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Updated May 6, 2008

HUNTER - JUMPER - EQUITATION - SALES - PONIES
PREMIER TRAINING & SALES SERVICES
BARN 561-495-4308

From the school horse to the Grand Prix Jumper, the local levels to the Nationals,
we have training for every horse and every rider.

We are committed to provide the highest standards in education and care.

 

2008 HEADLINES

The Ladies Sing the Blues

Lisa Moore rocks the Low Adult Jumper Classic
and Dierdre Raddler takes the Ariat Adult Medal and calls it her own.
Read more in current events.

Lisa & Libertina coming home in the International Arena

IEA Equestrian Team Member,

Ariana Mato, sweeps the competition to take home

1st Place for the Future Intermediate Over Fences

in the Big E in Springfield, Mass.

Congratulations to Ariana Mato and coach Tricia Denio!



Vinissa Mercatanti enters the Spring Finale Grand Prix!

Vinissa aboard Lisa Moore's Cavalier's Royal Diamond rides in her first ever Grand Prix. In a field of 23 they finish, very respectfully, in the middle of the pack.
This is just the start of a very wonderful year for Vinissa, not only has she just begun her Grand Prix career with Lisa Moore's Cavalier, she is heading to the alter. Vinissa and Mike Blan, affectionately known as the sheriff, are going to be wed the middle of May!

Congratulations!

 
Vinissa aboard Lisa Moore's "Cavalier's Royal Diamond"

Deirdre & Teddy

Deirdre Radler Wins the Adult Ariat at WEF 12

Deirdre is currently ranked 6th in the nation for the Ariat Adult Medal. Ariat finals are held in October at Capital Challenge in Upper Marlboro, MD.

 
Hayley Iannotti & Couture
Hayley Iannotti and Couture Qualify for Pony Finals!

Hayley and Couture (Chanel) are the perfect team right from the start. We were just welcoming her new pony to the barn when the pair qualified. This is the first pony Hayley has owned and and they have proved to be a force to be reckon with. Hayley's junior career is just starting and what a way to begin!

The 2008 USEF Pony Finals National Championships are held in Lexington, KY., August 13 - 17. Hayley & Couture will compete in the Wild Horsefeathers/USEF National Small Green Pony Championships.

The Kentucky Horse Park, the host of the venue, is the hallowed grounds of the Rolex Three Day Event and the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. The park is a living museum and home to the legendary Cigar and John Henry, and the final resting place of Man O'War, where his statue stands over his grave near the entrance of the park.

The park is a horse lover's heaven on earth, even the flies do not dare to trespass.

Congratulations Hayley and Couture.
 
For the second consecutive year
CARRIAGE HILL's JANE FENNESSY has been awarded
SFHJA's 2007 TRAINER OF THE YEAR!



Along with this coveted honor, we congratulate:

Sarah Middleton & Amanero Z, SFHJA High Point Over All Grand Champion and Single Point Champion for A/O Jumper and Single Point Champion for Open Jumper.

MaryKate Hayes
, SFHJA Over All Grand Champion 12-14 Equitation.

Lee Barnes & Quito II,
SFHJA Single Point Champion Low Adult Hunter
.

Gigi Good and Ever So,
SFHJA Single Point Champion AA Hunter, 18-35 years.

Kristi Doyle & Good Company,
SFHJA Single Champion Jr. Working Hunter

Marielle Golden & It's Sno Illusion, awarded SFHJA's
Champion for Single Point Large Pony Hunter

Marielle Golden
is
SFHJA's Single Point Champion 12-14 Equitation.

Taylor Ellis and Georgian Gentleman, SFHJA Single Point Champion Children's Horse.

Amber Lynn Hopper, SFHJA Single Point Champion 11 & Under Equitation



Also in the ribbons for 2007 year-end finals are:
Lana Caster, Elisabeth Hayes, Hayley Iannotti, Jackie Kaye,
Anders Keitz, Arianna Mato,
Lisa Moore, Deirdre Radler,
Lia Screnci, Cindy Screnci, Rebecca Seiden, Deven Zenker,
 
2007 SFHJA Awards Banquet
 
CONGRATULATIONS
CARRIAGE HILL FARM'S 2007 CHAMPIONS


 

2007 HEADLINES!

QUALIFIED

Carriage Hill Farm's riders have qualified for WEF'S Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship, Maclay Regionals, Marshall & Sterling Finals, USEF Medal Finals, and the prestigious USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals!

NORTH AMERICAN YOUNG RIDER'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
CONGRATULATIONS KIRSTEN!


KIRSTEN SELVIG ABOARD RUSE DE GUERRE (LOVINGLY KNOWN AS "ROCKET") EARNS THE INDIVIDUAL BRONZE MEDAL AND SHE WITH HER TEAM BRING HOME THE GOLD MEDAL FOR THE CCI** NAYRC FINALS!
Kristen Selvig & Ruse de Guerre
 


CONGRATULATIONS!

Anders Keitz & L.Altavida
Qualified for 2007 USET FINALS
in Gladstone, N.J.

Pokey Masters the Water Hazard
 
What an Equitation Round Should Have
It's about your riding, says this perennial Medal/Maclay-winning trainer--about allowing your horse to go as comfortably and jump as beautifully as he can, whatever your fence heights and your conformation.
By Missy Clark


Missy coached Julie Welles to win multiple junior equitation finals; now a professional and Missy's assistant, Julie is making her mark in the open jumper and grand prix divisions.

Equitation is about learning to ride well--whatever your sport. It's that simple. And riding well is having the horse go well and showing a nice style while you're doing it.

I don't think of equitation as a different sport. To me, it's a complement and a stepping-stone to what occurs every day in good jumper riding and hunter riding, dressage, eventing, trail and saddle seat. So in equitation, just as in any of those disciplines, you need to be riding with your horse's particular abilities and limitations and talents in mind and (as invisibly as possible) adjusting your ride accordingly. That's all part of horsemanship, which is the most important thing any trainer can teach.

To me, equitation classes are about finding great riders. Talent certainly plays a part in great riding; still, a rider who isn't as talented but has the desire and works hard may end up surpassing one who's naturally talented. In any case, what the judges--and all of us--should be looking for is the end result: a horse performing beautifully, being ridden in a classical, correct style. And we need to remember that the specifics of that style can vary greatly from rider to rider. An Anne Kursinski, a Todd Minikus, a Peter Wylde--they're all totally different stylists, yet they're all completely accurate and functional, and they get the job done.

What an Equitation Round Should Have
Here's what I'm looking for, and what judges are asking for, in an equitation class.
The horse is moving forward from behind, pushing off well, hind legs coming well under him with each stride. He's happy. He's light off the inside aids. Going into a corner, he isn't locked on the inside rein or falling into his rider's inside leg. He's relaxed, bent a little around that inside leg and rein through the turn, not overbent; his rider feels lightness off her inside lateral aids through the turn.

Approaching a jump, the premise is the same. The horse is moving at a pace that's forward and balanced. He's carrying the rider, she's not having to push or pull; and both have a relaxed expression. She places him at a reasonable distance, preferably with minimal aids so you don't see the placement happening. (Invisible aids are a prime factor for good equitation.) The rider's position is classical, yet her own; each person has her own style, and I'd hate to take that away.

In the air, the rider releases the horse's mouth and follows the motion. On landing, she's still truly centered and balanced, so her position stays secure and solid--an effortless kind of effort. Horse and rider move as one, so seamlessly that you almost don't notice.

The pace is smoother from beginning to end, even during adjustments. For a forward line, the rider begins to ready her horse's pace before they get there so she doesn't have to make a big change between fences. For a collected line, she starts pulling him together a littler earlier to accommodate the shorter distance.

When good equitation is not happening successfully, the signs are crystal clear. On the flat, the horse is not forward; he's maybe a little fussy; he's heavy on the inside rein or cutting in through a turn. Over jumps, he's inverted, with no "break"--no round arc--over the top of the fence, and his expression is unhappy.

Sure, there are many equitation horses whose style is to "step" over the jump: They're flat in the air, they don't crack their backs, and they don't move their riders around a lot. But even with them, I want to see some roundness: some stretching forward and down a little before the jumping effort itself.

The basis for your horse going well is your classical position: heels down; base of support centered and with the motion; legs correct; upper body in balance, neither jumping ahead nor falling back. Whatever your conformation, you can accomplish that. And when you do, you'll help your horse go well, whatever his purchase price and breeding.

Excerpted from "Just What Is Equitation, Anyway?" in the July 1999 issue of Practical Horseman magazine. For more about Missy's influential program and her Warren, Vt., facility, read "Go In Like You're the Winner" in the October 2007 issue.
 

 
It's Sno Illusion


Here at Carriage Hill, we offer a beautiful
selection of performance horses and ponies
for all levels and price ranges. We specialize in
Hunter/Jumper and Equitation.

Click on It's Sno Illussion or the sales link to view our inventory.

Remember to check often for updates!
 
 

 


Carriage Hill Farm's owner, Jane Fennessy,
has been teaching and training
for over 30 years.
Jane and her team of trainers/instructors
have earned the long-standing
reputation of being one the
best training facilities in South Florida.

Their success in the show ring
speaks for itself.
Vinissa Aboard Lisa Moore's Cavalier Royal Diamond
 
 


MaryKate Hayes aboard G. Strongbow
 
"When God created the horse, he said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other.
All the treasures of the earth lie between thy eyes. Thou shalt carry my friends upon thy back.
Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And thou shalt fly without wings.

And conquer without any sword. Oh, Horse."
 
Lana Caster & DaVinci Ride as the Skies Open Up
 

"Horses give us the wings we lack."
Join us and learn to fly.
 
Carriage Hill is located in Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Village
Delray Beach, Florida
561-495-4308
 
We are proud to support
Quito II & Anders Keitz Zone 4 Children's Jumper
South Florida Hunter Jumper Association

The Complete Equestrian Experience