Dream Dancer Horse Photography

Another Successful Schooling Show at Wolf Creek EquestrianCentre

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:13:00 +0000

Sunday March 27th was the third and final show of the Winter Series and what an exciting show it was. An increased number of entries in both the English and Western divisions and a race for the series trophies added to the excitement. Cameras were flashing and spectators were cheering. Again I really must complement Trevor and Annette for their flawless organization and hospitality. Cairine Evans was the kind of judge that every schooling show needs. Not only did she accomplish the difficult job of rating each class but she also took the time to talk to each competitor about their ride. Lauralee Evans-Green did a great job as ring steward and entertained the crowd with her demonstration of a side-pass without a horse.

Nancy on Satin Girl getting pointers from Cairine Lauralee horsin around

Once again poor Benny had to sit this one out but he did get plenty of attention and compliments from the visitors in the barn. Satin and Irish added to their ribbon count and Satin helped Nancy win the Senior Walk/Trot trophy. Speaking of trophies. The winners were all so proud of themselves and their horses and their new found confidence will certainly put them in good standing for this year’s show season. It was a joy to see the enormous smiles on their faces.

Cheyenne White and Irish Dream on their way to a 1st Nancy and Satin with another 1st

Crystal receiving a 1st Nancy receives the Senior Walk/Trot Equitation from Annette

Do you think this young woman is happy? She is Jen Wright receiving the Hunter Trophy from Trevor

Congratulations to all the winners ( Names to follow)

Wolf Creek Equestrian Centre has plans for more shows, trail rides, fun days, bar-b-ques, swim nights in the indoor pool,clinics, and lots of fun for borders, guests and visitors. Do yourself a favour and visit the events page on their web site. All and all this series was a great success and I was proud to be a part of it as the announcer.

Happy trails,

John

Wolf Creek Winter Schooling Show

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:27:00 +0000

Well 2011 has kicked off with a bang after a false start. Sunday was the first of the Wolf Creek, Marmora, winter schooling show series. The first show was originally set for Jan. 23 but the extreme cold caused a cancellation. This week Mother Nature was kind to us with sunshine, no wind and warmer temperatures. I was asked to do the announcing so I couldn’t enter the competition but Nancy spent the last month tuning up Satin and Irish for their first show ever. I think Benny was getting jealous of all the attention his pals were getting. I had contacted the Gateway Horse Riders Assoc. for whom we had photographed a number of shows last year and I asked if someone would like to ride Benny to give him some show ring experience. When we bought him I only got a sketchy history and wasn’t sure of his prior training. We only knew that he was beautiful, kind and eager to please. I can hardly believe how this all turned out. A very talented young woman, named Taylor, wrote that she might be interested. I knew her from the Gateway shows and knew how much she loved her horses and how well she treated them. She came for a visit and a test drive on Saturday and kindly agreed to take him in the show on Sunday. I can’t thank her enough. In the 3 classes that she entered they got two firsts and a third place ribbon. Taylor’s skill came as no surprise to us but finding out that Benny was so talented was a real boost. Now I know that he won’t need as much training as we thought and that I will need much more to reach his level. That is a big help. Once again Nancy proved that she has a real eye for a horse’s potential.

And speaking of Nancy; she had a bounce in her step that I hadn’t seen in years. She worked hard at training Satin and Irish, and herself, and won 7 ribbons. Pretty good for a rider who hadn’t shown since the 80’s and a skinny, cranky horse that she picked up a couple of years ago. It goes to show that a neglected thorobred, off the track, can come alive with the right owner. I guess that real talent never fades in people and their animals. Congratulations Sweetie.

I also need to congratulate Trevor and Annette, the owners of Wolf Creek Equestrian Centre. I know how hard they worked to provide everyone with the opportunity to start schooling themselves and their horses at a well organized winter show. It was not only a great start to the season but also to the whole year. A number of spectators were kicking themselves for not bringing their horses and already started to book for next month’s show. Competition is heating up for those gorgeous series trophies.

Everyone who attended, whether spectator or rider, was impressed and had a great time. I was honoured to be the voice of the show and had as much fun as anyone.

Happy trails

John

Another great show at Tweed

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:33:00 +0000

Last Sunday the sun came out in Tweed and so did the horses and riders. Gateway HRA put on their second show and the attendance was proof that friends are telling friends that this is the place to be. The competition for year-end awards has heated up some but the atmosphere is still fun and friendly. Unfortunately Nancy had to attend to her nursing duties and was not able to be with me so instead of showing I went solo with a bag of cameras and managed to snap over 100 photos and over an hour of video. Needless to say, it has taken a few days to sort through them all but we have started to put some on the site.

This week-end we dedicating our time to our own equine pals. Benny the Grey is coming on strong and I can’t wait to show him off soon. Satin Girl is looking good and Nancy has added to her show outfit this week so I know that she is chopping at the bit and little Irish Dream has a new show halter. What a cutie he is. Thanks to everyone who has visited the site recently and the members, old and new, that have added to their photo albums. I will be adding a forum page soon so that we can all trade tall tails, ideas and questions.

Happy Trails,

John and Nancy

MAY LONG WEEK-END PART2- GATEWAY HORSE SHOW TWEED

Fri, 28 May 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Sunday was just as eventful. As you might know, we have been looking around for a club that has a few schooling shows this year. We have been away from showing for more than a few years so we wanted something casual and fun just to school our horses and get the rust out of our old bones. Since our horses are in Marmora we didn’t want the shows to be too far from there so that we could make several trips if we decided to take more than 2 of them. While surfing the inter-web I found the Gateway Horse Riders Association in Tweed (see our “links” page) so we headed up from Belleville to the Tweed Fairgrounds bright and early Sunday morning for a peek. We had such a good time that the peek lasted all day. The organizers and competitors welcomed us like we were old friends. The show ran extremely smoothly and we even got in the spirit by helping out the ring crew. I was absolutely amazed at the younger riders. Some of them looked like they were barely old enough to tie their own shoe laces but they were pros in the saddle. Confident, competent, and having a great time. I hope that this old man can do as well. There was, of course some beautiful horses and skilled riders and we couldn’t help taking a few pictures. I have created a new page titled “Gateway Club Show” so you can have a look. This club felt like home and we have decided to become members and join in the fun at their next show. If you’re looking for some schooling shows a little more than 30 minuets from Belleville then check them out. You’ll be glad you did and Nancy and I look forward to meeting you there.

MAY LONG WEEK-END - PART 1 WOLF CREEK TRAIL RIDE

Thu, 27 May 2010 19:06:00 +0000

What a beautiful long week-end for horsing around. Saturday was the first official trail ride of the season at Wolf Creek Equestrian Centre in Marmora. It was warm and mostly sunny with just enough cloud to minimize the glare and enough breeze to cool us off and keep the flies away. We spent a few minutes in the arena warming up the horses and seeing how they would react to each other and then it was off through the woods to the open fields and creeks. “Benny the Grey” was unflappable. He slotted into the group in every position from leader to follower without hesitation. He did do a little dance to get out of the way when one of the horses acted up but he took it all in stride. Everyone had a great time and it was, for us, the official start of the 2010 year of the horse. Thanks to our hosts Trevor and Annette.