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.

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!'"

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

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

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."

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

Grand WEF Finale

Finally Farm concluded their 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival experience during Week 8, February 25-March 1 in Wellington, Florida, and it was yet another banner show for horses and riders.

Highlights included a sweep of the Small Junior Hunter, 15 and under, section with Khaki Run LLC's Castelli and Stella Styslinger's Eloise. Both riders were included in the Equestrian Sport Productions News on February 28.

McKayla Langmeier and Castelli Dominate the Equestrian Sotheby's International Reality Small Junior Hunter 15 and Under

Before the rain cancelled the end of classes on Saturday, McKayla Langmeier, from East Granby, CT, piloted Khaki Run LLC's Castelli to championship honors in the Equestrian Sotheby's International Reality Small Junior Hunter 15 and Under. Castelli won both over fences classes the first day and was second in both over fences classes on Saturday. "He [Castelli] is so much fun to catch ride! I'm thankful that I get to ride him," Langmeier said.

McKayla Langmeier and Khaki Run LLC's Castelli

Finishing the day as reserve champions was Eloise, ridden and owned by Stella Styslinger. The duo finished first and third over fences, combined with a second place finish in the under saddle. Styslinger was also awarded the owner/rider championship in the division.

Langmeier started riding Castelli during WEF 4 and has enjoyed getting to show him in the Small Junior Hunters. When talking about Castelli, Langmeier said, "He [Castelli] has a really big stride and is really brave."

A highlight for Castelli this week was his winning handy round. "He's a blast in the handy. I can do any inside turn I want, and I know he will stay with me," Langmeier noted.

When Langmeier isn't competing with Castelli in the hunters, she also shows in the Junior Jumpers and 3'6" equitation. "Showing in the hunters helps me stay smooth when I'm showing in other divisions," Langmeier said.

Special thanks to Jennifer Wood Media for the great press!

Langmeier is showing Castelli while owner Alley Millam takes a break from riding to be a Senate Page on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Maddy Thatcher and Dolce Vita also collected tricolor honors during Week 8 when they won a Low Amateur-Owner Jumper class of 70 and earned the section reserve championship.

Please enjoy this gallery of images from the past few weeks. Finally Farm now returns home to South Carolina to prepare for the spring shows!

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

Maraschino Makes it Two During WEF 7

At the end of the seventh week of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, Maraschino was the most decorated horse in the Finally Farm barn. The chestnut mare earned the Performance Working Hunter 3’3” Championship with Liza Boyd and the Junior Hunter 3'3" Championship with owner Lily Bennett.

With Liza, Maraschino, nicknamed Cherry, won four of the five classes, topping the 50-horse field each time.

"She was amazing and so consistent," said Liza. "The first day she won all three classes. She's such a lovely mare going around and a good jumper, so it's hard not to like her when she goes well. She really tries to please. There's something about a good mare--when you have a good one, they’re really special."

Lily then hopped aboard Cherry over the weekend for tricolor results of her own.

"That mare gets better and better every week," said Liza. "She’s really into it down here. She’s gotten so easy. Lily’s really figured her out, too. They competed in the Grand Hunter Ring both days, which is a big step up from the smaller rings. They had to jump the same courses as the 3'6" juniors before them, and they were technical, with a lot of bending lines."

Liza said the experience in the larger ring was great for Lily, who is new to the junior hunters, and their partnership is growing stronger each day. The pair even won the Handy class, proving their confidence together. "Even though Cherry was champion at Harrisburg [The Pennsylvania National] last year, she was just a First Year Green horse. She's still a little bit green, but she’s really coming around," she said,

Lily purchased Cherry last fall after rider McKayla Langmeier had success with her, and this week McKayla joined the Finally Farm tricolor contingent with Castelli in the Small Junior Hunter, 15 and under, section for owner Alley Millam and Khaki Run LLC. McKayla is partnered with Castelli while Alley spends six months in Washington, D.C. as a page on Capitol Hill.

"What’s funny, is this all ties everything together," said Liza. "With McKayla riding Castelli for us, I can see why Cherry is the way she is. McKayla's parents are great horsemen, and she’s such a soft rider, similar to myself and Lily. I think that’s why the transition with Cherry worked so nicely. Plus, besides Brunello, Cherry is one of the best-trained horses on the flat in our barn. She'll counter canter on a dime, and that says a lot about the emphasis they have on training and flatwork."

Liza also credited the Millam family for allowing Castelli to remain in Florida while Alley is out of the saddle. While Alley gains experience in the workings of government, Castelli will remain in competitive fitness and ready upon her return.

Alley, a page for Senator Burr from North Carolina, started in January and has already seen history in the making.

"We do anything from setting up for speeches (which includes getting water and lecterns--each senator has specific preferences for both) from the senators of the majority, since I'm a Republican Page, to running amendments all over the Capitol and roll call votes," said Alley. "So far, we've seen some noteworthy history here. Some of the highlights--in what has been called one of the busiest weeks for pages in history--were attending the State of the Union, the senate staying in session until 12:30 a.m., seeing Senator McConnell, McCain and many more speak, along with being literally sat on by Senator Booker."

Liza added: "I think it was smart of Alley to take this opportunity. She has one more junior year, so she can do the internship now and next year focus on showing. This is an incredible experience for her future. I know it wasn't an easy decision because she loves to ride, but for a kid to make such a big decision, I give her a lot of credit."

Amateur rider Joann Loheac completed the Finally Farm tricolor collection when she guided her Chestnut Avenue to the Amateur-Owner 3’3”, 36 and over Championship.

"She was so consistent," said Liza of Joann. "She'd taken two weeks off and hadn’t shown in a bit, but she knows that horse really well and it’s all coming together. When we get home, she plans to move up to the 3'6" Amateurs, and this was a great way to give her even more confidence for the transition."

Elle and Adeline with grandfather Jack Towell and Liza Boyd. — Elle and Adeline with grandfather Jack Towell and Liza Boyd.

Liza's daughter Elle Boyd made her second appearance in the Walk-Trot section and won the Walk Trot Pleasure class aboard Orchard Hills Hidden Treasure.

"She wanted to show one more time down here," said Liza. "She had a lot of fun."

Liza said baby Adeline, now almost nine months old, had her own milestone recently. "She came down here and was such a good baby. She wasn't mobile and didn’t crawl, but now she’s zooming around the house and into everything.

"She’s very aggressive and bossy!" added Liza laughing. "She’s so different from Elle; I can’t even describe it. I told Elle that Adeline's going to be our jumper rider. She’s wild!"

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

WCHR Week in Photos

The Finally Farm team enjoyed World Championship Hunter Rider week during Week 6 of the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in Wellington, Florida.

Liza Boyd and Hardin Towell qualified three mounts for the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular and other Finally Farm riders competed in the many WCHR Hunter Classics during the week. Congratulations to everyone for a wonderful week!

Here's a collection of images!

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

Maddy Thatcher Stars During WEF 5

"Maddy Thatcher has done an amazing job balancing school and riding," said trainer Liza Boyd.

And her dedication didn't go unnoticed during Week 5 of the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in Wellington, Florida, February 4-8.

Maddy, a freshman at Clemson University (South Carolina), guided Summer Place to the Amateur-Owner Hunter, 18-35, championship and also tied for championship honors in the Medium Amateur-Owner Jumper section aboard Show Show.

"Maddy was champion in the Amateur-Owner hunters, and her sister was reserve champion, so the sisters dominated the division. It was so cute!" said Liza. "I was super happy for Maddy because she and that horse are a great match."

*Maddy Thatcher and Summer Place with Alberto Ramirez. Photo Courtesy of The Book LLC*

Liza competed "Summer" in the High Performance Hunters one day as a part of their weekly preparation. "He’s so athletic and scopey that the 3’6" height that the Amateurs jump gets too easy for him," noted Liza. "If we jump him 4’ occasionally, it keeps him sharp and thinking. Then, when he returns to the Amateurs, while it's easier for him, he's sharper and on his game."

Liza was especially pleased with their third place in the handy class. "He’s so good in the handy classes. Even though he's slow and a big-moving horse, it's amazing how tight he can be on course," she said. "Maddy is strong in the handy classes as well. She’ll do the inside turns on him that we don’t even see!"

While everyone at Finally Farm knows Summer is a star in the show ring, they also know that like many celebrities he has certain wants and needs. In fact, Summer will only allow Alberto Ramirez to escort him to the show ring. If anyone else tries to lead him there, Summer will let them know the error of their ways.

"He'll politely grab the bit and just get loose from anyone but Alberto," said Liza laughing. "He doesn't run away. He just stands there and looks at you. He walks like a puppy dog, but he just has that funny personality and knows what he wants. So, Summer has become Alberto's special horse for the winter circuit."

Maddy's strength in turning and jumping paid dividends in the Amateur-Owner Jumpers, when she topped a class of 59 entries in the Medium section with Show Show. Maddy also placed fifth in the same class with Licapo and placed third in a Low Amateur-Owner Jumper class riding Dolce Vita.

*Maddy Thatcher aboard Show Show. Photo Courtesy of The Book LLC*

"She was super consistent on her jumpers," said Liza. "She rode great all week."

In the big Sunday grand prix, Hardin Towell jumped to 11th place in the $127,000 Ariat Grand Prix CSI3* aboard Jennifer Gates' Silence. The pair had an unfortunate rail in the first round, but with a fast time they picked up a ribbon and a check.

Larson Mitchener moved up to 3’3” Amateur-Owner, 18-35, Hunter section for the first time and rose to the challenge aboard Graffiti. "Down here, the jumps are big," said Liza. "She also had to show in the expansive Grand Hunter Ring both days. She had never done a handy before, and by the second day she was third in a class over fences, which was a great ribbon. I was really proud of her."

Ruby Sloan also made a breakthrough during WEF 5, and Liza was thrilled with the progress she's made on the circuit. The sixth-grader picked up ribbons with Highlands Heaven Sent in the Medium Pony Hunters and the WIHS Pony Equitation.

"She’s a really fast thinker, and I always tell her to slow her mind down," said Liza. "And then this week all of the sudden she was so much better, slower on course and not as nervous. So I said, 'Ruby, what happened?' She said she was sitting in school taking a math test and told herself she wasn't going to hurry, make a mistake and not get a good score."

Ruby brought this thought process to the show ring, too. "She said, 'If I'm slower in my mind and I think things out, I’ll get a better score.' Sometimes it's funny how things click," said Liza. "Ruby was sitting in math class, and she realized how she could ride better, too. It's all connected."

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

The Carolinas Equestrian

The Carolinas Equestrian magazine featured Finally Farm and the Towell family in their February/March issue with a wonderful story that chronicles their journey in horses right from the start.

Lisa and Jack celebrate their wedding with friends at Harmon Field in Tryon, North Carolina.

To read the article, "The Towell Family Means Horses Whole-Heartedly," click here.

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

Sweet Victories For Maraschino at WEF 4

Maraschino made her mark during Week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in Wellington, Florida, when she earned the 3'3" Performance Working Hunter championship with Liza Boyd and the 3'3" Junior Hunter reserve championship with owner Lily Bennett.

"I think we finally figured the mare out, and she figured us out," said Liza. "It was a great week."

Lily, 14, purchased Maraschino after the Pennsylvania National Horse Show last fall following the mare's championship performance in the Small Junior Hunter, 15 and under, section. They started their show career together during the Atlanta Fall Classic series in the Children's Hunters to get to know one another. Then, at home over the winter, Lily and Maraschino spent time taking lessons in preparation for WEF.

"This was our second week showing Maraschino here, and it just took us a week to get to know her," said Liza. "Although lessons at home are great, there's no way you can emulate the time in the ring for the horse and rider."

While the chestnut mare is talented, Liza described her as a quiet horse with just a few little quirks. "It was nice for me to have her down here and figure her out," said Liza. "After I showed her, I was able to explain to Lily how to ride her. Lily was great, and she listened to everything I said. The first day, she had a little mistake in each over fences class but then won the hack. And then she came back the next day and was so rock solid. It's been fun to see their partnership come together.

"I was especially proud of Lily in her last class," Liza continued. "The mare came through the turn to the diagonal line and fell behind her leg. I think she thought she was done. I wondered what Lily was going to do. There was a long distance, that would probably result in a chip, or a deeper option. She settled back and fit the deep one in, and it became a beautiful distance. When you see a rider do that you think, 'Did she know or get lucky?'

When Lily came out of the ring, Liza asked her what happened, and it was an excellent teaching moment.

"Lily said she saw both distances and knew the long one would be too long," said Liza. "The other one might not have been an A+ distance but a B+, and this is where a partnership between horse and rider becomes critical. The mare helped her out and jumped it like an A+. A few months ago, Lily would have tried for the long one and chipped and lost the class. But this time she fixed it, and that mare really helped her out. It takes a good rider to make a decision like that, and she ended up winning the class."

Liza noted that not every turn to a jump results in that perfect distance, and it's what you do when that happens that determines the outcome. "My dad always says, 'It's not what you see but what you do with what you see.' And I think that's so true. An educated rider can fix a distance and still win the class."

Laura Critz concluded her WEF season with Quatrain during Week 4 and also picked up top ribbons in the 3'3" Junior Hunters. "Laura was very consistent, solid and got nice ribbons throughout the circuit," said Liza. "She had an excellent third-placed ribbon on the final day, and it was a good note to end on. We'll catch up with Laura and Quatrain when we go home on March 2, after Week 8."

Liza's daughter Elle Boyd made her WEF debut a winning one. Elle, under the watchful eye of trainer Charles Moorcroft, competed in the Walk-Trot section. She earned a blue in the Walk class, second in the Walk-Trot Pleasure and fourth in the Walk-Trot Equitation aboard the pony Orchard Hills Hidden Treasure.

"She learned a lot from Charlie over the past few weeks in his lessons," said Liza. "I just tried to be a mom and stay behind the scenes. I think I was more nervous than she was! I was trying to compare it to something, and I don't think I've been that nervous since the 2013 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. Elle was great, though, really stayed focused, and she had a lot of fun!"

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

Dalliance Does it Again During WEF 4

Finally Farm was well represented by ribbon winners during Week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit, and we were thrilled to have our own Liza Boyd featured once again in one of the Equestrian Sport Productions' official press releases.

Elizabeth Boyd and Dalliance Earn Championship Honors for the Second Time in the CWD Saddlery Performance Working Hunter 3'6"

To kick off WEF 4, Elizabeth Boyd and Dalliance finished the day as the CWD Saddlery Performance Working Hunter 3'6" champions. Dalliance and Boyd received three seconds and a third over fences, along with a third in the under saddle to top the field of 28 competitors.

Chablis and Peter Lutz ended the two days of competition as reserve champions in the division. Chablis, owned by Libertas Farm, showed off his winning style topping two of the over fences classes.

Last year Dalliance, owned by Avatar Real Estate of Coral Gables, Florida, was competing in the jumper ring, but after teaming up with Boyd in the fall, Dalliance has become a natural in the hunters. "He's [Dalliance] just been so consistent. He was champion of the Performance Hunters 3'3" the first week, champion of the Performance Hunters 3'6" the second week, took a week off and is now champion again," Boyd smiled.

"He [Dalliance] goes in there every day and is the same. He's really easy and has great form over the jumps. He is the type of horse that a lot of judges really like!" Boyd noted.

One of the things that Dalliance had to learn, moving from the jumpers to the hunters, was slowing down through the inside turns during handy classes. While he was always able to do the challenging inside turns, he would be too quick through them. After a good handy this week, Boyd said, "He [Dalliance] did all the inside turns without dropping his shoulder or speeding up. He's perfected that."

While Boyd spends a lot of time showing younger horses, she is thankful for the opportunity to show Dalliance. "It's nice to have one consistent horse. I don't have Brunello here this year because he is really just a derby horse now, so it's nice to have one that I can really count on," Boyd explained.

Boyd currently has Dalliance as a sale horse, and she has enjoyed being able to show him during the beginning of the season. When talking about Dalliance's future, Boyd said, "I think he is going to be a great Junior or Amateur Hunter. He has proven himself very well, and he is ready."

Boyd also added, "He [Dalliance] would do derbies really well because he is super brave, doesn't need to get in the ring in the morning and comes to work the same every day."

If Dalliance is still with Boyd during WEF 6, she hopes to show him in the USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Hunter Spectacular.

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Tricia Booker.

Eloise Excels During WEF 3

*Eloise and Stella Styslinger with their WEF 3 tricolors.*

Eloise and rider Stella Styslinger enjoyed a special moment in the spotlight during Week 3 of the Winter Equestrian Festival, January 21-25 in Wellington, Florida. Stella and Eloise picked up the reserve championship in the Small Junior, 15 and under, section and the owner/rider championship.

"This is Stella’s first year at Palm Beach, and walking into the Grand Hunter Ring can be intimidating, but she rose to the occasion in just her second show here," said trainer Liza Boyd, who also guided Eloise to ribbons in the Performance Working Hunter 3'6" section.

Liza attributed Stella's success with Eloise, in part, to an equitation horse named Centerfold K that Stella began leasing last fall from Beacon Hill Show Stables.

"He's cute enough to do the hunters, too, so last week, her first week here, she did him in the Junior Hunters so she could practice the really hard inside turns in the handy class," said Liza. "He’s given her so much confidence and taught her so much already.

"Even though she rode Eloise great, I think a huge part of her improvement and confidence comes from Centerfold K," she added. "Stella rode Centerfold K in the Maclay before she did Eloise on Sunday. The Maclay was really hard. They had a bounce, and really everything on the course was a number [of strides], so it was very technical. Being able to ride Centerfold K first made her trips in the Grand Hunter Ring seem easy!"

Stella, 15, inherited Eloise from her sister Claudia, who now attends the University of Virginia. The pair has forged a strong partnership, which is now getting even better.

"I think the equitation is going to help her so much," said Liza. "The hunter courses are getting more technical, and it's not just outside, inside anymore. She has really started to understand the technical aspects of a ride, such as how to take an inside track in seven strides or shape a line and bend it for eight strides,"

This week Stella and Centerfold K tackled the equitation classes, with strong performances in the ASPCA Maclay, Pessoa/USEF Medal and WIHS Equitation phases.

"She had one little mistake in each class, but she did great for the first time," said Liza. "She got better and better in each class. Stella has a great position on a horse and a great feel. She just needs to keep learning at this level, and the equitation is a great building block to becoming a better rider and maybe even moving into the jumper ring someday."

Finally Farm riders also enjoyed impressive results in the jumpers, with Show Show showing the way this week. With Maddy Thatcher aboard, Show Show jumped to victory in a Medium Amateur-Owner Jumper class over a field of 62 competitors, while Liza rode the veteran show jumper to second place of 121 entries in a 1.30m open class.

"It was the most fun part of my week," said Liza laughing. "It’s funny, because I’m not known as a jumper rider right now. But in the past I've done the jumpers and have even have done grand prix classes. But the past few years my focus has been on the hunters and the derbies.

"When I got to the ring, everyone said, 'Did you make a wrong turn? What are you doing over here?'" added Liza smiling. "It's such a different world. You get into a routine and see the same professionals at the hunter rings. There are friends I grew up with over in the jumpers, but I don't see them anymore, so it was great to spend time with them. Candice King said, 'She finally made the right turn and came back over here!'"

*Maddy Thatcher and Show Show - Photo courtesy of The Book LLC*

Liza described her ride on Show Show, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood by Darco, as amazing. "He has so much experience and a resume bigger than mine! My goal was to practice neat turns to set him up for Maddy. I wasn't going for the win, but he made such nice turns and has such a big stride that he was pretty quick. It was so smooth that it felt like a handy hunter round on Brunello--but just faster!"

Maddy then took over the reins for the Amateur-Owners. "She was amazing," said Liza. "I think they went faster than anyone! There's so much quality in that section and a lot of grand prix horses, and those amateurs are so slick. Maddy really impressed me in the jump-off. She followed her exact plan and was textbook. It was just what she and Jack [Towell] went over. She even added a stride in first line with more bend so she could be quicker to the next jump. She was great."

Sisters Larson and Mary Carton Mitchener earned ribbons on their respective mounts during WEF 3 for great results as well.

Larson, a freshman at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, hasn't had much time to practice, but that limitation didn't prevent her from jumping Graffiti to excellent ribbons in a section of the Adult Amateur, 18-35 hunters. "I was really proud of her," said Liza. "She rode over the holidays and is balancing school and doing it all quite well. I'm also proud of Tamara [Berkowitz, assistant trainer]. She has a soft spot for 'Smudge,' and he's become her project. She's figured that horse out and what he likes, and she prepared him to peak at the right time for Larson. She made a well-planned schedule for him, and it paid off."

Younger sister Mary Carton guided Trinity to ribbons in the 3'3" Junior Hunters, a competitive section at WEF since it's not split by age,

"Some weeks I think it's even harder than the 3'6" Juniors," said Liza. " Mary Carton and Grayanna Griggs (riding Beaujolais) were both impressive this weekend, with consistent rounds. It was Grayanna's last week of showing, so placing third over fences in the Grand Hunter Ring was a nice way to end on a good note. We will meet back up with her when we get home in March."