Hi Everyone,

I'm back from Scottsdale and finally getting the newsletter out!

This newsletter is packed full of photos of our recent competition in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sylvia Rogan competed in the prestigious Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, along with 2300+ horses. It is the largest Arabian show in the world, the most fun, and the farthest drive for us. But so worth it. We left on Feb. 5th in snow and came home Feb. 17th in snow. I don't know why I thought it would be spring by the time we got home. NOT!!!!!!

Also, in this newsletter, are other bits of news and tips, that I hope you will enjoy. If anyone has photos or news of things that the riders are doing, please email those to me. I'd love to include them in these newsletters. Please remember that Jill Reeves, our producer of the newsletters, has archived them on the members' page of the website, so you can refer back to them if you want.

Wow, can you believe what this winter has been like?  It has never been this bad for us during the past 19 years we have owned Prairie Gem. I don't think there has been one day that we didn't have to run the heated buckets. Most of the horses have faired pretty well. Hopefully, we won't see much lose of weight on them this spring as they shed out. If their winter blankets were not really heavy weight, they didn't stay as warm as they needed. The weight will come back on but it takes time. They can lose it so quick and gain it so slow. Not fair, opposite for humans.

 

Our trip started off very scary. The weather wouldn't cooperate with us, as it snowed and rained the night before we left, making the drive way verrrrrrrry icy!!!!!!! We had to wait until Rob, Hector and Dave (our crew at the barn) hand shoveled about 60 feet of the drive near the highway, and then de-iced it so the truck and trailer didn't slide over the steep sides. I was sooooo scared.  After the road was ready, Rob drove the trailer out onto the highway. The horses were then walked very carefully down the icy driveway to the trailer. I keep the traffic at a stand still while the horses were loaded. Then Linda Maiefski, her daughter, Brooke, and I were off for the long haul--1900 miles, one way--Approximately a 30 hour drive. We left Omaha, finally at 12:30 p.m. And arrived at our stayover hotel and stable in Amarillo, Texas, about 3:30 a.m. We bedded the horses down in the stable, went to sleep for about 4 hours and took off again.
 

 

Our Treacherous Journey Down the Driveway

 

The normal route of going through Flagstaff, AZ, was experiencing snow and ice, so Rob (my husband) suggested we go south from Amarillo to Las Cruces NM, and on to Tucson. That was a great route and we had a really nice rest of the drive. Arrived in Scottsdale at 1:30 in the morning, unloaded the horses and just enough supplies to feed them and get Linda into bed. Brooke went to stay with her brother.

It started pouring right as Linda M. was setting up to go to bed, and I had just gone to the hotel. Her stall flooded and she decided to spend the night in the horse trailer, tack room, instead of waiting for me to go back and get her. She was just too tired and fell asleep huddled in between the saddles and hat cases. That is tired!!!!
 

Linda M. Working on Our Home Away From Home

It took us 2 days to get our temporary home set up. We had to build a protection wall, making an aisle 5 feet wide and 30 feet long, with a roof, to allow us dry access to the set up dressing room, tack room and cross ties. Once it was done, it looked really good. Didn't rain much until after we left. We were grateful. It really down pours there.
 

 
Side shot of stalls set up. Had to make an aisle to
protect the dressing and tack rooms from rain.


  
Dressing room at our stalls. Look at all those outfits!


Front view of out set up for the stalls.

 

The show went well for Sylvia and her horses. She rode in many, many classes, working towards high point awards. Being from the “Arctic Zone”, which is what we felt like, it is difficult to prepare the horses for competition. Most of the other riders who show in Scottsdale are from the warmer climates, and their horses were in better shape (although we stalled right across from some from Canada).  Sylvia still was very much in the competition though, and placed usually 3rd or 4th in most of her classes, which was very good. The classes were big, many were 25 or more in the same class. (And you thought 7-8 is a lot in a class!) She rode in Country Pleasure, Show Hack, Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship, Hunter Pleasure, Hunt Seat Equitation, and Sidesaddle in both English and Western. She also competed for the first time in Dressage and did an excellent job with Riston. That was really fun!!!

A shot of show hack class in Scottsdale.


Sylvia and Riston, in Scottsdale Dressage Training level Test One class, her first time ever in a dressage class, placed 4th out of 9. Great job!!!



Sylvia and Riston, warming up just before she went into the English Sidesaddle class, where Riston tripped and hurt himself and I made her leave the class when that happened. Bummer!!!!


This photo is of Sylvia and Riston after they received 3rd place in Hunt Seat Equitation, out of 29 riders.



Beautiful shot of Sylvia and Riston in Hunt Seat Equitation class where she earned a Top 10!  (She actually got 3rd place; one of the three judges placed her 1st!)



Western Sidesaddle with Alexander. Placed 3 out of 8.

Another shot of dressage class with Sylvia and Riston
 

We also, got to do a photo shoot with her horses. Jeff Janson, a show and equine photographer, got some wonderful shots of them in the desert close to the showgrounds. It was a ¾ miles hike to the photo area and very rocky, but a beautiful day. Elli, Sylvia's grandma, got her exercise, walking Merritt. We made her get into a couple of the photos as her reward. They turned out good!

Another high light of the Scottsdale show, was watching our palomino stallion, Momentums Gold Gem “Gold” compete in the Junior Horse Western Pleasure class. He has been in Minnesota with trainer Sarah Paripovich for the past 6 months. Sarah is a nationally accomplished trainer, who is very well known in the show ring. She has done a wonderful job with “Gold” and he was a really good boy, doing his job like a pro. He didn't place Top Ten but we were pretty happy at his performance, being his 2nd show. Nothing like going for the big league right away.
 

Momentums Gold Gem, ridden in Scottsdale by Sarah Paripovich from Minnesota.

Our trip back home was a tough one, as we were so tired. It took us 8 hours longer than normal, since I kept getting sleepy. Trying to sleep in the truck, parked next to noisy semi's is a big challenge for me. Linda M. had to learn to drive the truck for me a while. I told her to just keep it between the lines. She did and gave me a little bit to relax although I couldn't sleep. But we made it by 2:00 in the morning, getting out of the truck with 0 degrees and lots of snow and ice. We wanted to go back to Arizona!!!!! I think the body clipped (shaved) horses felt the same way.
 

A Tired Linda B. with Sylvia's Horse, Merritt

Going to the show in Scottsdale is a wonderful vacation, whether you show or just come to watch and cheer us on. Patty Smith, from our barn, came out to watch and took in 2 weeks of the sunshine. She helped us with the tear down and loading. I think she was glad that wasn't her regular job. Her dad loaded us up with fresh oranges and lemons from the local groves where he works. They were so good. And didn't freeze on the way home.

I hope you'll plan to join us next year in Scottsdale. It is so exciting and definitely a trip you'll enjoy.

 

Several riders have passed new levels in their horsemanship skills here at Prairie Gem. I will make an attempt to list them but if I missed your name, I apologize in advance. We will include you in the next issue.

Passing Level One: 
Courtney Doherty, Grace Rynaski, Clare Richardson.

Passing Level Two: 
Judy Boner

I think there were more, so let me know if I missed you. My goal is to get you all passing 2 levels per year. Let's go for it!!!!

That's it for this month. Looking forward to warmer weather and fun rides!!!

Blessings,

Linda