Botetourt County Horseman’s Association to host clinics, speaker

Update: The BCHA has postponed this event due to inclement weather in the forecast this weekend. A new date has not yet been set by the association.

The Botetourt County Horseman’s Association will host two events in October for area horsemen.

George Schaefer will hold a shortened version
of his Natural Horsemanship clinics.

On Sunday, Oct 4, the club will hold a Lunch & Learn event at the Green Hill Equestrian Center near Salem in Roanoke County. A hunter pace, a Dressage clinic with Gabi Hooten and a Natural Horsemanship clinic with George Schaefer are scheduled. There will also be a tack sale on the grounds. Bring your own table, tent, or tailgate. $5 for a spot and no reservations are necessary, just check in at the registration desk. Vendors and individuals are welcome. All proceeds will go towards the purchase of a large animal rescue sling for Botetourt County Fire & Rescue in Fincastle.

COST:

  • BCHA Members: $5  for the day, includes lunch. (Must have active membership as of October 1st)
  • BCHA Member Guests & Member Renewals: $20 for the day, includes lunch and a year individual BCHA membership
  • General Public: $25 and it includes lunch and a year individual BCHA membership.

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the club will have Robin Tilghman, of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association, speak at their regular monthly meeting. Learn more about ACTHA and bring your questions. Open to both members and the public at 7 p.m. at Bellacino’s in Daleville.

ACTHA recently held a ride at the Explore Park in Roanoke County where more than 60 riders traveled
from across Virginia and North Carolina to compete but there have been few other events locally.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, the BCHA is planning a Fall Hunter Pace at 5300 Lithia Rd., Buchanan.
Four divisions will be offered:

  • Open:  cover the course at optimal time with 18 fences at 2 feet
  • Hunter Pleasure: walk, trot, canter with minimum of 10 fences at 2 feet – Honor System
  • Trail:  ride course at your leisure; 1 trail obstacle required
  • Gaited Trail 

Registration begins at 10 a.m. Open Division will ride first, starting at 11 a.m., other divisions will follow. 
Hunter Pleasure division will not begin before noon. Trail will run last. Ribbons will be awarded to the top six teams in each division, with teams consisting of two to four horse/rider pairs.

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Calendar of equestrian events in the Roanoke region Sept. 26-27

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHT: POSTPONED  |  This show has been moved to Oct. 3. On Saturday, September 26, the Franklin County Agricultural Fair Open Horse Show will anchor the 2015 Franklin County Fair. The horse show will take place at the Ginther Farm, 3128 Sontag Road in Rocky Mount, within a mile of the fairgrounds at Franklin County Recreation Park. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the show will start at 9 a.m. Organized by the Franklin County Equestrian Club, the horse show will be sanctioned by the Blue Ridge Horse Force and Franklin County Equestrian Club and will feature 56 classes. Entry fees are $8 per class. Championship and Reserve Championships will be awarded in Western, Walking/Racking, English and Gymkhana Youth and Adult divisions and the Game division. Concessions will be available. For questions or more information, call Patricia Wray at (540) 420-8169 or email FranklinCountyEquestrianClub@yahoo.com.

HORSE SHOWS

 TRAIL RIDES/MISC.

LOOK AHEAD

Share your favorite memories of riding at the Virginia Horse Center

The Virginia Horse Center is in Lexington, Va., and hosts a wide variety of equestrian events throughout the year. Photo by Virginia Horse Center

Perhaps you grew up riding and showing at the Virginia Horse Center. Maybe it was the site of one of your proudest riding accomplishments (or one of your most embarrassing moments in the saddle)! Whatever it may be, the Virginia Horse Center wants to hear it from you. 

Throughout the fall and winter, they will be spotlighting favorite moments, memories and photos from the riders, exhibitors and spectators who have helped make the Horse Center what it is today. All who share will also be eligible to win Virginia Horse Center prizes!

Submit your own photo or written memories by email to: emr@phelpsmediagroup.com, subject line “VHC Memories.”

WIN A HORSE TRAILER WHILE SUPPORTING THE HORSE CENTER

The horse center is raffling this new
horse trailer or $15,000 cash.

The horse center will be raffling a brand-new 2015 Platinum Coach Bumper Pull 2 Horse Trailer or $15,000 cash. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $100 and all tickets will directly benefit the Virginia Horse Center Foundation. Only 500 will be sold. Two hundred tickets still remain. Raffle tickets can be purchased now by calling (434)985-4151 or by emailing info@blueridgetrailer.com or at the Virginia Horse Center Office at (540)464-2966.

Also, for every new, tandem axle trailer purchased through Blue Ridge Trailer Sales in Ruckersville, Virginia, the buyer will also receive an entry. Applicable trailers for a free raffle ticket include all horse trailers, dump trailers, equipment haulers, landscaping trailers and cargo trailers sold at Blue Ridge Trailer Sales.

 

2015 Virginia 4-H State Championships Cloverleaf Barrels [PHOTOS]

On Saturday, Sept. 12, the evening session at the Virginia Horse Center was all about speed. 4-Hers from around Virginia came together to see who was the fastest in the commonwealth. Spectators cheered on their favorites and the camaraderie of 4-H showed through as children and family from the same counties became large cheering sections. The competition varied from those that trotted through the pattern to blazing fast times from more experienced competitors. The gymkhana portion was held in the Coliseum and held center stage for a few hours until the Western Classics got under way in the East Complex across the horse center. Here are some photos from the Cloverleaf Barrels portion of the show.

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Calendar of equestrian events in the Roanoke area September 19-20

This weekend’s highlight is the the Baroque Equestrian Games & Classical Horse Competition on Sept. 18-20 in the East Complex of the Virginia Horse Center. You know the show is going to be something unique when there’s a rule just on the subject of swords. (“Riders in the Equilibre, Rassembler & Haute Ecole Phases of the Mounted Maneuvers shall provide their own practice swords. Swords may be constructed of plastic, wood or metal, but must be blunted without sharp edges.”) You don’t see that in your average prize book.

So what are the Baroque Equestrian Games? The Games are comprised of four sections: Ground Work, Classical Schooling, Mounted Maneuvers, and Musical Presentation. Within each riding section are four progressive phases of training: Initiate, Equilibre, Rassembler, and Haute Ecole. Participants may use any tack – English, Western, Heritage, Traditional, etc.  In every section and at every phase the emphasis is on grace, artistry, softness, relaxation, and mutual enjoyment of horse and rider. Jos Sevriens of the Stables at Blalock Lakes in Georgia will judge the competition. Sevriens, originally from Holland, is a certified instructor in Holland, France and the U.S. and has won numerous national competitions in both Holland and the U.S. for certified instructors. Sevriens is also a certified USDF and USEF breed judge.

The Friday Night Festival will begin the revelry with the Showcase of Classical Breeds, the Stallion & Sales Spotlight, The Baroque Tack & Attire Fashion Parade, and a sumptuous Wine and Cheese Reception (wine and cheese tickets are $5) with a Masquerade Party!  

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, The Grand Gala, an equestrian theatrical production entitled “Once Upon a Time,” will feature magnificent horses, extravagant costumes, beautiful music, and professional riders recreating everyone’s favorite fairy tale characters. Reserved seat tickets are $20, general admission is $10.  The production is a fundraiser for Hoofbeats Therapeutic Riding Center.

Various demonstrations and lectures will be held in the arena throughout the day on Friday and Saturday during breaks in the class schedule and are free to attend.  They include:

  • Mark Russell Natural Dressage >> Author, clinician and former student of Nuno Oliveira, Mark Russell demonstrates how to incorporate relaxation and eradicate all negative tension throughout the education of the horse.
  • Patricia Norcia: The Use of Seat Aids in Classical Riding >> In this 30-minute unmounted demonstration, you can learn to ride powerfully and invisibly while sitting in your chair.
  • Alfonso Doce: The Beauty and Benefits of the Spanish Walk  >> International classical trainer & teacher with years of experience rich in the classical teachings, has ridden and trained at both the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts and with riders at the School of Portugal.
  • Carol Fletcher: Groundwork and In-hand Work as a Foundation for Trick and High School Training >> Founder of the “Trickonometry” program for trick training, her world-renowned books and DVDs help horse owners from amateurs to professionals of all breeds and disciplines use humane techniques.
  • Sharon Madere: The Science of Learning>> With over 25 years immersion in the field, she will discuss the latest scientific understanding about how horses learn, and how we can use that knowledge to improve our training methods on the ground and under saddle.  

There also will be a raffle for a black 3-year-old Andalusian filly DEM Estrella. Raffle tickets are $10 each. There are a limited number of tickets being printed (only 2,500). The drawing will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19. See a video of the filly here.

ALSO AT THE VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

OPEN SHOWS

  • Pine Spur Hunt Club Hunter Series will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Pine Spur Hunt Club grounds in Vinton, Va.  The show is Blue Ridge Horse Force and sanctioned and will be judged by Jenn Fessler. The show features model, flat and over-fences classes up to 2’9″.
  • The Harmony Equestrian Center in Fincastle, Va. will host a Schooling Jumper Show on Sept. 19. The show starts at 9:30 a.m. and will open with poles and work its way up. Pre-register for a discount to harmonyequestrian@yahoo.com by Thursday, Sept. 17.
  • Roanoke Valley Pony Club Fall Frolic will be held Sunday, Sept. 20, at Green Hill Park Equestrian Center in Salem.

LOOK AHEAD

AQHA Novice Championships schedule spread over 5 days

Western Riding will be held Wednesday at the AQHA Novice Championships East.

The AQHA Novice Championships East is only a few weeks away at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia. Horses can begin moving in on Monday, Sept. 28, and the competition gets under way on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 8 a.m. With 1,562 total entries in the championship in 2013 and 2,726 entries in 2014, the 2015 horse show is estimated to draw between 700 to 1,000 horses and several thousand people. Here’s what you can expect to see if you are headed to the show to catch some of the action:

Over fences classes will be held Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30

Wiley Arena will host several classes during the show.

Anderson Coliseum (8 a.m.)

  • Reining
  • Western Riding
  • Amateur Hunter under Saddle

Wiley Arena (8 a.m.)

  • Working Hunter
  • Equitation over Fences
  • Hunter Hack

East Complex (upon completion of Hunter Hack in Wiley)

  • Rookie Hunt Seat Equitation 

THURSDAY, OCT. 1

Hunter under Saddle will be held Thursday.

Anderson Coliseum (8 a.m.)

  • Youth Hunt Seat Equitation
  • Youth Hunter under Saddle

East Complex (8:30 a.m.)

  • Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation
  • Amateur Hunter under Saddle

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

Anderson Coliseum (8 a.m.)

  • Trail 
  • Ranch Riding

East Complex (upon completion of Trail)

  • Barrels
  • Poles
  • Stake Race 

SATURDAY, OCT. 3 

Western Pleasure will be held Sunday.

Anderson Coliseum (8 a.m.)

  • Halter
  • Showmanship

SUNDAY, OCT. 4

Anderson Coliseum (8 a.m.)

  • Amateur Horsemanship
  • Western Pleasure 

East Complex (8:30 a.m.)

  • Youth Horsemanship

My view: Stolen by the age of technology, horse auctions just aren’t the same online

One of the rings men watches for bids at The Great American Trail Horse Sale
at the Virginia Horse Center in the spring of 2015.

One of my earliest memories was going to the twice yearly horse auctions at Rimwold Ranch, owner of Appaloosa sire Prince Plaudit, just a few miles from where I grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania. I’d sit with my parents for hours watching horse after horse go through the sale ring. We’d walk through the barns looking at the various horses up for sale. And occasionally my parents would get tempted to buy and we’d actually get so far as to watch my dad run his hands down an animal’s legs. We never did take a chance on any of the horses that came through that popular auction, but man it was fun to dream.

Later I would go with my parents to the Quarter Horse Congress Super Sale in Columbus, Ohio, and the temptations got bigger. There is just something magical about a horse auction. My pulse quickens just hearing the sing-song cadence of the auctioneer before I’ve even entered the building. And I don’t even plan to buy anything! But I have never been to a single auction where I didn’t do a quick inventory of my savings account and consider raising my hand.

With a few exceptions, including the Congress Super Sale and the Great American Trail Horse Sale in Lexington, Virginia, high quality horse auctions seem to be fading into the past. Now my email fills up with reminders that the bidding is closing for the latest round of horses. I certainly have looked through the online catalog. But there’s something about not standing there, breathing the same air, looking into those big brown eyes, that stops the dream cold. Isn’t the brilliance of attending a horse auction that the horse is right there, ready to go home with you if only you would just get up the courage to bid? Looking through online catalogs is no more exciting than looking through Equine.com at all the horses for sale. Fun, but with no potential. A live auction always holds possibility that you won’t be able to resist.

On the other side, online auctions are a dream come true for the sellers. You don’t have to haul the horse hundreds of miles, hope he performs his best for interested parties, doesn’t ding himself up in the trailer, etc. No worrying that he’ll pick up a bug at the auction grounds. No worries that you hauled all that way just to turn around and go back home because you didn’t get a decent price or because you were so late in the order there was no one left to buy him.

For buyers, too, you don’t have to spend all day in a dusty arena waiting for your horse to come through — at the big sales that could be late into the night. But beyond that, it seems like all the hassle is placed on the buyer. You have to go get the beast after you’ve just paid your money. You gotta hope he still looks like he did in those photos or videos. Or if you’re smart you’ve gone to visit him first. But that means you have to set up visits just like any regular horse-shopping journey.

The magic of horse auctions is the immediacy. The horse and you have both converged at this spot and he is up for the taking if you just dig deep enough in your wallet. He’s not three states away. Buying horses like a used piece of tack on eBay just doesn’t do it for me.

I would love to hear what others in the horse industry think of online horse auctions. Leave a comment below and tell me I’m wrong, online auctions are wonderful! Lament their disappearance or just share your stories of the horses you’ve bought at auction.

Thinking of buying at auction? Follow our 8 tips for a successful purchase. 

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Calendar of equestrian events in the Roanoke region Sept.12-13

Riders compete in a hunt seat equitation on the flat class at the 2014 Virginia 4-H State Championship
Horse and Pony Show.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER 

Virginia 4-H State Championship Horse and Pony Show will be at the Virginia Horse Center Sept. 10-13.
About 700 horse/rider combinations are qualified for the show. Find a schedule of classes here.

  • Roanoke County will send Riley Samantha Carr, Nikkolette Marie Paxton, Lina Catherine Prillaman and Sarah Ann Shinault.
    A rider gallops across the arena during the gymkhana classes at the
    2014 2014 Virginia 4-H State Championship Horse and Pony Show.     

     

  • Botetourt County will send Kristen Dyer on The Riddler. Craig County will send Claire Nicole Deplazes, Laurel M Pollock and Morgan Marie Sowers. 
  • Franklin County will send Michaela  Marie Bentley, Rebecca Sarah Carpenter, Baylee Nicole Greer, Rebecca Lynn Halm, Bailey Cheyenne Hatcher, Emily Anna Oakley and Jessica Dawn Salb. 
  • Montgomery County will send Sarah Hope Cartee, Shannon Catherine Downs, Hannah Elias, Sophia Grace Gaither, Makenna Nikkole Hallinan, Ruth Jean-Maria Martin, Audrey Ann Mosby, Austin David Skeens, Chloe Ava-Maree Thomas and Kathryn Laurel West. 
  • For a full list of entries sorted by county, click here.

LOOK AHEAD

Solaris EMF named Overall Grand Champion at Sallie B. Wheeler/U.S. Hunter Breeding National Championship

Solaris EMF, a yearling Hanoverian gelding, was named the Overall Grand Champion at the
Sallie B. Wheeler/U.S. Hunter Breeding National Championship on Aug. 29 at the Virginia Horse Center.
Photo via Virginia Horse Center Facebook page.		    

Solaris EMF, a yearling Hanoverian gelding, was named the Overall Grand Champion at the Sallie B. Wheeler/U.S. Hunter Breeding National Championship on Aug. 29 at the Virginia Horse Center.

Following the East Coast and West Coast competitions (the West Coast phase was held on Aug. 26 in Del Mar, California and judged by the same panel), judges Mindy Minetto (Wellington, Fla.) and Chris Wynee (Virginia Beach, Va.) declared East Coast entrants Solaris EMF and Arbor Hill the Overall Grand Champion Best Young Horse and the Reserve Grand Champion Best Young Horse, respectively. It is the third straight year, and the ninth time in the championship’s two-phase history, that the Overall Grand Champion has come from the East Coast phase.

Solaris EMF (Sir Wanabi x Panache EMF/Pablo) is owned by Cismont Manor Farm of Keswick, Va., and handled by Kenneth Wheeler. Solaris also won the East Coast Best Young Horse Award, Yearling Hunter – Colts/Gelding Class and The American Hanoverian Society Breed Registry Award.

Arbor Hill was named The East Coast Reserve Champion Best Young Horse.
Photo via Virginia Horse Center’s Facebook page.

The East Coast Reserve Champion Best Young Horse went to Arbor Hill (Aloha x Paisley/Private Account), a Hanoverian/Oldenburg gelding, owned by Kenneth Wheeler and Cismont Manor Farm and handled by Richard Taylor. Arbor Hill also won the 2-year-old Hunter – Colts/Gelding class. Taylor earned the Leading Handler Award and Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Oare were named the Leading Owners.

Additional Breed Registry Awards went to the following top horses:

  • Ethereal Blue, owned by Patricia Michael and handled by Lexi Robinson, won The American Holsteiner Horse Association Award. 
  • Femineste MRF, owned and handled by Lubrano, took home The American Warmblood Registry Award. 
  • The Belgian Warmblood Breeding Association Award went to Ophelya PCS, owned by Ingrid Bergmann and handled by Dowell “Junior” Johnson. 
  •  Idonis VZ, owned and handled by Amy Schull, earned The KWPN of North America Award. 
  • The RPSI Award went to Amorous, owned by Dr. Katelyn Ziggas and handled by Jay Francella. 
  • Joyful Hope, owned by Dr. Erica Feiste and handled by Johnson, won The Stud-Book sBs (Belgian Sport Horse Society) Award. 
  • Timeless, owned by Carrie D. Buxton and handled by Oliver Brown, received the Oldenburg Registry of North America Award
  • Vizier, owned by Nokomis Farm and handled by William Howland, picked up The Oldenburg Horse Breeder’s Society Award. 

Winner Yearling Fillies, Tainted Love (Amazing x Tuxedo Park) owned and bred by Catherine Marcks.
Photo via Virginia Horse Center Facebook

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events in the Roanoke region over Labor Day weekend

A Gorgeous Love Story competes in Showmanship during the 2013 APHA Color Classic.
The annual show will be held this weekend at the Virginia Horse Center.

 VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

  • The Paint Horse Association will bring a bit of color to the horse center this weekend with their annual Color Classic Futurity Show. The show opens Friday, Sept. 4, and continues through Sunday, Sept. 6. The show will be held in the Coliseum and will be judged by Chris Jeter, April Devittm, Eric Hubbard and Robert Dehn. Friday’s classes will be trail and barrels before launching into halter and the hunter classes on Saturday. Western classes will be run on Sunday. View photos from the 2013 show.
  • Hear the Beat Horse Show, will be held Sept. 6 at the Virginia Horse Center. This show is Blue Ridge Horse Force sanctioned and a Franklin County and 4-H qualifying show. It features a variety of Hunter, Western and Equitation Classes. The show is a fundraiser sponsored by Hoofbeats Therapeutic Riding and the Virginia Horse Center Foundation. Proceeds go to Hoofbeats Therapeutic Riding, Inc. Dora Winn will judge.
  • Dressage with a View: The local dressage schooling show will be held in Wiley Arena. 
  • Maury River Hunter Pace will be held in the cross-country field at the center. Contact vht@cfw.com for more information.

OPEN SHOWS

Unlike horses, mules jump from a standing start.
Photo courtesy Blue Ridge Folklife Festival.

CLINIC/TALKS

OTHER

The East Coast Stock Horse Association Fall Roundup Show will be Sept. 5-6 in Reva, Virginia. (5229 Homestead Trail) This show includes Ranch Riding, Working Cow Horse and Reining classes. 

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Like Roanoke Equestrian on Facebook for continued updates on horse shows in the area. Have a show coming up? Contact us at Roanoke.Equestrian@gmail.com to add it to our calendar.