As Good as Gold!
This year at the AHAF Thanksgiving show, Heather Stalker, riding Inslee Baldwin’s Arabian gelding HS Pageno, earned the final score she needed for her USDF Gold Medal. The USDF rider awards are no easy feat, and require dedication, hard work, and talent. All of which Heather and the lovely Pageno demonstrated in their Grand Prix ride at the Thanksgiving Show. For a rider to earn their USDF Gold medal they must have a total of 4 scores of 60% or higher, two at Intermediate I and/or Intermediate II, and two from Grand Prix, from two different Judges and two different rides.
Earning the honor of USDF Gold Medal is the culmination of dedication and hard work, a reward for many long hours and a highlight for a very talented rider.
“A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.”
Congratulations to Heather on earning her USDF Gold Medal!
Photo Credit: Jackie Finlayson
Canterbury Summer Sizzler II
Greta, Heather and Stephanie Hellinger attended this Open USDF sanctioned show on August 14-15, 2010 with great results. Greta and Khashflow+ achieved the Highpoint Championship at 2nd level and Stephanie and her lovely Trakhener mare, Hispaniola (aka Lola) were reserve Highpoint Champions at 1st level Amateur at their first ever A-rated dressage show. Heather and Inslee Baldwin's purebred arabian gelding, HS Pageno, showed the Grand Prix for the second time ever with good scores both days.
Arabian Fall Festival
Greta and assistant trainer, Jackie Finlayson, took 4 horses to the Arabian Fall Festival at Canterbury Showplace on August 28-29, 2010 and all 4 were stars. Greta and Jean Chance's lovely gelding, CF Tshazam had a busy weekend, winning Reserve Championships ab both Training and First level as well as winning the Reserve Championship in the Open purebred sporthorse under saddle. Clement and Kenneth Allen now have two horses in training at GWT. Their beautiful mare, HG Hucksberry Best + showed what a powerhouse she can be winning the Open sporthorse showhack championship with Greta while her baby brother, HG Beau Bask Afire deported himself extremely well during his first venture into the dressage ring with solid scores in the 60s with Jackie aboard. Margaret Wilkinson's gelding, Khashflow + continues to be a solid threat in the dressage ring, winning all of his classes and both the First and Second level championships as well as the points required to achieve his Legion of Supreme Honor.
10s Abound
The score of 10 is the holy grail of dressage – the perfect score. Most dressage riders compete for their entire lives without achieving this level of excellence. How magical is it to achieve 2 perfect 10s on two different horses on the same weekend??? This is exactly what happened to Greta who scored a perfect 10 on Khashflow for her final halt and on CF Tshazam for a stretch circle from judge, Barbara Marks at the Arabian Celebration...truly a fairytale weekend.
The beginning of a 10 Photo Credit: Jackie Finlayson
