News

The 2009 edition of the New York Morgan Regional Horse Show was a banner one for Scottfield Stables! With more than 2/3rds of all of the Team’s ribbons being in the top two, consistently strong performances were the norm for the horses and riders showing under the Scottfield banner.

KLS Morgans of Montrose, PA, sent three horses to the Show, and two came home undefeated while the third ended up with a Reserve Tri-color! Making her presence known, and waving her legs to earn two victory passes was the sporty going Ultra’s Special Intention. With trainer Alicia Fraser in the irons, Special Intention won the Junior Horse Park Saddle qualifier on her way to capturing the Championship honors as well! “Annabelle” has been under the direction of Scottfield since January, but was only recently purchased by Dr. Steve, Lory and Kate Kielceski following her fantastic showing that culminated in a top 3 finish at the New England Regional Show in the Junior Park Saddle Championship. “Annabelle” will be working on patterns over the winter and is slated to make her equitation debut in 2010 with Kate Kielceski. Kate also enjoyed a fantastic show with her long-time partner, Hermitage Avatar. Together the dynamic duo captured the blue in the UPHA Challenge Cup and then went on to win the 14-17 Saddleseat Equitation qualifier. Due to prior commitments, Kate was unable to show back in the championship, but was happy to end her successful season with an undefeated showing against great competition at this Regional! Also making a splash was WTS Simply Outrageous, a typey, curvy Morgan Gelding who has enjoyed two undefeated showings this season in the Open English Pleasure division and finished here with the Reserve tri-color in the Open English Pleasure Championship. “Larry” will be heading next to Oklahoma, unless of course, he is purchased first by a smart shopper!

Hartland Morgans enjoyed a banner show, with all three of their prefixed horses competing at the show taking victory passes. Hartland Infinity is a 6 year old bay gelding who was teamed up this year with Joy Puthawala for her first year out of the walk and trot ranks. “Quinn” has been a Scottfield star since his late yearling year, and this horse is as reliable as they come! Joy did a fabulous job showcasing her equine partner, and together they won the 13 & Under Hunter Pleasure class as well as taking the reserve in the 13 & Under Hunt Seat Equitation. As there were no 13 & Under championships offered, this team was unable to show back at all, but we were so thrilled with their results in the two qualifiers, we were happy to end their great first season on such a high note! Hartland Best Man is a gorgeous, long necked black gelding who turns heads everywhere he goes. Shown by Alicia Fraser, Hartland Best Man won the Futurity Alumni English Pleasure class, making one brilliant pass after another that had the crowd buzzing with applause. Next, it was Drue Bormann’s turn to show the handsome Best Man, and show him, she did! Drue and “Chad” ended up taking a 4th place prize in the very competitive Amateur English Pleasure Championship. Drue has worked hard all season long to learn how to show this grand gelding, and it was just wonderful to see all of those lessons come together to create such a lovely class on Saturday night. Congratulations, Drue! Hartland Anastacia and owner/trainer Christine Gelineau also had their moment in the sun when they won the Western Pleasure Limit Horse class. This team really looked sharp at the NY Regional, and given that the mare is 5 months pregnant, I would say an extra carrot or two is in order for Anastacia.

The Saddleseat horses weren’t the only ones who made a statement at New York. Candlelite Superette, a western superstar in the making, was in the hunt all week long, going reserve in the highly competitive Open Western Pleasure Mares class on her way to finishing third in the Open Western Pleasure Championship with Alicia Fraser in the saddle. Owner Cathy Larcheveque had a gorgeous go with smooth transitions and flawless lopes to earn the reserve ribbon in the Novice Rider class, much to the delight of her cheering barn mates! TNP Joyful Spirit found her competition to be astoundingly deep in the Western Pleasure Junior Horse classes, but held her own, and walked away with top prizes there as well as taking the reserve in the Futurity Alumni Western Pleasure class with Alicia Fraser doing the riding for owners Nick & Robin Pelham and Danielle Rice of Finger Lakes Morgans from Bath, NY.

LPV Excalibur was beautiful in the bridle and happy in his work, earning a top 4 finish in the Ladies English Pleasure Championship for owners Joe and Marion Gaigal of Creekside Morgans from Avoca, NY. Creekside also sent a lovely filly to the show. CSD’s Bonding Agent is a long necked and feminine bay filly  with a big star who is by Ultra’s Special Agent and out of Clearview LaDonna. “Mia” showed like a pro, and was easily one of the most well-behaved entries in the Breeders Sweepstakes class.

Talk about being Special! Ultra’s Special Delivery and Haleigh Quigg were nothing short of phenomenal to win the Junior Exhibitor Park Saddle Stake class. Because the Junior Exhibitors were not offered a qualifier and a championship, but rather just a single stake class, the decision was made to put 13 Year Old Haleigh (who is just in her first season out of walk and trot) in with the big dogs to give it a go in the Amateur Park Saddle Championship. Five great entries crossed through the In-Gate, and Haleigh pushed her big-moving, long-legged partner right to the edge, and still managed to keep him high in the bridle. As such, the team was rewarded with the Reserve Championship title in the Amateur Park Saddle division! This young lady rode hard, and “Del” brought his “A” game to the table, as we have all come to count on him to do. This is one grand team!

Emily Puthawala has become an integral member of the Scottfield team. You could likely count on one hand the number of days Emily was not at the barn over summer vacation, and there is no way to log the countless hours she spent practicing on her beloved Sweeney’s Midnight Son. In addition to grooming for the week at the show, Emily also competed. Unfortunately, in her admirable attempt to go for the big pass, Emily and Jack broke into a canter for just a few steps right in front of the judge, and as such were left out of the prizes in the Junior Exhibitor Classic Pleasure Championship. BUT, I would like to acknowledge that I couldn’t have been happier with Emily’s “No Guts, No Glory” ride, and in my book, she won the blue ribbon all day long. Way to go, Emmy!

Caitlan Reilly and her Hunter Hill by Design had a lovely show, earning a 6th place in the big Classic Pleasure Driving Limit Horse class. Caitlan and “Jesse” have been through a lot this past year, with Jesse requiring Colic Surgery just this past February. Brought back carefully by the caretakers at Scottfield, the decision was made to try to get Jesse to the NY show, and Caitlan did a fabulous job negotiating her horse and cart through the 12+ horse driving classes, and was appropriately pleased with what her drive really represented… the comeback of a great horse who just months ago was on total stall rest.

Ashley Lassilla and GW In Lieu of Cash had a great first season together, and even enjoyed a victory pass in the tough Junior Exhibitor Hunter Pleasure division earlier this season. This show was a deep one for the team, and though they finished in the ribbons in the qualifier, this show was far more valuable as a learning experience than anything else for Ashley and Scudder this time around. Also gaining valuable show ring experience was the lovely yearling mare owned by Jane Elliott of Newport, New Hampshire. Catch A Cloud was on the money to go reserve in the Yearling Mares In-Hand class with Brian Natzle and Alicia Fraser showing the correct bay mare for her oh-so-proud owner.

All in all, the show was a very successful one for Scottfield, but it could never have happened without a ton of help. A big Thank You to Drue Bormann and Emily Puthawala for grooming the entire week, and also a big Thank You and a Hug to Brian Natzle for helping wherever was necessary and working countless hours alongside Alicia in the marathon week.

We look forward next to Oklahoma, where Scottfield will be competing with 5 entries: WTS Simply Outrageous (Open English Pleasure), LIV Norah Jones (Ladies English Pleasure), Epona’s Walk The Line (3 Yr Old English Pleasure), CJS Piece Of Mind (4 Yr Old English Pleasure), and LSF Nevermoretal (Ladies Classic Pleasure with Beth Grella). Wish us Luck, and the same to you!

Team Scottfield loaded up eight horses to compete at the UPHA Spring Premiere, five to be shown in Open ranks by Alicia, and three to be shown by their Amateur riders who have been working hard through the winter to be ready for this early in the season competition. Noted for large classes, great parties, and a schedule that accommodates all of the breeds competing, this show is a favorite of many of our customers, and is a regular on our annual schedule of competitions.

Kicking off the 2009 season with a stellar debut was Candlelite Superette, an exquisitely beautiful black mare who is proudly owned by Cathy Larcheveque of Owego, NY. Cathy purchased “Candi” as a 4 year old in 2007, and after the mare finished her Junior horse career with top ribbons as a hunter, began working towards becoming Cathy’s next Amateur Western pleasure mount. Shown lightly in 2008, the season saw tricolors and victory passes for Candi and Cathy on the New York circuit, but with another winter’s worth of work, Candi was ready to take on the extremely competitive New England circuit. So, with this in mind, Candi jogged up the ramp on Wednesday morning with Alicia Fraser in the saddle to compete in the Morgan Open Western Pleasure qualifier. Steady, expressive and flawless, Candi topped the field to earn the first place prize in this class of quality horses. The very next day, Candi and Alicia gave it another go in the Junior/Novice Western Pleasure class where they again topped the field to take the victory pass. And then the heat came. Ninety degrees on Saturday made for some pretty grumpy horses, but Candi showed a lot of grit, and worked through the heat like a champ to take home the Reserve Grand Champion title in the Open Western Pleasure division. What a great way for this fantastic mare to start her season! Cathy couldn’t have been happier, and we will now work towards putting the team together with Cathy in the saddle. I expect the results to be just as impressive with Cathy at the helm.

Because the Morgan Western classes were promised to Candi at this show, our Junior Western Pleasure snaffle bit horse, TNP Joyful Spirit, had to compete in the Open Opportunity Western Pleasure classes in order to be able to go to the show. Convinced that she was ready to compete, I asked Joyful’s owners to please let her go to the show, even if it wasn’t the ideal division for the mare. Owners Nick and Robin Pelham of Finger Lakes Morgans (Bath, NY) were great, and gave me the go ahead to put their typey chestnut on the trailer. The Open Opportunity classes are open to all breeds at the show (Morgans, Saddlebreds and Friesians), Amateurs and Professionals alike. Joyful handled the mixed company like a champ, and finished Reserve in her qualifier in a good sized class of seasoned competitors. When it came time for the championship, Judge Sandy Sessink was determined to separate the boys from the men, asking for many different types of transitions, long halts both directions of the ring, and a back-up on the rail that segued directly into a jog. Mature beyond her years, and simply unshakeable, Joy executed all of the requests with precision, and never dropped an ear. Her performance was appropriately rewarded with the Reserve Championship honors, and the crowd certainly got behind this fancy mare with their applause in both the line-up and on the victory pass. Thank you, railbirds!! And congratulations to Nick and Robin—what a nice Morgan you have!

Stepping up to a new division is never easy, but when the new division is the 14-17 Saddleseat Equitation division, keeping expectations realistic is key, as the Senior Morgan Eq riders are some of the toughest competitors showing in the Morgan world. Kate Kielceski and her faithful partner, Hermitage Avatar, have worked hard all throughout the bitter cold winter to be ready to come to this show and give their best performances, and they did not disappoint. In the 10 horse AMHA Saddleseat Medal class, I was ecstatic when Kate was one of 5 called out to perform the pattern. With here signature precision and poise, Kate executed the pattern extremely well, and much to our delight, was rewarded with the Reserve red ribbon in this outstanding class. Two days later, Kate and Ronni charged back up the ramp to try their hand in the Senior Saddleseat Equitation Morgan Championship, where they again found themselves in a strong group of 10 riders. After completing her best rail work to date, Kate was again called out for the pattern. But the pattern wasn’t the same for everyone. Instead, Judge Sandy Sessink stated that all riders were to stay in line, and NOT receive any instruction from the rail prior to completing their patterns. Additionally, they were to make up their own pattern, any way they wished, so long as it included a canter on the incorrect lead, a cantering circle on the correct lead, and a trot without irons. With the lowest number of the girls selected, Kate was the first to have to demonstrate her own pattern. A very good thinking rider who is not easily shaken, Kate knew exactly how she wanted to put her pattern together. She and Ronni trotted to their start point and came to a halt. From there, she picked up the incorrect lead and cantered the entire length of the rail, where she halted before picking up the correct lead and executed a circle. She then halted and reversed, and dropped her irons. Kate then trotted the entire length of the rail minus her stirrups back to her start point, and she did so with incredible strength and gorgeous position. And as a result, Kate was crowned Grand Champion Senior Saddleseat Equitation rider!! Way to go, Kate and Ronni!

While Ronni has been a fantastic partner for Kate for the last three seasons, and though we have no current plans to sell or retire him, Kate really enjoys showing, and hopes to compete for both the UPHA Challenge Cup and Medal Finals in the coming years that will conclude her equitation career. Knowing that equitation teams don’t develop overnight, we began the search for a second equitation horse for Kate last summer, and ended that search with the purchase of WTS Simply Outrageous, a handsome, big trotting son of Simply Maserati. “Larry” is just a grand horse, and while no one will ever replace Ronni, Larry is getting braver everyday, and after this season of development, should be ready to come out in 2010 as a fabulous senior equitation mount. In the mean time, Larry’s job is to get some miles on him by way of competing with Alicia in the Open English Pleasure ranks. With that in mind, Larry was entered in both the Open English Pleasure qualifier and Jackpot Stake at UPHA, where he won plenty of fans and put in strong performances to finish top 3 in both of these classes. This horse only gets better as he goes, and really looks to be a ringer in this division as he gains more show ring experience.

Also attending the show for the purpose of gaining experience was the very new team of Drue Borman and Hartland Best Man. Best Man has enjoyed a winning career both under saddle and in harness under the direction of Scottfield, but this is his first season being guided by an Amateur under saddle. Drue is a solid rider with a great seat and strong leg, and we feel confident that once this team gets a few classes under their belts, they will be a tough one to beat in any competition. Getting their feet wet in the English Pleasure Novice rider class, Drue and Chad had plenty of “go” to earn the third place ribbon. In the big 12 horse championship, Drue put together a much more organized performance, improving tremendously from her good qualifying ride, and was appropriately rewarded with a 7th place finish in this super deep class. I look forward to watching this talented team blossom throughout the season. And thank you to Drue for all of your help at the horseshow. You are a valuable member of our Team!

LSF Nevermoretal is the epitome of a classic pleasure horse. He is curvy, happy and an unusually fluid mover. Add to it that he is piloted by long-time owner, Beth Grella, and you can see why this duo is competitive in any ring they choose to enter. Here at UPHA, they qualified in the Ladies Classic Pleasure class, and with a beautiful go, finished 4th in deep competition, with 3 World titled Morgans finishing ahead of them. Appointed to the nines with a beautiful silk baby blue coat (as only Beth can do), Kobe and Beth were a picture of perfection in the Open Classic Pleasure Championship. Flawless transitions, breathtaking extensions and an overall picture of refinement and elegance, this team would be hard to beat. With a 5th place finish, and 3 of the 4 spots ahead of her again being taken by current World title holders, Beth and Kobe demonstrated why they will be a team to look for in the coming months on the New England circuit. And wherever Beth and Kobe are, husband Dave will be as well. A more supportive cheerleader you would be hard pressed to find! (And thanks for being the cameraman, too, Dave!)

Joe and Marion Gaigal of Creekside Morgans in Avoca, NY, really love their horses, and Marion was just over the moon with how well her beautiful, fine necked gelding, LPV Excalibur, performed. Starting of his stellar week, “Rocky” earned a 3rd place finish in the Morgan Ladies English Pleasure class. The following day, Rocky represented the Morgan breed very well by carrying the distinction of being the highest pinning Morgan in the Open Opportunity English Pleasure class, earning a 6th place in a strong field of 14 Saddlebreds, Friesians and Morgans. Still sharp with his ears and rock steady in the bridle at the end of the long week, Rocky moved up to a fourth place finish in the Open Opportunity English Pleasure Championship! This horse is a big hearted, wonderfully kind individual who really impressed me with his bright attitude at this horse show, his first under the Scottfield banner.

And then there was “Annabelle”…   Named after the sassy female lead in the well-known movie, “Maverick,” this mare, whose registered name is Ultra’s Special Intention, made her presence known with a fantastic saddle debut in the Park division. Following a fabulous performance that resulted in a third place finish in the Junior/Novice horse qualifier, Annabelle returned to face the big boys in the Open Park Saddle Championship. Being in the same ring with Lamborghini In Black, it can be tough to even get noticed by the judge, but Annabelle holds herself in the highest of regard, and though her best efforts on this day landed her a fourth, Annabelle thought she had won the whole thing! What a fancy, fancy little engine! This mare was just a blast to show, and while I am hoping to get her sold within the barn before someone else scoops her up, I think this mare is destined for stardom for whoever her lucky next owner might be! Sassy and smart, this girl thinks with the best of them and can out-trot most…. A BIG thank you to owner Jaye Alles for letting me work with such a special, talented young horse. I just can’t wait for the next show! (To see what all the fuss is about, check out Annabelle’s youtube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFppUZ_M2lQ)

Thanks to all of the clients who made the show so relaxing, fun and successful. Brian and I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful clients that we can also call friends. Onward and Upward!

4/1/2009

It is a breeder’s dream to have a healthy foal that carries his own farm’s prefix. When that first foal is by Ultra’s Special Agent, and out of Clearview La Donna, AND it’s a beautiful bay filly with a star, one might feel as though they have struck gold. When Joe and Marion Gaigal of Creekside Morgans called me with their good news, their excitement on the other end of the line was palpable. While a registered name has not been decided, we do know that this filly will be the first to carry the CSD prefix. After waiting three years for a foal, and having only acquired this particular mare within the last two weeks, Marion was slow to take in the reality that there would indeed be a foal to call her own. Even after a healthy foal was delivered by Steve and Annette Smith, Marion still couldn’t believe that this was all happening. So, in addition to a fantastic find in La Donna, a proven show horse and broodmare, Joe and Marion also have their long awaited foal. Congratulations! And thank you to Steve and Annette for making this all possible and for being so fantastic throughout this whole process.

With show season anxiously awaiting just around the corner, our first show entries have been sent off to the UPHA Spring Premiere management, and our schedule for the season has been firmed up right through Oklahoma. Still, we will wait another five weeks before seeing our friends in New England, which is fine by us, because we are hopping busy around here! New horses, new babies, new clients, and now, the Newest News…

First and foremost, we wish to congratulate Nick & Robin Pelham and Danielle Rice of Finger Lakes Morgans on their purchase of LIV Norah Jones (to watch a video of her click here). Norah came in late last fall, and I have just fallen in love with this exquisitely beautiful mare. Norah will make her saddle debut this season as a Ladies English Pleasure contender with the intention of her becoming Danielle’s Amateur Ladies English Pleasure mount later in the year. Formerly owned by Ann Hailey of Copper Beech Morgan Farm, Norah was slated to attend Ann’s Copper Beech Sale on May 9th, but as she has been sold, will be staying right here at Scottfield to continue her preparation for the Ladies English Pleasure division. Still, Norah is a fabulous mare, and if she is any indicator of the caliber of horse Ann intends to put through her sale, I think we would all be smart to show up with our checkbooks! You can visit the Copper Beech website for more information on this sale.

Also exciting was the arrival of a regal black mare, owned by Debi Boies of CastleRidge Morgans. Talented and attractive, CastleRidge Que Sera is a stunning individual. So far, everyone who has passed through the barn while I have been working this black beauty has stopped to take notice of her. She seems to have a unique “drawing” quality that I can’t wait to test in a show ring setting! I think this mare will be one to watch as she makes her debut this season. I can’t say for sure yet whether she will be an English Pleasure or Park mare, but I can tell you that she has the kind of God-given talent that breeders dream of and trainers build careers on…. She is exceptional!

We have some breeding plans firmed up and are now just waiting for mares and vets to coordinate schedules! CN A Touch of Hope is happy being a brand-new mother, so much so that we have decided to rebreed her, this time to Ultra’s Special Agent. I currently have two Special Agent get in our training program, and I thoroughly enjoy them both. Kudos to Steve, Lory and Kate Kielceski of KLS Morgans for making the wise decision to retain this lovely mare and continue on with a small breeding program through “Hope.” We also have decided to use the HVK Vibrance breeding Brian and I won through the New York Stallion Service Auction on our very successful English Pleasure mare, LSF She’s Come Undone. With her huge motor and superb square motion, coupled with his length of neck and laid back shoulder, we feel confident that this will be a good first choice of stallion for our beloved mare.

We have a bunch of other exciting things to share that should become official within the next week, so be sure to check back soon!

Many visitors to Scottfield over the last few weeks have noticed someone new working around the farm… but someone familiar, too. You know you’ve seen her before, at Open Houses, Year End Parties, and sometimes, just hanging out. You remember that every time you’ve been around her, you’ve laughed! Who is this mystery woman? Becky Koons is her name, and we are thrilled, ECSTATIC even, to have her on board as the newest member of Team Scottfield.

Becky is a long-time horsewoman who has experience in just about everything you can do with a horse. Rider, owner, barn manager, groom extraordinaire, instructor, and assistant trainer all are titles Becky has carried through her career, a career that includes experience with Morgans, Arabians, National Show Horses and more. Becky, a former Morgan owner, particularly enjoyed her time at Broadmoor, and has always had a penchant for Morgan Show Horses. Add to it that Becky has been a dear friend to my family for as long as I can remember, and you can see why I am so excited to finally have the opportunity to add her to our program.

Here at Scottfield, Becky will be involved primarily with the day to day care, grooming and handling of the show horses. Becky has been working here for only 2 weeks, and has already established a connection with many of the horses and clients.

Scottfield Stables strives to provide the very best care and training for our horses, and the best customer service to their owners. Becky brings much to the table in both of those areas, and as our business looks to find ways to constantly improve, we feel confident that Becky will help us better achieve our goals for 2009.

When Lory opened her E-mail Inbox on Sunday, February 22nd to discover an email from Cornell announcing that Hope’s long awaited foal was born, it was like the shot heard ‘round the world! Phones were ringing, texts were buzzing, and I was jumping up and down in excitement! According to the breeding manager at Cornell, Carol Collyer, Hope delivered her foal just like she does everything else…Perfectly. Frank was up and nursing in no time, and when we went to visit him on Monday, he was already developing an interest in his human friends, and exploring the new world around him with a bold inquisitiveness that was both impressive and endearing.

We will be bringing both mare and foal home within the next week, and are currently working on coming up with a long-term plan for both mare and foal. One thing is for sure, though. Both Hope and Frank will enjoy plenty of attention upon their arrival here at the farm, and we are already counting down the days!

Congratulations to Lory, Kate and Steve Kielceski on the birth of their first foal! And a huge “Thank You” for not only allowing me to put together the breeding, but also for allowing this foal to be the first to carry the SFS prefix. What an honor! Thank you.

What a whirlwind the last three months have been! I have so many things to tell you all about... I just don't know where to start!

Back in October, two horse and rider teams from Scottfield made the long trip to Oklahoma City for the Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show. Kate Kielceski and Hermitage Avatar had qualified to compete in both the 13 & Under Saddleseat Equitation National Championship and the UPHA Challenge Cup Finals following a season that included championships and victory passes from UPHA Spring Premiere, NYSHBA, and the New York Morgan Regional, in addition to a Reserve finish in the AMHA Medal class at New England Regional. Haleigh Quigg and Ultra's Special Delivery didn't need to qualify as they still compete in the 11 & Under age group, but still earned their ticket by way of championship titles at both the NYSHBA show and Syracuse International. Both girls put in fantastic performances, and I couldn't be more proud of their stellar representation of the farm.

Haleigh and Del had a show to remember, earning a fourth place in the Grand National10-11 Walk/Trot Saddleseat Equitation, thereby qualifying them for the respective World Championship class, where the team again finished fourth against all of the eligible age groups. This fabulous pair also competed in the Grand National Walk/Trot English Pleasure class, and finished third, and thus, qualified to compete in a second World Championship class. With one grand pass after another, excellent navigation in a deep class of 14 contenders, Haleigh and Del soared to the top of the cards to be crowned the Reserve World Champions in the 11 & Under Walk/Trot English Pleasure World Championship class! I find it difficult to express the ethereal combination of pride, satisfaction and awe that we all felt at that moment. I could have burst! And the icing on the cake was checking the judge's cards for Haleigh throughout the week and finding that she had earned a first place vote in 3 of her 4 classes, and the lowest mark she received all week was a 4th! This team was bold, yet consistent, flashy but organized, and very well turned out, if I do say so myself. I couldn't be more proud. Congratulations, Haleigh!

Kate and Ronni are a team that you can count on to complete any class with precision, pizzazz and equitation excellence, and this week was no exception. Unfortunately, in their very first Grand National class, Kate endured a stroke of terrible luck when her number pins gave way allowing her number to fall from her back. Through an unfortunate sequence of events, I was wrongly denied a time out, and so kicked off a week of hard luck lessons for all of us that culminated with Ronni becoming very ill just in time for the trip home. I am happy to report that Ronni is doing very well now and is back to work, and Kate, Lory and I were all reminded of what is really important in this sport. Still, Kate was a Round II Finalist in the UPHA Junior Challenge Cup after competing a flawless pattern, and was the model of grace and poise throughout what would have been a nightmarish experience for any other teenage girl. That young lady never ceases to amaze me with her not only her talent, but also her maturity and ability to handle adversity. I should also point out that even as Kate was enduring the most tumultuous show of her career thus far, she was on the rail, helping out, and cheering on her barn mate, Haleigh, every step of the way.

While in OKC, I met dozens of trainers from across the country, and made lots of new friends. Among them was a husband and wife team, Brian and Jodi Hadley, who together operate Hadley Training Stables in Missouri. Scottfield client Tami Johnson introduced us, and what fun we had together! One thing lead to another, and before I knew it, I was on a plane in the first week of November to visit the Hadley's and Tami in Missouri. I got to ride some really neat horses, and was simply taken by one of the mares Brian showed me. After finding out that this mare, Dutch-mor's Joy, was sired by Astronomicallee and out of Pompp and Pazazz, I figured this was a gem that Brian would be keeping to himself. But, living true to his favorite phrase, "Sell the Best, Train the rest" Brian informed me that this spectacular 2 year old was available for purchase. Enter long-time friend Sarah Ruby, who manages the phenomenal band of broodmares retained by her employer, Bill Haines of Ledyard Farm. With lots of cooperation from all people on both ends, and countless phone calls over a short period of 5 days, "Joy" had found a new home in King Ferry, New York. Ledyard Farms certainly has some impressive mares on their roster! Thank you to Brian Hadley for making this mare available to us, and thank you to Bill and Sarah for being wonderful people with whom to do business!

At the tail end of my week off the farm, Tami and I headed up to the Tattersalls sale barn to take in the Cochran's sale offerings. Boy, was it a good thing I didn't have a horse trailer with me! There were some grand horses at rock bottom prices. And while the sale was a lot of fun, I would have to say the highlight of the Kentucky leg of my journey was getting a tour of Stonecroft Farm (thanks again, Tami, for hooking me up!). Stonecroft Trilogy and Stonecroft Masquerade are just as impressive in their stalls as they are in the show ring, and the former Saddlebred lover in me was just elated to get to watch World Champion I'm First work in long lines. Later, while we were getting the tour of the broodmare barn, I got to watch WC CH A Sweet Treat get her winter shoes on... A Sweet Treat indeed! What an amazing group of animals. And that farm is just gorgeous! A facility fit for the royalty it houses.

So, all in all, my trek through the heart of horse country that began in Missouri and ended in Kentucky was filled with first-time experiences, new people, and memories I will treasure for a long time to come. Thank you to Mary and Emily Puthawala for giving me a ride to the airport and walking me through my first flight EVER! Thanks to Sarah Ruby, Bill Haines and Brian Hadley for working together effectively and professionally to get Joy bought and sold. And thank you to Tami Johnson for putting me up for the week and introducing me to so many new people. From the miles of fence that the bluegrass of Kentucky offers up, to Martinis with Tami and John Hufferd, to the super fun trip home with Travis and Mari Neidlinger (thanks guys!), it was a week to remember, and more fun than one person should be allowed!

Right before I left for Oklahoma, the Pelham family (of Finger Lakes Morgans) came down to Scottfield for the day, and ended up purchasing a 2 year old colt to be developed over the winter to make his saddle debut in 2009. The Pelham family is kind, down-to-earth, and a lot of fun, so they fit in immediately here at Scottfield, and I couldn't be happier to welcome them! As an added bonus, I have discovered that Danielle is a fellow scrap booking junkie (like myself), which I have decided makes us kindred spirits of the highest order! I look forward to Danielle's extended visit over the holidays, and can't wait to get these guys set up for the '09 season.

Not long after the Pelhams became official team Scottfield members, friends Joe and Marion Gaigal of Creekside Morgans put LPV Excaliber on the trailer to come to Scottfield as well. "Rocky" is a lovely bay gelding that is as upheaded as they come, and he is sure to make a splash in the English Pleasure division next year. Joe and Marion are long-time Morgan owners who are well on their way to starting their own breeding program. In fact, their Creekside Morgan program currently stands the handsome stallion, GDT James Bond, and also owns several royally bred mares, along with a handful of top shelf show horses. If "Rocky" is any indicator, I think the Gaigals and I are very like-minded in the type of Morgan horse we enjoy. I am elated with Rocky's progress, and am not sure I have ever known a horse to enjoy day-to-day training as Rocky. He is blossoming, and continues to impress me with his intelligence.

Completing our trio of early winter arrivals is the very beautiful full sister to Ben's Rhapsody, LIV Norah Jones. "Norah" is bright eyed, happy and in your pocket friendly. Still, as lovely as she is on the ground, she is even better under saddle! "Norah" is owned by Ann Hailey of Copper Beech Morgans, and we are just tickled that Ann has not only opted to place a horse in training with us, but has selected such a nice individual for us to work with! While Norah is still young, being only a four year old coming five as we cross the New Year, she is really very sensible. I am working her towards being a Junior Exhibitor Park or English Pleasure horse, and think she will be a ringer with a little girl on board. Norah and Rocky are stable neighbors, and they are like two happy little lights as you walk down the aisle, alert, watching, waiting for you to pick them next. They are similar in many ways, actually; both always have their ears up, insist on being worked first thing in the morning, and try their hardest every day. And, they are both excellent quality individuals with loads of natural talent! How did I get so lucky?

As always, we have several very nice horses for sale, including several mentioned above, and that job will occupy much of my time and energy in January as we try to place some of these wonderful horses into new homes for the upcoming show season. And, once those are sold, we have en ever growing list of new horses to come in. (To those of you on the waiting list, I appreciate your patience... you are not forgotten!)

I look forward to our 3rd Annual Scottfield Year End Award Party, to be held this year on Saturday, January 24th. I will have details up shortly with invitations in the mail next week.

Don't forget to vote for your People's Choice awards at www.saddlehorsereport.com, and all of you USEF members should be going to www.usef.org to vote for Harry Sebring as Equestrian of the Year. All you need to vote is your USEF membership number. Harry has been very good to me and everyone here at Scottfield, and I can't think of a more deserving recipient of this prestigious award. Harry is the owner/trainer of Sebring Stables, and manages the Copper Beech Morgans. This year, with some of those fabulous CBMF horses, Harry swept the 3 Year Old Park Harness division at Oklahoma with Indian Creek American Girl and CBMF Crown Prince each winning World Titles. This is an amazing accomplishment, and Harry is more than a worthy recipient. So Go Vote!

I hope you all enjoyed a very nice holiday season. I know Brian and I did. Show season is just around the corner now, so try on those show clothes to make sure things still fit.

Onward and upward into 2009!!!!!

Click here for archived news.

Scottfield Stables
RR 2 Box 105A
Montrose, PA, 18801
(570)553-2285