper, only inches away from Hokie but unseen in her stall, wouldn't answer his mournful cries. Pretty soon his cries got a bit hoarse, but not feeble. Both had lovely warm-ups on Friday despite being separated.

On Saturday Keeper had a very nice dressage, though not as nice as the warm-up, but enough to put us up there. Stadium jumping was next in the arena, and I could hear lots of rails coming down. It was getting a bit ridiculous actually, so we were greatly relieved and encouraged to leave them all up. Hokie had a very lovely dressage ride next, and moved along nicely down the long side in the direction of the barn. He kept his head in the game though, and finished well, but jigged all the way back to his sweetheart. His stadium round was awesome, too, and clean, and it was his first time in the coliseum.

Sunday found Keeper in first, and Hokie in 3rd or so, but no time to consider that. Keeper's cross-country time was 8:30 am, and I worried a bit about the wet grass, but I added a few grass studs and put it out of my mind. It never was an issue, and she never put a foot wrong the whole time. I had put her in a simple hackamore this week, and she loved it. I truly had the ride of my life out there, and came home in plenty of time for the win. Yahoo! It was an interesting and plenty challenging course, and I feel pretty good about trying some other Training courses with her now--she is so capable and confident!

Hokie romped home for second place with awesome rhythm and purpose out there. Nearly every jump came up out of stride--it was a wonderful ride. So this weekend ranks right up there as one of the best of all time for me. The best part is that I delivered both of these younguns as babies, so I'm a proud mama!

Click here to see Keeper's show jumping round

Click here to see Keeper's cross-country round

Click here to see Hokie's show jumping round

Click here to see Hokie's cross-country round

-Alicia

Keeper Schooling Cross-Country

Video of Cady's Goldkeeper & Alicia schooling Training Cross-Country at Virginia Horse Center - March 2011

Early Spring Update - Deep Run & VHC

It's been a quiet spring on the farm. We began our training off "campus" with a trip to Deep Run Hunt cross-country course near Richmond, because it is a very clean and welcoming course with tough and inviting questions. Keeper has never had fun there, so I was determined to get her over the Training level jumps, and she was well up for the task. She handled the heights and the water and the log off the bank and the ditch before the wall all quite well.

(Left: Hokie and Keeper at Virgina Horse Center. Caitlin East photo.)

Young master Fred ("Class Action"), co-owned and trained by Catlin East, enjoyed his first outing ever by yawning at everything he was asked--and with style. He has the finest disposition of any young horse we have produced.

Soon following this experience, we headed over the mountain, to Lexington to jump the cross-country course at the horse center. Keeper again was slated to go Training, and she schooled beautifully, even jumping the scary trakehner, which I was going to save for the actual competition day and run toward home with adrenaline. But with the bad weather moving in , I knew I had to accomplish something hard, so I set up Caitlin with the camera and we flew right over it. We didn't make it back for the Sunday ride, with the bad weather, so that had to satisfy us.

(Right: THE trakehner! Keeper flies over it in style. Left: Hokie showing off his scope. Caitlin East photos.)

Hokie, aka Class Clown, had not experienced "the scene" before and he was a bit overwhelmed. Kristen Laluna rode him, but it soon became evident that he couldn't keep his eyes on the Novice jumps long enough to actually jump over them. So we finished him with confidence building BN jumps.

(Right: Hokie and Kris schooling at VHC. Caitlin East photo.)

Saturday, April 2 , we ventured back the the VHC for the Maury River Hunter Trials--to deliver the pottery trophies and ride Keeper and Fred in a few classes. Fred got a good ribbon in the puddle jumpers, and Keeper had some good runs in the pairs, and handy class. We mostly had to deal with speration anxiety and sideways icestorms. It was a good day to develope toughness. April 9th we will be taking babies to Green hill Park for a CT and xc school. Young Artisan will make her debut there. That should be loads of fun. I love these local occasions. Such good learning!

-Alicia

A-Hunting We Will Go!

We picked the prettiest day of the winter to join Lili Wykle and her young Stonewall Hounds at the fox pen for training. We were training and testing equines while she was training and testing canines--hounds and foxes. Well, now I'm not sure what grey foxes are... We took the two Connemara/Thoroughbreds--Keeper ("Cady's Goldkeeper") the 8yo mare and Fred ("Class Action"), the 4yo.

(Left: MFH & Huntsman Lili Wykle with her fine group of hounds. Below: The field enjoying a lovely afternoon. Photos by Karen Aniero from the Blessing of the Hounds last year.)

Both were a little wide-eyed by the tall canines with tails--as we raise Welsh Corgis. But they soon got in the groove and off we went. Since there are so many fox finding options for the hounds, we didn't seem to move much for the first little while. Fred seemed to have some bright ideas about ways to move, so we were glad when we finally got to move off at a brisk trot, as Lili said "to take the starch out of our horses."

Lots of good running by the hounds and we followed around on the roads--until I remarked that I'd really like to see a fox today. Not two minutes later, a pretty little red popped out of the woods in front of us, ran down the road, and dashed back into the brush. Yippee--I mean "Tally ho!"

After a good while of this fun, Fred began to show some tension and fatigue--so we decided to head for the trailers. Caitlin gave hm a little break, got off, and loosened his girth and his attitude suddenly brightened. So now we know you can get your girth too tight and as a reward on our hack to home, we viewed another red fox. Um.. hello! Tally you know---Ho!!!

- Alicia

Videos of Cady's Goldkeeper

Here are a few videos of Cady's Goldkeeper from the October Maryland Horse Trials. At the event, Keeper and Alicia Daily were 2nd in the competitive Open Novice division, finishing on their dressage score of 30.4. Contact us for more information on Keeper!

Trouble viewing these videos? You can also see them on our Youtube channel.

Dressage



Show Jumping



Cross-country

Super Weekend for Cady's Goldkeeper at Virginia Horse Trials

Penny Ross ordered up the perfect weather for the Virginia Horse Trials this weekend. We really enjoyed the fun and festivities, and we mostly enjoyed horses that ran well. Keeper was on her game for everything in the Area 2 Novice Championship division, and laid down a 30.0 in a crowded group of scores. She must have liked it, because she decided to keep that one and finish on it for a fourth place ribbon and a victory lap, too.

Keeper was showing a much more mature shape in her dressage test as I decided to sit all the trot this time, and the judge seemed to like it, too. Cross-country was scheduled for late Saturday, but there was plenty in reserve for that. We hadn't jumped or galloped all week, simply worked on our dressage. So she was ready for a run, and she was tired of the stall, and maybe thought she could find her way home, too. Anyway, she scooted around the course, pretty much dragging me everywhere, not blinking at any of the questions. Then we added a circle at the end because we were so early, even at 400 mpm and big hills to boot. She's finally got that uphill gallop where she is balanced for each jump and can jump them from any distance without much interference from me. It was quite a thrill!

The show jumping was scheduled for last on Sunday, so we did a lot of waiting and waiting, and since it was reverse order of standing, more waiting, more dry mouth, and more visual runthroughs of the course. And then it was over, we were clean and I couldn't remember anything about the round. Yeah and whew! We even got a cool neck ribbon, saddle pad, and a victory lap.

-Alicia Daily

Getting Ready for Virginia HT

We're busily preparing for the Virginia HT-- last minute travel food, silver polish, chiropractic adjustments. Keeper is getting lots of napping time in, and the flax seed is finally producing a shine and dapple. We decided to simply do light dressage workouts and save the jumping for the show. I've lowered my stirrups, hoping it'll encourage me to sit taller and keep my shoulders back. I'm very excited that she is in the championship division for Area 2.

We enjoyed a clinic with Jimmy Wofford at Sunrise Farm last week. We was adamant that we would "get' our distances, even though Keeper was hanging behind my leg. We achieved our goals and finished well on a "sloppy track"... and he told a story of a fellow saying , "if you want to have your horse jump like a pony, you have to ride like a child!" So I guess my elbows etc got the job done. He's very respectful of Connemaras and their crosses. After my last clinic on Mikey, he said, "that's a nice toy you have there."

My good friend and rider Kristen Laluna is leaving me for greener pastures in Charlotte after this show. I will be lonely without her. She rode my guys all winter while I was injured, and she learned how to drive the rig so she could get me home from Md, and graciously gave me my horses back as I recovered my legs. This weekend she'll give Dawn's Sunrise his first recognized Training run. Sunny used to be my ride, but OTTBs are a bit much for me in my advanced years. He belongs to Steve and Billie Bryant, and needs a home. Got my fingers crossed.

-Alicia

Marvelous Weekend at Maryland Horse Trials

Cady O'Daly Farm had a great outing at the Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Maryland this weekend. Homebred mare Cady's Goldkeeper and Alicia took home second place in the competitive Open Novice division to finish on their dressage score of 30.4. Keeper was a champ, clinching a solid, steady dressage test, and was one of only a handful of horses in her division to post a double-clear in show jumping and cross-country. Keeper is currently for sale - check out her page! She and Alicia are headed to the Virginia Horse Trials in Lexington, Virginia in a few weeks.

Kris LaLuna gave Steve and Billie Bryant's Dawn's Sunrise an excellent ride in the Open Novice division as well. 'Sunny' earned a 35.7 in dressage (even though he was a little spooked by the judge's hut!), had a silly rail in show jumping, and a foot-perfect cross-country trip. Sunny's also for sale - check out his page! Kris and Sunny will have their Training debut at the upcoming Virginia Horse Trials.

Check out more photos from this weekend here on Facebook!