OTTB Success Stories

Posts Tagged ‘Hunters’

Austin's Wolf is successful at 3'

Hi all!
This weekend Austin’s Wolf and I did our second 3′ show to get more experience under our belts.

We were not as fit as I would have liked – holidays and family visits through off our schedule and we did not have a show in December.

Started with a Friday night schooling in gale force winds with about 15 horses in the ring all jumping every which way…..  took us longer working than I wanted to settle.

Saturday was a nice day and we had a couple good rounds….

Sunday we were both tired and had two flat classes and a couple more over fences.

We placed, but not as well as I would have liked the second day……

Attached are a couple of pictures from my resident photographer Josh.

Hugs to everyone!
Laurie

Austin’s Wolf now has a Photo Gallery with Albums show all his winning pictures.
Be sure to read all of  Austin’s Wolf’s Success Stories.

Hi Elizabeth,

Here’s the latest in our series of Wolfie & Laurie videos at horse shows. Wolfie continues to improve and develop, and the team earned 3 blues and 1 red plus division champion at a local show. It was their first competition at 3’!

See Austin’s Wolf’s video on YouTube.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Barry.

Joshua

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Hi Elizabeth and Barry,

We did our usual Hunters on Saturday and Equitation on Sunday, doing well in light of the fact that riding has been hit or miss for a couple of weeks due to work and weather.  Despite only getting in one ride this week leading up to the show, Wolfie was a good boy.  He put in a great schooling round on Friday night and solid rounds on Saturday.  For some reason he was very leery of the show photographer set up.  Not our best day, but we still won reserve.  Sunday we redeemed ourselves with a blue in the flat class and reserve there as well.

He has matured now – being 7….  (I can’t believe it!) He had no problem with any of the show today….  Worked through the left over water from a monsoon yesterday afternoon that flooded everything.  No problem trotting or cantering through it.

I think he is ready to move up to 3’….  And we will most likely target some rated shows this season.

The trot shot is our warm up for the eq. – yes it is still HOT here….

The jump shot is nice of him doing his job… looking in pretty  good form I think but I may be a tad biased.

Hope all is well…

Laurie and Wolfie

Fast Commander did three days of our local “A” show over the past two weekends.  We competed in the Long Stirrup division to stay at two feet.  This was all in the indoor arena, which seems to have a very soothing effect on “Commander”.  He acted like he had been doing this his whole life, despite a crowded warm up ring, judges, clapping, lots of flowers and fill on the jumps.  The only conflict we had was over braiding. He is not a fan of this, so he only had a braided mane one of the days.  We will have to work on this more when time allows.  He really was a pleasure to show.

He won two of the over fences classes, got a 4th in the flat, and had a variety of other ribbons along the way.  The best thing is that he seems to enjoy being ridden and enjoy jumping.  We are already jumping a bit higher at home and working on flying changes.  He now practically hops in the trailer by himself if I crinkle a peppermint wrapper and then stands there with his mouth open for his treat!

Stephanie

Well “Wolfie”, Austin’s Wolf, did great this weekend. The first day was hunter day and the second, equitation. Over the weekend, we won three firsts, three seconds, Reserve Amateur Adult 2’6” Hunter and Grand Amateur 2’5” Equitation.

He is really getting consistent with his pace and distances. A little bit left to do – I need to get him to have the long low comatose look on the flat for the under saddle which is sad because I would not want to hunt a horse that way. Anyway, that is what they pin for now at least.

Laurie

We went to the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association show this weekend for two days of showing.

This was at the Wellington Show Grounds at the South grounds as the A circuit was closing down at the North grounds where we watched the Jumpers a few years ago when you came to visit.  There was quite a bit of activity with many horses, golf carts, trucks and trailers, children and dogs everywhere.  He was much more settled at the very beginning pretty much walking by things without issues.  None of the fences bothered him at all and he was quick to settle in the ring.

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OTTB Austins Wolf competed at the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association in Wellington, FL April 4 & 5, 2009

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OTTB Austins Wolf competed at the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association in Wellington, FL April 4 & 5, 2009

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OTTB Austins Wolf competed at the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association in Wellington, FL April 4 & 5, 2009

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OTTB Austins Wolf competed at the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association in Wellington, FL April 4 & 5, 2009

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OTTB Austins Wolf competed at the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association in Wellington, FL April 4 & 5, 2009

It was our first time there and Wolfie continues to get better as he gains more experience.  This was another sleep away weekend beginning Friday afternoon with schooling.  Saturday was Hunter classes in the Adult Amateur classes and we placed  in two of our classes with a 6th and a 4th.  I am pleased as we continued to improve through the day.  Sunday was Adult Equitation day and we really settled and won two seconds, a third and a fifth.  We are getting much better at finding and keeping our jumping pace and hitting the proscribed number of strides.

I’m keeping him at 2’6” at this point although I am confident he can go higher I want to get consistent with our striding and distance.  This circuit runs through November so I am planning to attend more at this venue.

Best to all, Laurie, Josh and Wolfie

It was a “classic” for $ with some bending lines etc.

A couple short distances but getting much better.

This was a 2’3” – 2’6” course and he does better at the slightly higher height.

He sort of lazes over the lower ones now.

We are going to do a Two-Day show in March and then the PB local circuit starts in April.

He has really settled and developed, no shanigans this time.  Loaded straight away coming and going, no silliness in the warm up area.

Laurie

Click here to read more of Austin Wolf’s Success Stories. Sort on the Success Stories by any horse’s name to follow their history and see past posts. Many horses even have photo galleries.

“Wolfie” (Austin’s Wolf) reached new heights today …. we did a 2′6″ to 2′11″ course in prep for the Low Hunter classes next week (2′3″ – 2′6″). I always like to be doing a little more at home than needed at a show.

After knocking down the first jump and realizing ‘hey, who made these higher?’ he did great. Got all his changes, really started to pick up his feet up and using some of that TB athleticism and actually had to work a little to get over them!

Our coach came over to work with us and was pleased as well. He did a great job on an Oxer she set up. So we’ll see how we do next week!

I did manage to make a roll top and a ‘wall’ out of kitty litter jugs (Josh did not tackle the wall making project yet).

I had not gone that high since Lefty went lame. So glad that is out of my system too.

Laurie

Laurie enjoys showing her ex race horse - Austin's Wolf. Click on this image to go to his photo gallery.

Hi Elizabeth,

Here are some photos from the last show. My trainer’s daughter was getting ready for her first show on the requisite white pony… she won 2 blues! Some interesting shots of Wolfie….. ‘dynamic’ I think was how Josh described them…

He was very comfortable over a little oxer warming up….

Auston's Wolf loves to jump.

You can probably tell from Jump 1 that he was way over jumping….. horse eating jumps!

At the end of the classes we got around clean….. and he was more relaxed…..

The height was not the issue…. More the pageantry !

However we’ll be ready next time!

Best to all!
Laurie and Josh and Wolfie of course!

We moved up to 2′3″ division this time around…. which should have been easy peezy as we were doing 2′3″ – 2′6″ at home….

However what I did NOT know was that at the 2′3″ they bring out the walls, coops, panels and every other sort of imaginable solid, horse eating fence!

There was no time to even show them to him ….. I had planned on 3 OF classes but we had such issues we went in 5 and by the last one he was going around well….. So we did not have a good pinning day but we had a real breakthough in terms of moving up….. more than planned for!

Josh was a tad nervous as 3-4 folks came flying off during the show and “W” did stop on me a few times…… I had to use my crop…. but then he decided that, ‘Yes I really was serious that we had to go over not around’ and that if he just jumped high enough…. that was safer than stopping as that got Mom in a mood….. He still got all his leads and changes………

Anyway, I am sure we will only get better from here…..

He loaded well and was generally more relaxed sooner at the show…. so over all good experience for him and we had to tackle those monster jumps sometime…..

Next one is Feb 21…. (Sat)….. so my mission is to better simulate some of the scary jumps to get over that….
Laurie