Sterling Impresses at Devon

Pony Lane Farm's Sterling and Liza Boyd

Pony Lane Farm enjoyed a banner day during the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, one of the highlights of the prestigious Devon Horse Show, held May 21-31 in Devon, Pennsylvania.

While Maggie Jayne guided Pony Lane Farm's The Answer to the top call, Liza Boyd and Sterling weren't far behind, clinching third place with arguably the day's most impressive Handy Hunter Round. What's more impressive, though, is that Sterling is just a First Year Green horse.

Liza admitted that she may have ridden too conservatively in the Classic Round.

"In the schooling area, he had taken note of the gaited horses and carriages," she said. "I kind of lost his focus. I wasn’t sure where he was in his mind, and so I was conservative at beginning of the first round course. As he went, he got better and better."

When Liza walked the course, she decided that the last high-option fence was so big and wide that she probably shouldn't attempt it with Sterling because she didn't want to risk a rail. As she neared the end of the course, however, she reconsidered her plan.

"At that point I thought, 'There are a lot of horses in the class. I think I really needed those 2 points.'  I was very fortunate that I did take that fence because I wouldn’t have made it to the second round," she recalled. "That situation is what makes the derbies fun, even on course you're problem solving. What do I do? Where do I make up points? Knowing I was conservative at the beginning, I knew I had to do something. He jumped that last jump so well, too. It was a solid 4’3” and super wide. It was a very meaty brush in jump, and even though it was big it was very inviting. Every horse jumped it spectacularly."

Sterling and Liza Boyd moved up from 11th to clinch third with their daring Handy Round.

Going into the Handy Round, Liza and Sterling stood 11th, just ahead of Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy in 12th. Liza was able to watch Jen and Jersey Boy tackle the course before her.

"We were able to re-walk the course before the Handy," she said. "There was an inside turn to the third-to-last jump that people were like, 'Really Liza? You’re looking at that?' My Dad knows me well enough, so he didn’t say yes or no but 'just do what you need to do.'

"Jen’s like me. When we're at the bottom we go for it. I knew she would go for it on Lewis," said Liza. "She wanted to do the turn and looked at it but didn’t do it after all. She said Lewis wasn't on his game that day. He's not as easy to ride, but still the fact she didn’t take it made me think…but at that point, I still had nothing to lose. This horse is really handy. I don’t think I’ve ridden a horse that backs up to the jumps so well. You can push at him, and he never touches the bit. He's soft and loose and elastic.. He’s like a rubber band. I just thought, 'We’re going to do it.' He was right there, and I did make the inside turn, and he did it easily. When I came out of the ring, people were like, 'How was it?' I don’t know if I would have made that turn with Brunello. It's deceiving how handy he is."

In the end, no one else attempted the inside turn that Sterling accomplished for Handy Round scores of 9 across the board. Kelley Farmer looked like she was going to try it aboard Mindful, but she didn't. By the time the top three in the standings tackled the course, they were far enough ahead to not have to worry about Liza and Sterling and didn't attempt the difficult turn. They could go around and still receive the base scores to win.

"But with that being said, we went from 11th to third," said Liza. "That's also what makes these derbies so exciting. The second round is like a jump-off. If you take a chance, you might have a rail, and there were some rails in the class."  

Sterling and Liza Boyd topped the First Year Green Handy class.

Earlier in the week, Sterling competed in the First Year Green section, where he picked up consistent ribbons."If he made a mistake, it was First Year mistake," said Liza. "He'd be staring off into crowd, for example. He was sixth in the second class over fences, and then the next day he walked right in there and won. He got a Devon blue!"

For Liza, their week at Devon led right back to a story that started exactly a year earlier. "It all coincided. On May 30 last year, the day [daughter] Adeline was born, I received a video of Sterling and the guy who sent it said in the email: 'Your next derby horse.' I had just had Adeline, and I couldn’t fly to Europe and try him. Then, the summer came along and I got going and got busy. Long story short, Kelley and Larry [Glefke] bought him, but then I still ended up getting him because Maddy [Thatcher] picked him out. It's funny how that happens and things are just meant to be."

Castelli

Pony Lane Farm's Scripted also got nice ribbons with Liza aboard in the Second Year Green section. "He went quite nicely. Every time he went in the ring he improved, and I really felt I got to know him better. I learned some things about the horse that will make him even easier for Maddy. I'm excited for Maddy to get back on and do him this summer. Both horses walked away from Devon better educated and ready for Maddy to have a great summer on."

During Junior Weekend, Khaki Run LLC's Castelli earned the Small Junior Hunter, 15 and under reserve championship with rider Mckayla Langmeier aboard.

"The horse was great. He was so consistent," said Liza. "Every time he went in he was so solid and jumped great. Mckayla is a pleasure to teach and is such a good rider, so humble and appreciative. It was fun to be a part of her winning team that weekend. She was Grand Junior Hunter champion Missy Clark's Cuba and did great in the equitation, too."

Owner Alley Millam is just finishing an internship in Washington, D.C. and will return to the show ring in July. "It will be good to have Alley back, and her parents were so supportive to keep her horse going while she was gone," said Liza. "Castelli stayed in a wonderful program and is ready for her to come back. She'll take lessons on Castelli and her jumper in June and will be ready to go to Tryon next month.

Liza credited Mckayla and Megan Rosenthal for their great rides aboard Castelli in the junior hunters. "Mckayla showed him in Florida, and after that we asked her to show him at Devon," said Liza. "We brought him home unsure of who would show him during the spring, and Megan stepped up. She really kept him super tuned up, and they were champion or reserve every time out. Megan's the daughter of a professional, and I've helped her before once in a while, so I knew she would be a great fit. They’re both lovely riders, and we’re lucky to have them both."

Mr McGregor and Zola Thompson

Finally Farm riders Stella Styslinger and Zola Thompson also qualified for and competed at Devon, with Eloise and Mr. McGregor, respectively. "It was great that they qualified, and they were excited to get in and be there," said Liza. "It was a great preparation for the rest of the summer."

Kinda Funny and Theresa Tolar earned several jogs in the Large Pony Hunter section, and was on the winning Large Pony Hunt Team. "She rode really well. Winning the Hunt Teams was a great way to walk away from Devon," said Liza. "She and her teammates went in and had fun but also rode really well. Contrary to what many people think, the Hunt Teams aren't  judged on who has best costume but who rides the best. They had great costumes, though, and music. All three went in the ring and found the jumps, and they were especially good about waiting and pealing off and jumping the last in perfect sync. They did a fantastic job."

Liza returned home in time to help Adeline celebrate her first birthday on Saturday. "She's walking like crazy all over the place now," said Liza laughing. "We had a little party for her. Elle went off to Pony Camp this week in Camden at Springdale Stables. The summer is off and running."

Triumphs at Tryon Spring 5

Pony Lane Farm's Sterling and Liza Boyd

The Finally Farm team enjoyed showing at the new Tryon International Equestrian Center during Tryon Spring 5, May 13-15 in North Carolina.

Pony Lane Farm's Sterling stepped up to the plate for a home run in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby with Liza Boyd aboard. The First Year Green horse, in his initial year contesting the hunter derbies, jumped to an impressive second place.

"I'm so proud of Sterling," said Liza. "In the first round in that big stadium, which is intimidating, he was great. In the first round, which is the Classic Round, I took all of the low options and he was third. Then, when I went back in for the Handy Round, I thought about what I should do.

"Kelley [Farmer] was there and had five horses in it that all did the high options," Liza continued. "I thought, 'You know, he was really brave and confident in the first round, and he's got to learn sometime.' If he makes a mistake during the learning process then that's OK. If he doesn't, then I thought that we could move right up in the standings." 

Liza's plan worked, and Sterling didn't miss a beat. "He even beat Mindful in the handy," said Liza of Kelley's winning derby contender. "I would find it hard for Brunello to beat Mindful on any given day. I actually didn’t know that Sterling was quite there yet, and he proved he is. It was a huge feat."

Liza said Sterling even accomplished one tight inside turn that Mindful didn't make, and Liza chose every single high option.

Maddy Thatcher with Summer Place and Joann Loheac with Chestnut Avenue captured tricolor honors in the Amateur-Owner section.

"I think he impressed a lot of people," she noted. "We knew he was a cute horse but didn’t know he had that scope. I’ve never asked him before, so I didn’t know either. He really stepped up, and I couldn't be happier. He would have won the whole thing if I’d done the high options in the first round. But I also look at it the other way: I could have knocked one down. I’ll take second behind Kelley and Mindful any day!"

Sterling also performed beautifully for owner Maddy Thatcher, taking top calls in the 3'3" Amateur-Owner Hunter section over the weekend. 

"She’s such a great owner and cheerleader," said Liza of Maddy. "We try to balance it out. I don’t think people realize that I look at the show schedules weeks before to map everything out. He’s a horse we bought for Maddy, so our main priority was for her to show him here. But it's good for him to do the derbies or First Years to keep him learning."

This week Liza chose for Sterling to compete in the derby on Friday night and the Amateur-Owners over the weekend, bypassing the First Year Greens to keep him fresh. They even gave Sterling extra time to sleep in on Saturday morning. "When he was done showing Friday night it was so late we just decided to leave him braided," said Liza laughing. "He didn’t need to be worked in the morning, so he just walked from his stall to the ring. He had all Saturday afternoon to rest, too. I don’t think he got overworked, and we both had a great show with him."

Lily Bennett and Maraschino, left, and Addison Byrd and Too Cool share a winning photo at Tryon.

Addison Byrd and Too Cool also had a great show, taking the 3’3” Junior Hunter championship with a near-sweep of the section. They won four out of five classes and took second in the only one they didn't win. Their scores included an 88 and an 86.

Finally Farm riders take the top four spots in the 3'3" Junior Hunters.

"They truly had a standout show," said Liza. "Addison is winding down her junior years and will go to college this year. She just has the summer left, so it was so nice to see her so consistent round after round." 

The one blue ribbon that Addison didn't win still returned to Finally Farm. Lily Bennet and Maraschino captured that over fences class with a score of 87 as well as the reserve championship. In addition, during one class the top four ribbons all went to Finally Farm horses and riders, with Trinity and Mary Carton Mitchener and Quatrain and Laura Critz also capturing excellent placings throughout the section.

Maggie Hill traveled from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and competed one day in the Pre-Children’s Hunter section, earning a blue ribbon aboard Nevada to take home with her. "She's going to lease the veteran Nevada from Caroline Clark Morrison to do the Pre-Children’s, and we're so happy for her," said Liza. "He’s perfect at the 2’6”."

Liza's daughter Elle Boyd had an exciting week. In addition to showing Otis in the Walk-Trot classes and earning a blue ribbon, she donned a blue cap and gown for her Pre-Kindergarten graduation ceremonies.

Liza and Elle Boyd

'We were very glad we were able to make it to her graduation," said Liza. "My dad [Jack Towell] and I went in for the ceremony and then ran out to the car to catch a flight to Devon. When the kids went up to get their diplomas, their teacher said something about them.. When Elle stepped up she said, 'Elle Boyd said when she grows up she wants to be like her mommy and be the A rider. When we asked how much money she was going to make, she said $2.'  Grandpa was laughing about that one. It was so cute."

Finally Farm's next stop is the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair in Pennsylvania, May 21-31 where the team will contest classes during Junior Weekend and open week.  

Special thanks to the Finally Farm photographers for their fun images!

Smile in Action

The 8-year-old bay gelding Smile is proudly offered for sale. This talented hunter has excelled in the Performance Working Hunter sections, with championships at Atlanta and Aiken this spring.

In addition, Smile has showed his prowess in the USHJA National Hunter Derby classes, with victories in Atlanta and Aiken, topping an impressive field of 35 in South Carolina.

Smile is ready to continue his winning ways with a Junior or Amateur rider and will make a fantastic USHJA National and International Hunter Derby horse.

Scripted is Grand at Aiken Spring Finale

Pony Lane Farm's Scripted collected a variety of ribbons at the Aiken Spring Finale, April 21-26, but he saved the best for last when he was named Grand Hunter Circuit Champion for his performances throughout the Aiken, South Carolina series. In addition, the 9-year-old bay warmblood (by Sandro Hit) also garnered the High Performance/Second Year and the Conformation Hunter circuit titles as well.

Liza Boyd celebrated her birthday at Aiken with daughters Elle and Adeline.

"Scripted was amazing," said Liza Boyd, who received the Leading Hunter Rider title and celebrated her birthday at Aiken. "As I said last week, we're just really now forging a strong partnership. It's been six months since he arrived at Finally Farm, and I really feel like I know him so well now."

Liza also credited her father, Jack Towell, for providing them with some extra support this week, which really helped to fine-tune their performances.

"I had my dad back this week after the World Cup Finals. I share him with [brother] Hardin, so he's not here with me each week," said Liza. "Jack hadn’t seen Scripted for a while and gave me some tips. He spent about 30 minutes one morning doing groundwork and longeing him, and that preparation helped him go better for me. He also gave me tips for improving the horse's canter and improving the balance that he worked on with the horse."

Although Liza is a successful and sought-after catch rider, she said over the years she's come to better appreciate getting to know a horse. 

One thing that's interesting is that the older I get the more I value those relationships you develop with a horse," she said. "I do catch ride a lot and can do it well, but I see now how much more important it is to know them as individuals. It's not just about finding the eight distances; it's more about knowing each horse's likes and dislikes, how one horse likes to be ridden and how it doesn't. A subtle change in your riding or preparation can really make a big difference."

This week Liza received a catch riding call from Megan Young and piloted Lee Cesery's Comanche to the First Year Green  Hunter championship and the High Performance/Second Year Green reserve championship behind Scripted.

"Megan called and left a message and asked me to ride her horses because she'd broken her leg," said Liza.

"I called her back and asked, 'Which horse? I don't want to ride the one that broke your leg!'" she joked. "But it turned out that Megan was riding a bike when she broke her leg. So she asked me to ride Comanche, who is a really nice horse that's done well in the First Years and the derbies."

So, the first time Liza showed Comanche it was on Aiken's big grass field during the High Performance section. 

"It’s a big, solid 4’, and all lines are 12 strides, so it's not typical of what we do. You really have to be sharp," she said. "This was a good example of the pressure of catch riding. Megan had had a lot of success, so I really wanted to do a good job for her because I’ve been in those shoes, standing and watching other people ride my horses."

Liza said she also enjoyed having trainer Rodney Bross assist her on the ground with Megan's horses. "It was really a treat. Rodney is such a good horseman," she said. "What I really enjoy about catch riding is when I ride for that generation of horsemen, my dad's generation. I rode for Jimmy Toon in Florida, and it's so cool to receive their input and ideas. Usually, I'm so busy as a rider and trainer that it's nice to get a riding lesson myself.

"The training Rodney does on the ground and what he told me made a huge difference," said Liza. "The small but important technical details are the difference between an 85 and a 90. You can learn something from everybody, and I told Rodney I’m going to take a few of his ideas and store them away in my files for horses that are similar to this one."

In the competitive $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, Liza guided Tracey London's Smile to the victory and was featured on the April 25 installment of the Progressive Show Jumping Daily Highlights.

"There were 35 in the class, and it's really amazing how big and competitive these derbies are getting," said Liza. "It was a nice course and was especially fun on the big grass field. This class is a wonderful stepping stone to teach a horse to be an International Derby horse. It was held in the afternoon, with a party going on at the same time, so the atmosphere was festive. Smile really liked the activity and really shined in the handy."

Smile was fourth after the Classic Round with a score of 85.5, but Liza made up ground in the Handy Hunter Round to clinch the win with a 91. "He's really a super handy hunter, so it worked out to our advantage," she said. "He does the 3’3” Performance section. and he has some experience. I thought his handy flowed well, and he landed on all of his leads. You can really gallop on him, make neat turns and work off a fluid pace." 

Smile is offered for sale and Liza believes he's ready to be a competitive junior or amateur hunter.

"Tracey has boys who are busy with activities and soccer, so she’s not going to be showing as much," said Liza. "He's so brave and talented that I see him going on to be a successful International Derby horse next year."

Liza was pleased that Finally Farm riders earned seven championships, two reserve championships and more than two dozen blue ribbons during World Championship Hunter Rider Week at Aiken. "I think we all step up our games. It’s such a special week for the hunters to be celebrated, and I really love how everyone receives [announced] scores, from the pros to the juniors and adults."

Zola Thompson and Mr. McGregor

One of Liza's favorite moments at Aiken was on Sunday when she worked with Zola Thompson at the pony hunter ring. Zola finished the show with the blue ribbon in the Small/Medium Pony Hunter Classic aboard Mr. McGregor.

"All of the sudden a light bulb went off. Zola had three perfect rounds on Sunday. Every round scored 80 and above," said Liza. "That's hard for a Small Pony kid to do, or anyone for that matter! The courses were long, and she just really stepped up to the plate. When she came out of the ring after the third trip I asked, 'What did you have for breakfast? I've never seen you ride like that.' I had nothing to tell her to fix in any round. She had a hard-boiled egg, so I told her to eat one before every show.

"She’s ridden with us for almost one year now, and it was so rewarding as a trainer to see the pieces and lessons and her position all coming together," Liza added. "Zola and her family are very dedicated. They live in Alabama and make a huge effort to drive to Camden for weekends for Zola to train, and you can see the results. It's so wonderful."

World Cup Final and Aiken Spring Masters

Hardin Towell and Lucifer V

Even though the Finally Farm training team was split during the week of April 15-19, the results were impressive from Las Vegas to South Carolina.

With Jack and Lisa Towell attending the Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals to support son Hardin Towell, daughter Liza Boyd held down the fort at the Aiken Spring Masters Horse Show in South Carolina.

"It was a busy week but so rewarding," said Liza. "Hardin had a good experience in Las Vegas during his first World Cup Final, and we were so proud of him."

Because Hardin's more experienced grand prix horse was injured and unable to compete, he chose the young grand prix horse Lucifer V, owned by Jennifer Gates, as his partner. They placed 21st in the first day's Speed Phase, and then Hardin elected to retire the 9-year-old on course during Phase 2 due to the difficulty of the course and not wanting to over face the less experienced horse.

"Lucifer jumped well and did so wonderfully with the crowd and impressive atmosphere," said Liza. "It's his first year at the international level, and such an experience was really good for a young horse." 

To read a fun article about Hardin's experience at the World Cup Final, click here for a story published in the LA Times. 

Liza followed the competition in Las Vegas through social media, texts and phone calls while simultaneously riding and training more than 30 horses at Aiken, where Finally Farm collected nine tricolors and numerous classic wins.

"We had a great week, and I have to thank everyone, especially [assistant trainer] Tamara Berkowitz for stepping up to the challenge," said Liza. "It was truly a team effort this week."

Liza was especially impressed with Pony Lane Farm's Scripted, who earned the Conformation Hunter championship.

"This horse show features a big field, and it's like an outside course," she said, "so it's different from most horse shows we attend. Most of the lines out there are 12 or 13 strides, so it's really fun. I will admit that it takes me a round or two to get used to that type of ride again, and the same for the kids, who are used to smaller rings and set numbers down the lines. A lot of fences were also options, with two fences set side by side. For example, you'd have two oxers or two verticals and you could choose to ride the right or left sides and take the inside or outside track, which changed the distances and the striding."

Liza said this scenario was great for Scripted, who has a large stride. Rather than riding him compacted to shorten his stride in the lines, Liza could open him up and allow him to flow.  

"I could leave a stride out and no one even noticed," she said laughing. "This venue really suited him, and he's so brave that he just galloped around nicely. I feel like I’m starting to understand his ride. Kelley [Farmer] had him for a year before we bought him and knew him so well. He only had Kelley as his rider through his Pre-Green and First Year Green years, so we're really getting to know one another now and feel like strong partners."

While Scripted does have derby experience, Liza is focusing her rides with the Second Year Green hunter more in preparation for his role as Maddy Thatcher's Amateur-Owner mount. Maddy and Scripted collected top ribbons this week as well.

Maddy Thatcher and Skilliane De Varnel

Maddy also made her presence known in the jumper ring. Aboard her newest jumper Skilliane De Varnel, a 9-year-old chestnut mare, Maddy won the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic and also placed second aboard Dolce Vita.

"I think Maddy's new horse really loved the grass field, too," said Liza. "We don’t show on grass very often, and you could tell that mare had shown on grass before. She was secure with the footing and confident. She was just great, and Maddy is starting to get to know her. She's such a solid mare."

Pony Lane Farm purchased Skilliane De Varnel from McLain Ward shortly after she'd been imported to the United States earlier this year.

Maddy Thatcher and Dolce Vita with her classic ribbons

"Lee McKeever, who works for McLain, said, 'Liza we wanted to keep her. She puts blue ribbons on the banner.' They were right. She goes in and tries every time to win. When you get a good mare, and a chestnut one at that, they're special. Maura [Thatcher] loved her from the beginning. The mare has great bloodlines, and Maura liked her breeding. The horse is all business, too. She wants to win and goes in the ring and is careful, fast and brave. She’s going to be a great horse for the future for Maddy."

Erin McGuire and Kasarr

Erin McGuire, a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, also collected top ribbons in the jumpers, riding Kasarr to second place in the $7,500 Welcome Stake and placing eighth in the $25,000 Aiken Spring Classic Grand Prix.

"Watching Erin grow and mature as a rider has been so rewarding," said Liza. "She came to us when she was doing the Junior Hunters, and seeing her progress has been so much fun. It really hit me this week. She’s really learned a lot and taken on more and more responsibilities. She’s smart about the classes she chooses for that horse. She plans out the week and his work every single day, and I’m really proud of her."

Stella Styslinger has also matured in her riding, and her dedication paid off at Aiken. Aboard Eloise, Stella earned the Small Junior Hunter championship. Stella also picked up impressive ribbons in the equitation, including victories in the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal and WIHS Hunter Phase classes with Centerfold K.

"Stella did the equitation classes before the hunters, and that experience really helped her," said Liza. "Out on the field, the course designer used broken lines and bending lines, so from the technical Medal and Maclay courses she was well prepared. I could tell her to jump in and ride off the feel and not ride a specific number of strides, so everything she learned in Florida and having the equitation experience really helped her with Eloise in the hunters."

Stormy weather on Sunday afternoon disrupted the horse show, causing some minor damage. "The storm blew all of our ribbons off the banner and messed up the tack room set up," said Liza, who gathered everyone together to clean up. "I said, 'Jack is coming back today, and we have to get the ribbons back up! We have to show him how well we did!'" 

Grace Howard and Hiho Houdini compete in the rain

Revisiting the Psychology of Riding

Liza Boyd and Brunello at the 2014 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship

By Liza Boyd

I recently clicked on a link that appeared in my Facebook feed, and I was so glad I did.

The article, titled “Understanding The Mental Skills of Highly Successful Riders,” named six key components successful riders use to conquer the mental challenges in the sport of riding. They include:

1.     Stay focused in the Moment

2.     Be Proactive

3.     Have Confidence in Your Preparation

4.     Understand One Moment Doesn’t Define You

5.     Have Manageable Goals

6.     Channel Energy Appropriately

Each numbered component includes a short explanation, which you can read if you click on the article’s link.

I printed the article off and then sent it to the mom of a rider who was struggling a bit. I asked her mother to give the article to her to read as she was eating breakfast the next morning before the show.

This young rider is super smart, so I knew this article would hit home with her. She’s a very analytical rider, which can be a benefit and a drawback. Many riders are this way, and sometimes they overthink things and start to second-guess their decisions when something doesn’t happen exactly the way they expect it.

As a trainer, I was at the point where I needed to make some choices. Should I get on her horse in the morning? Do I need to give her a lesson before she shows? Do I need to prepare the horse differently? It really wasn’t the horse’s fault, but I was trying to figure out how to help the rider gain confidence. If the preparation was different, perhaps that one change would help her mentally, I thought. All of these scenarios were running through my mind.

But that morning when she came to the barn, she thanked me for the article. She read it before she arrived, and then she had a great day and was reserve champion and second in the classic. We didn’t change a thing, but having read the article her thought process was different, and it made all of the difference.

Even though riding is a physical sport, we all know that there’s a huge mental component, too. Some Finally Farm riders use sports psychology to help them achieve their goals, and I encourage all riders to investigate all of the available resources and use them to their advantage.

In fact, just this weekend I was giving my daughter Elle a lesson. As I told her the next course of crossrails to trot, with directions to go around the rock and toward the green hose as reference points, she suddenly closed her eyes. She said, “Mom, I’m doing what you make all of your riders do.”

I laughed. I often have riders close their eyes and visualize riding the course perfectly in their minds before they go into the ring. Once you’ve done that exercise, you’ll feel like you’ve already jumped the course, and for many it makes a huge difference.

The psychology of riding is equally as important as the physical training. For any level rider, from short stirrup to grand prix, you can go from confident and winning to falling apart at a moment’s notice. We’ve all had it happen. Taking the time to explore the mental aspect of riding and competing is totally worth it, and I encourage you to click on the article link (and explore other sports psychology avenues) and take a riding lesson in your mind.   

http://www.horsecollaborative.com/6-habits-highly-successful-competitors/

Finally Farm Returns Home For Camden Wins

Liza Boyd and Sterling, right, celebrate their USHJA International Hunter Derby performance with winner Kelley Farmer aboard Mindful.

After a successful winter in Florida, the Finally Farm team returned home to Camden, South Carolina, just in time for the Camden Spring Classic, April 1-5.

Maddy Thatcher's Sterling continued his new career in the USHJA International Hunter Derby events, where in his second start he placed third in a competitive class with Liza Boyd aboard.

The class was dominated by Kelley Farmer, the USHJA International Hunter Derby Lifetime Money-Won Leader, with her string of top derby mounts.

"It turned out to be a smaller class, but when you have Kelley in it with five, it's very competitive," said Liza with a smile.

Liza Boyd and Sterling

In the Classic Round, Liza said Sterling, a First Year Green horse, earned valuable mileage while also trying his best to please.

"This horse show is an old-fashioned show with a hill where spectators sit," she said. "Sterling is still green about things outside the ring. He never spooks at the jumps, but he does get distracted with people around the ring. He never does anything wrong, but he stares and might rub a jump. With 100 people sitting on the hill, it was a lot to take in. So I trotted in the ring, and I could feel him kind of freeze."

Liza said the first half of the course was on the side away from the hill, but eventually they made their way to that side of the ring. She reassured Sterling by giving him a soft but steady ride while also choosing to take one of the lower height fence options to keep his confidence. They placed third in the Classic Round and entered the Handy Round with Kelley in the top two places.

"I knew Kelley would do every high option on every horse in the Handy Round, so I decided to do the same," she said. "He was great and very settled in the ring. He had huge handy scores. I felt at this point I had to go for it, and he has to learn. If he made a mistake he’d learn from it and be a better horse. But he was quite good. He tied for second, but because I didn't take that high option in the first round that was the tie breaker. But second or third to Kelley and Mindful, we’ll take that!"

When Liza works with a green hunter, she focuses on giving the horse confidence but also slowly provides them with the freedom to make more of their own decisions. She said Sterling is a fast learner who is becoming more focused in his job. By the second round of the Camden Derby, she was able to feel that he no longer worried about the people.

"This horse show was great for him and his education," she said. "It sets him up well for Devon (Pennsylvania), for example, where you have the fair and lots of people walking around and standing by the rail. Now that he had such a good experience in Camden, I don't think it would be asking too much for him. But we have two more derbies, one in Aiken (South Carolina) and one in Tryon (North Carolina) before Devon, so we'll see how those go. With the green horses, you have to take one day at a time."

Pony Lane Farm's newest hunter Topaz also shined in Camden. With Liza aboard, the liver chestnut earned the 3' Pre-Green Hunter Championship and also won the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Stake class.

"We're really excited to have this talented horse in the Pre-Greens this year," said Liza. "Our biggest challenge will be keeping this scopey horse sharp over the small fences until the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship next August. He's going to go on and do more; he will be a great Amateur and Derby horse in the future."

Grayanna Grigg and Beaujolais with Liza Boyd

After many ribbons in Florida in the 3'3" Junior Hunters, Grayanna Grigg and Beaujolais moved up to the 3'6" Junior Hunters and clinched the championship.

"We felt like she was ready to move back up in Camden," said Liza. "Grayanna has really matured in her riding. She made a mistake in the first class each day, but she didn't let them get to her. She really dug in and pulled through and didn’t let it happen again. That's a great example for riders to emulate. When things don’t go well in the first class, don’t fall apart, because you can still come back. And she did!"

Grayanna and Beaujolais also clinched second place in the Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic.

Even half of the U.S. continent isn't a deterrent to dedicated young rider Maggie Hill. The 12-year-old from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, joined the Finally Farm team this winter. She plans to spend time riding with trainers Margie Boyd and Jessie Lang in Wyoming while also meeting Finally Farm trainers at the East Coast shows.

Maggie, who focuses on eventing and dressage at home, leased Cayenne from Suave Pony LLC and traveled to Camden on her spring break to show. She was rewarded with the Pre-Children's Hunter championship and the Pre-Children's Equitation reserve championship. 

Maggie Hill and Elle Boyd with their ribbons from the Camden Spring Classic.

"One of her trainers in Wyoming is my sister-in-law Margie, and Maggie came over and had lessons with me over the winter. She and her family fell in love with the area while they were here, so she decided to lease a horse and join us at some shows," said Liza.

While Cayenne was leased as a Children's Jumper, he's versatile enough for Hunters and Equitation, so Liza chose to have Maggie tackle the latter in Camden.

"Maggie has a great foundation and just needs to learn the finesse of Hunter riding," said Liza. "We wanted to teach her the Hunters, from the courtesy circle to striding and finding distances, and some things eventers don't do, such as under saddle classes. She had a lot thrown at her, but she was like a sponge and soaked it all up. She'll go on to do more Jumpers, but the Hunters are a great foundation for becoming a better Jumper rider."

Finally Farm welcomed back Kelly Malone to the team during Camden. Kelly previously trained with the Towells but retired her last competition horse. "She now has a mare ready to show that she bred. Justified did the 1.0m classes because they hadn't jumped in a month, but they'll be moving to the Adult Jumpers very soon. It was great to have her back!" said Liza.

To view some of the wonderful photos from Camden, including a special Easter shoot from photographer Nichole Sloan, please view the gallery below.

Hardin Towell Takes Artisan Farms Trophy at Global Champions Tour

It was a home win for the USA in the featured class of the day on Thursday, April 2 during the Global Champions Tour in Miami, Florida.

In the competition for the Artisan Farms Trophy, Hardin Towell and Cadence, owned by Jennifer Gates, were just too fast for the rest of the combinations who took to the testing Uliano Vezzani course. The pair stopped the clock at a lightening 37.15 seconds, while second place went to Steve Guerdat and Concetto Son in 38.25 seconds, with third to Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Arera C in 38.71 seconds.

The American really showed just how fast he could be to beat two of the quickest European riders on the circuit!

The first round of the class was a deceptively testing course with no real bogey fences, though a smattering of tricky rails caught out many. Of the 56 starters, 13 jumped clear in the stunning arena, watched closely by the crowds drawn to the to see these fantastic riders in action.

The jump-off course offered some daring turn-backs and risky gallops but Hardin never faltered, taking a commanding win.

With tomorrow's American Invitational and Saturday's Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach Grand Prix still to come, the home team are on flying form and we could well see another big U.S. victory over the coming days.    

Special thanks to Phelps Media Group, Inc., for the press release.

Class 05: Miami Beach 2015 CSI5* 1.50m
RK     CNR     Rider/Horse         EUR     USD     Round A    Jump-Off        Time
1     109   Jack Towell Cadence 25,594     27,885     0.00    0.00        37.15
2     45    Steve Guerdat Concetto Son 15,512     16,900     0.00    0.00        38.25
3     37    Maikel van der VleutenVDL Groep Arera C 11,634     12,675     0.00    0.00        38.71
4     164  Emanuel Andrade Hardrock Z  7,756     8,450     0.00    0.00        40.35
5     23   Simon Delestre Chesall   4,653     5,070     0.00    0.00        41.89
6     41    Bassem Hassan MohammedPalloubet D Halong  3,490     3,803     0.00    0.00    42.97
7     13     Karim El Zoghby Amelia 2,327     2,535     0.00    4.00        36.95
8     10     Marlon Módolo Zanotelli Zerlin M 1,939     2,113     0.00    4.00        37.96
9     139   Laura Kraut Nouvelle  1,551     1,690     0.00    4.00        41.25
10     28   Michael Whitaker Valentin R  1,551     1,690     0.00    4.00        42.17

Atlanta Spring Classics Bring Blue

Finally Farm riders and horses had one of their best outings in recent memory during the Atlanta Spring Classic I and II, held March 18-29 in Conyers, Georgia.

Maddy Thatcher and Liza Boyd celebrate Sterling's USHJA International Hunter Derby debut.

After an exceptional winter on the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in Wellington, Florida, the Finally Farm team returned home to rest and regroup before traveling to the Georgia International Horse Park. There, they picked up more than a dozen championships and reserves, along with USHJA Derby victories, classic wins and countless blue ribbons.

"It was an amazing show," said trainer Liza Boyd. "Everyone who went to Florida came back with valuable mileage and raised their performances to another level. Those that stayed home worked hard on their homework and were ready to get out and show off their improved skills as well. It was a win-win for everyone!"

One highlight came in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby during Week 2, where Pony Lane Farm's Sterling made his debut a winning one. Boyd and owner Maddy Thatcher decided at the last minute to enter the First Year Green Hunter in the derby for some mileage and exposure.

"It was his first International Derby, and he was a little overwhelmed during the first round," said Liza who noted the derby was held on the International field and on a windy and cold evening. "It's one of the hardest venues to start a derby. It's not a ring he’d been in before, and he'd never even been down there. He was a nickel’s worth fresh, so I overrode him a little bit not knowing how he would be. I think he was thinking, 'Help me mom! Hold my hand."

Sterling kept his composure, winning the Classic Round and returning for the Handy Round as the class leader.

"In the second round, he took a deep breath and marched around," said Liza. "It was darker and later, but he galloped straight to the first jump and just jumped higher as he went. I was conservative and did all the low height options. I didn’t think it was necessary to take the risk with him; I wanted most of all for him to have a good experience." 

Liza's strategy paid off, and Sterling won the Handy Round and Overall victory. "He had high enough base scores that he didn’t need the high option points," noted Liza. "I was so proud of him for stepping up and thankful to Pony Lane Farm for allowing me to show him in the derby. Sterling is going to be one to watch with Maddy in the Amateurs."

Maddy added Hunter accolades of her own to the Pony Lane Farm collection with Summer Place, earning the Amateur-Owner 3'6" Championship. Their Scripted, with Liza aboard, also topped the Conformation Hunter and Second Year Green/High Performance sections.

In addition, Liza won the USHJA National Hunter Derby aboard Tracey London's Smile.  

"He was sent to me to show and sell. Tracey's busy with her family and consumed with being a mom, so she's taking time off from riding," said Liza. "He’s ready to go on to be a nice Junior or Amateur Hunter."

Knowing Smile's talents and experience, Liza chose to take some chances in the second round of the derby. "I went early in the order, and then I left to go to the jumper ring," she said. "I took all of the high options and tried to be as handy as possible. He landed on all the correct leads and was super smooth, so I had a good feeling after going. It was great to hear that he'd won!"

Liza was also thrilled with the consistent performances by the 3'3" Junior Hunter riders, with Too Cool and Addison Byrd earning the championship and Quatrain/Laura Critz, Trinity/Mary Carton Mitchener and Maraschino/Lily Bennett all earning top ribbons. 

Grace Howard and Houdini

In the Jumper Rings, Finally Farm collected additional wins. Grace Howard and Hiho Houdini returned from Florida with confidence and collected the High Children's/Adult Amateur Jumper tricolor.

"She's a perfect example of a rider who earned valuable mileage in Florida," said Liza of Grace. "Her division was super competitive in Florida, where they fly around the jump-offs and the numbers are huge. She won low ribbons there, and then she came home and really rocked it. The courses here in Conyers are less technical than in Florida, so she was over prepared and really shined.

Grace just started the jumpers in Florida and is leasing Houdini to gain experience. "He's a great teacher and the epitome of solid Irish horse," said Liza. "He comes out ready to do his job every day and is forgiving but competitive. Grace is really learning to kick and go and ride off the seat of her pants! I'm really proud of her."

Erin McGuire traveled to Conyers for more blue-ribbon results with Kasarr. "She stayed this winter and went to the Aiken shows and did the mini prix classes. She had Daniel Geitner help her at shows, but she managed her horse by herself. She did all the flatwork, training and conditioning on her own, managed his schedule and arranged for shipping to shows," said Liza. "She did a great job!"

Erin won the Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic the final day and was champion with Kasarr. In addition, Maddy picked up second place in the Classic and the reserve championship with her newest mount, Skilliane De Varnel, a horse she just purchased. "For her first show on the horse, it was awesome," said Liza. "I want to thank McLain Ward for this exceptionally nice mare. She’s a winning machine. She's fast and careful and brave. I think she’ll make Maddy a top high Amateur horse.

"The first Friday of the show, Finally Farm riders were first, second, third and fourth in the Junior/Amateur-Owner jumper classes. It was so cool!" Liza added. "I was so proud of us! I said, 'I’m a little jumper trainer! Watch out Hardin!'"

3'3" Junior Hunter Riders

Finally Farm continues their spring show season at the Camden Spring Classic Horse Shows in Camden, South Carolina.

Hardin Towell and Lucifer V Win $127,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup 9

Courtesy of Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Wellington, FL - March 5, 2015 - Hardin Towell (USA) and Lucifer V earned victory in Thursday's $127,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9 at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. The highly contested, weekly competition saw a 17-horse jump-off with few clear rounds in the tiebreaker. Towell and Jennifer Gates' Lucifer V were victorious over Ramiro Quintana (ARG) and Whitney and Charlie Jayne (USA) aboard Valeska.

Douglas Elliman is the title sponsor of week nine's CSI-W 5* competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Week nine runs March 4-8, 2015, featuring the $372,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI-W 5*, presented by Douglas Elliman, on Saturday, March 7. 

Ireland's Alan Wade set the course for Round 9 of the WEF Challenge Cup Series with 67 competitors on Thursday. He narrowed the field down to 19 clear rounds, but two opted out of the jump-off. Seventeen advanced, and only four were able to clear the short course without fault.

Richie Moloney (IRL) was the first rider to take his time and clear the jump-off course without fault in 43.47 seconds aboard Equinimty LLC's Slieveanorra, and his clear round eventually paid off for fourth place honors. Quintana and St. Bride's Farm's Whitney were next to go clear and finished second in their time of 38.76 seconds. Jayne and Pony Lane Farm's Valeska followed in a slower time of 40.42 seconds to place third. Towell and Lucifer V were the last pair to clear the short course, and jumped the winning time of 38.21 seconds. First to go in the jump-off, Kent Farrington (USA) finished fifth with the fastest round of the day in 38.09 seconds with one rail down on Willow.

Lucifer V is a 9-year-old Westphalian gelding (Lord Dezi x Grandeur) that Towell began riding at the end of the horse's 7-year-old year, but has taken some time to move up.

"I had him down here last year, and he was a bit of a handful," Towell detailed. "He was spooky, and he liked to buck a lot. It took awhile; not a lot of people believed in him. He does it his own way, but I always knew that he tried quite hard and he was very careful. It was kind of a learning experience with him here, and then at Spruce Meadows I just jumped 1.30m and 1.35m. After Calgary we started to step up and do some bigger classes. I did him in the 2* in L.A., and he won two classes there. I did him in his first World Cup qualifier in Las Vegas, and he had the fastest time but one down in the jump-off. He was fifth in that. Then I gave him some time off."

Lucifer has shown lightly throughout the WEF circuit and stepped up to do last week's grand prix, but it did not go quite as planned.

"It was quite big for his experience. He had 12 faults, but it was just green mistakes," Towell explained.

For his winning round on Thursday, Towell trusted his horse's speed, but was also wary of a rail coming down.

"A lot of times you get a jump-off like this and you get a lot clean and everybody thinks they have to go so fast, and before you know it, the class is halfway over and everybody has tried to go so fast they have a rail," he noted. "I think Richie set the pace by just jumping clean and then I thought, 'Ok, Richie wasn't flying.' Kent went in 38 seconds and Richie went in 43, but then I saw that Ramiro was 38 and change and I watched Kent go and he went about the same, so I knew kind of what I had to do.

"I did not see Ramiro go, but my horse is a very fast horse. My issue is that I'm always quick, but I have one down," Towell admitted. "I did eight strides from one to two. Then I really wanted to get straight for the in and out because that was a problem for a lot of people, and I actually got him straight, but I was pretty deep and he gave me a great jump there. Then I know he is good at long gallops. I galloped him to the vertical and the oxer and then the last line he was just great. It makes it a lot of easier with a horse that quick."

Lucifer V will now have a couple weeks off and show in some smaller classes at the end of the WEF circuit as Towell gears him toward the first leg of the FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas in April.

Towell thanked his staff and barn manager Chris Howard as well as his father Jack Towell and owner Jennifer Gates.

"Chris is one of my best friends and I couldn't do it without him, and thanks to Jennifer for all the support," Towell stated. "It has been fun for her with Lucifer because he has had his ups and downs, and she has really been behind me when I believed in him so much. Last year there were some questionable moments, so it is nice to have someone with so much patience, and it is nice to have such a great team behind you."

###

Jack was thrilled with Hardin's winning performance and credited him for his patience as a trainer and rider.

"Hardin picked that horse out by himself two years ago," said Jack. " He had a bit of a rough start. He was a young and playful horse, and being green he jumped a lot of jumps in different ways. But Hardin kept believing in him and brought him along slowly."

The confidence Lucifer exhibited in the WEF Challenge class was a tribute to Hardin's careful planning and not over facing the horse as he rose up the levels.

"The week before he won this class he'd done a big class with a double combination of vertical-vertical, three strides after a big oxer," said Jack. "There were just three black rails stuck up on each of the two verticals, and that horse didn’t know how to jump it. He hit it hard and carried the rail in. Hardin debated what to do next to restore his confidence. So he did him in a 1.40m class on Wednesday, and he loped right around comfortable and quiet, so he knew the horse wasn’t going to be afraid."

Hardin took that lesson into the $127,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9, where he spent extra time in the jump-off lining up Lucifer in preparation for the double combination. Their clear round and winning time was a great reward, as was the horse's increased confidence level.  

"Hardin’s a smart jump-off rider, and I was really glad to see the horse responded so well," said Jack. "I'm proud of Hardin for sticking with that horse and making him up."

Lucifer will now have some time off from big classes in preparation for the Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami and Longines FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.

"If all goes well, Hardin will use Lucifer in the speed round (first round) of the World Cup Finals," said Jack. "It's all about getting experience. This is Hardin's first trip to the World Cup Finals, too, and it will be a great opportunity to get in there and experience it all."