Late December 2010 at Hopewell Creek Stables

Ian is always wandering about taking great pics at our place!!
:)

Christmas day sunset- beauty!

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Hopewell Creek Stables annual Christmas Party!

We held our annual Christmas Party over the weekend !

In all we had a super day with some refreshments, food, and LOTS of fun! We had a demonstration by the Precision Riding team and spent the rest of the afternoon playing some horse games and hanging out... fun for all!



Merry Christmas to all and Best wishes for a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

Morning sun

The sunrise this morning was just too neat (well in real life) to pass up a picture! Not that photos do a sunrise much justice!!
:)

http://sites.google.com/site/hopewellcreekstable/

Potential Dressage Clinic with Rebecca Schoenhardt

We're thinking about hosting a clinic at our place with Rebecca Schoenhardt in February 2011

Short bio on Rebecca Schoenhardt:
A former Ontario team Young Rider, Rebecca Schoenhardt’s resume is extensive, but highlights include three time listing to the Canadian Dressage Team. After graduating her Bsc in Human Kinetics, Rebecca spent a year and a half training in Germany. She has trained with Canadian Team Rider Nancy MacLachlan since 1998. Rebecca Schoenhardt has brought three of her own horses to the FEI levels, two to Grand Prix. She has brought students up to Prix St. Georges/Intermediare 1, with many championships at the Bronze through Gold levels. Her training-tips and articles have been printed in several publications including Equine Lifestyles magazine, where she acted ghost-writer for Anky Van Grunsven. Rebecca is a Dressage Canada certified judge.

... planning is in the works!

Early December in the morning

:)

my horse's feet...

My horse's feet are as swift as rolling thunder
He carries me away from all my fears
And when the world threatens to fall asunder
His mane is there to wipe away my tears.

~Bonnie Lewis

Had a GREAT Hunter Clinic November 21 with Robyn Baechler!!

We had a great clinic with Robyn!!
She is an Equine Canada Senior Hunter, Equitation, Hack Judge.

Now we know many of the secrets of the Hunter world (although we get the feeling there are MANY more!!)!



Clinic Outline

We talked about hunters, hunter showing, and did lots of mounted flat work, trying our "hunter under saddle" style. We moved into a 'chat' on hunter over fences and did a lot of group mounted 'over fences'. Got many great tips and pointers...!

Wellington-Waterloo Hunt on Nov. 10, 2010

Some pics of the joint Hunt with the Bermuda Hunt Club...




:)

Tally Ho!

The Wellington Waterloo Hunt is hosting a Joint Meet with Bermuda Hunt on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 and we're going hunting!!

One of the last hunts this fall - in Puslinch!

.....
Tom Hill was in the saddle,
One bright November morn,
The echoing glades of Guiting Wood
Were ringing with his horn.
.....

.....
High in his stirrups raised he stood,
And long he gazed around;
And breathlessly and anxiously
His listened for a sound.
.....

.....
The huntsman turned,
He spurred his steed,
And to the cry he sped;
And when he thought upon that fox,
Said naught, but shook his head.

- The Fox's Prophecy By D.W. Nash 1871.

Results are 'in' for the Hallowe'en Horse/Rider Costume Contest ...

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"
- - - Dexter Kozen

We had some pretty creative costumes!!




Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.
- - - Shakespeare "Macbeth"


On Hallowe'en the thing
you must do
Is pretend that nothing
can frighten you
An' if somethin' scares you
and you want to run
Jus' let on like
it's Hallowe'en fun.

Hallowe'en Horse/Rider Costume Contest and Trail Ride....

(1) think up something totally cool, (2) Dress up you and your horse... and (3) win a prize.... (4) (optional) trail-ride after (Well, OK, Trick O'Treating... sort of!!)!!
..... we're waiting to see what the horses look like!!
:)
See you October 31, 2pm!

Mohawk Raceway...

... interesting place - for many reasons!
Fixing up horses too...

Wayne's Trail Ride was a success!

... and no rain (despite the forcast!). Everyone had a good long ride - lasting about 3.5hours over the country side. And we 'almost' convinced the hunter-riders to come along!
:)

Wayne's Annual Trail Ride... Sunday October 24/10

We are anxiously awaiting Wayne's annual trail ride and fun day.



Our neighbour hosts an approximately 5 hour trail ride leaving Maryhill and passing through - where? ... only Wayne knows.. but over the beautiful countryside in our area- fields and forests (or should we say over 'hill and dale'?) and ending up back in Maryhill.

Look for us heading out on Sunday October 24!

Ridin' in Dundas Valley Conservation Area

Beautiful weather for some fall hacking... in Dundas Valley Conservation Area!






Went there Saturday, and what a nice day for riding!
:)

Planning a Hunter Clinic November 21, with Robyn Baechler!!

Hunter Clinic November 21, 2010 with Robyn Baechler!!

We're looking forward to a really interesting clinic with Robyn. She is an Equine Canada Senior Hunter, Equitation, Hack Judge, and she is going to tell us all the secrets of the Hunter world!



Clinic Outline

9am - ‘chat’ on hunters - hunter showing, strategy, etc.

9:20am - 10:30am - group mounted flat work, hunter under saddle & equitation

10:30am - 10:45am - 'chat' on hunter over fences and equitation

10:45am - 11:45am - group mounted 'over fences'

11:45am - 12:30pm - hack class- discussion and group work on pleasure hack, road hack, show hack...

Precision Riding fun!

Every second Sunday we host a precision ride to give us and the horses something different to think about. It is a great time and a great learning tool for horses in terms of getting used to close-contact with other horses and being able to ride in precise patterns in a group!
Lots of fun for all!

Sunrise today.. in case you missed it!

Every day so different and - as always - VERY impressive!!

:)

Autumn colours

"Colors burst in wild explosions
Fiery, flaming shades of fall
All in accord with my pounding heart
Behold the autumn-weaver
In bronze and yellow dying
Colors unfold into dreams
In hordes of a thousand and one
The bleeding
Unwearing their masks to the last notes of summer
Their flutes and horns in nightly swarming
Colors burst within
Spare me those unending fires
Bestowed upon the flaming shades of fall."
- Dark Tranquility, With the Flaming Shades of Fall

... always a hint of a hunt club ....

We visited Peller Estates....



Very nice place... and a little hint of the hunt too!

The seasons are changing...

Every season hath its pleasures;
Spring may boast her flowery prime,
Yet the vineyard's ruby treasures
Brighten Autumn's sob'rer time.
- Thomas Moore

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.”
George Santayana

Enjoying this GREAT club!

The "Caledon Riding Club" was Incorporated April 10,1957, for the following objectives:
To promote the science and art of equitation generally;
To give instruction and training in horsemanship, care of horses and stable management;
To organize and conduct rides and hunts;
To provide a clubhouse and other facilities for the educational, social and sporting activities of its members.

The Club owns a 99 acre farm with a modern Clubhouse and horse facilities in the Town of Caledon and is host of the longest running combined event in Canada.
The Club has a long relationship with the Eglinton Hunt, who lease part of the Land for their Huntsman and Kennels.
Club property is for members personal use only.

www.caledonridingclub.com

Martini Classic

Good weather for the MARTINI CLASSIC.... !

The show was well organized and a good amount of riders per class (~8 - 10).
That made the classes nice for everyone as most people got a ribbon!!
Some points could be improved at the show but overall it was a good time had!

Crisp September morning... at the farm....

"Martini Classic" comin' up

So we are headed this weekend to the MARTINI CLASSIC.... have to see what this brings us.

Nice event at Equus 3D...

Fun time had by all the riders at Hopewell Creek Stables who went to Equus! Well, Ok, there was just one, but it was fun anyway.
:)
... next year... says everyone else!!

It was a well organized show - that is always great. The dressage rings were better than at some of the other events; it was just too bad it rained so much the night before the event, as it made the grass ring for stadium jumping quite slippery without shoes, but still do-able! Cross country was a fun course; nice to have some long runs, and some shorter turns too!

September horse trials (event).. and one of the final ones of the season.... Equus 3D

... lookin' forward to the event at Equus on Sunday, and we got good ride times too!

:)

Hunter Pace today with the Eglington-Caledon Hunt Club !

Hunter Pace today with the Eglington-Caledon Hunt Club ! Near Hillsburgh... A lot of entries and a really friendly and welcoming club. The pace pathway was really well marked and nicely mowed for some great footing! Lots of open spaces for some nice runs, and a long ride too!!
Really nice day, well organized, and a great lunch afterwards with the club!
:)

We really enjoyed it and would go again !!

... and our ''pony-power' team got a 6th place ribbon!

Peeking out.

... one of the friendliest girls we have!!.. and of course interested in a small snackie you might have in a pocket!!
:)

Sun-up! And special breakfast. :)

http://sites.google.com/site/hopewellcreekstable/

Nice crisp morning- our first one!!