Introducing DPE's Latest Equine Team Member: Vandiver

It's difficult to express how excited I am to be able to announce that Vandiver owned by Debi Crowley of Elkmont, AL (Cotton Meadows Farm) will remain with DPE for the indefinite future.

Vandiver aka 'Quinn' is a 2004, 17h, Trakehner gelding by Windfall, bronze medal winner on the US eventing team at the 2004 Olympics (New Spring Farm). Quinn was bred, raised, and started under saddle at CMF. Combined with the eventing bloodlines in his dam's (Visions of Grandeur, ATA, also bred by CMF) pedigree. Following his foundation at CMF his training continued and progress successfully through CCI*** level and made an appearance at Rolex Kentucky this spring with Werner Geven.

Quinn is just about the most genuine, hard working and forgiving horse I've had the pleasure of working with. Below is a video taken at the Tryon International Equestrian Center a few weeks ago at our first class together.


We are planning for Millbrook as our first event with the ultimate goal to head to the Fair Hill International CCI*** this fall.

Updates on the farm and other horses coming soon.

Success Day #1 in France

Tali's accommodations heading on the Plane to Liege with Michelle

This has been a wild week. Following Tali's win at the Jersey Fresh CIC*** which wrapped up Saturday we've been going non stop...

This trip to Saumur had it's origins at Fair Hill CCI*** last fall. Both Kim Severson and David O'Connor independently pulled me aside and asked me to consider trying to attend an European 3* in the spring. To be honest I really hadn't considered it, I was too busy trying to get prepared enough for Fair Hill. Fast forward 6 months, Tali has had a great spring season. I decided to both enter Rolex as well as submit an application for a Land Rover/USEF Grant to Saumur. Following the Fork CIC*** I was notified that our grant application had been approved! (Click to read blog entry)

After Rolex's dressage, the final push to Saumur was on! Jersey Fresh's CIC*** was targeted as Tali's final run. The event went exceptionally well, we finished with the win by 8 points! Following the competition Dr. Susan Johns preformed the final detailed veterinary inspection. Tali looked fabulous and we got the green light to go, contingent on one last trot up the day before departure by Dr Brendon Furlong.

Saturday evening Tali and Michelle headed north to my parents place for the week, while I headed south to Raleigh to help Jess and Katie at the Cabin Branch Schooling Event at the Carolina Horse Park Sunday morning. I remained in NC to ride through Tuesday morning. My sister Holly was nice enough to take Tali for a long walk Monday.

I returned the 8 hours to NJ Tuesday afternoon to ride the dressage test for my Mom and long time mentor Irma Hotz. It was incredibly helpful, and with some luck I can put their advice into action here in France. Wednesday morning I headed out for our final Gallop, as soon as we finished up I hopped back in the car to return south to Raleigh.

A lot of driving you say...yeah no kidding! Better off me than Tali though, he's had enough traveling this spring for most of the barn. I figured it was best to minimize his travel, so that he could be in top shape come Saumur. 

Wednesday afternoon Michelle met Dr. Furlong to get the final ok to proceed. She and Tali headed out to JFK on the other side of NYC to prepare for their flight. I flew out from Raleigh on Friday mid-day. Following the first of many misunderstandings my rental car sans GPS managed to make our way north putting Michelle, Tali and I here in Chantilly just hours apart this morning. This afternoon, which still felt very much like morning, I took Tali for a long hack around the Fursam Equestrian Center.

All I can say is that this place is beautiful! It will serve as our home through Monday am as well as the staging facility for the US team prior to the World Equestrian Games this summer. Below you'll find a link to my Facebook album. I'll do my best to continue to update with photos through the week. The only catch is finding reliable WiFi in order to upload them in a timely manor.

Post by DPEquestrian Sports.

Click the link above for updates through the week, and of course check back on this blog for detailed accounts!

Feel free to post questions below that you might have, I'd be more than happy to answer whatever is on your mind.

-D

Don't forget to get your copy of 'The Riding Horse Repair Manual' by clicking the cover image below!

Plans from Rolex to Saumur CCI*** and beyond...

Tali at the Fork CIC*** photo thanks to Samantha Clark

Due on our wedding day was the Land Rover USEF grant application for the Saumur CCI***. Submitting the application brought back some bitter sweet memories of my first trip overseas with Running Order to Boekelo some years back. I found myself thinking about how lucky I am to have this opportunity for a second time. Running Order was such a spectacular horse and will always hold a special place in our hearts, his halter still hangs in our tack room today. With certainty I can say Tali has benefited from my experience, that's the beauty of equestrian sport. The moment you stop learning you stop progressing, it's so important to enjoy the process.

I have to thank Larry and Amelia Ross who have been partners with Tali and me for some time, without their support I would not be here today. I have been incredibly pleased with Tali's results to date. Knowing that no event this spring is the end game I've been mindful of his fitness, soundness and conditions at each competition. To me it makes no sense to run his legs off on XC for a blue ribbon or prize money if it sacrifices his future. That said he's been exceptional, but with definite room for further improvement! I'm still working out how to make the most of his talents. He is inherently a tricky horse, in my experience all the good ones are!

I've made a concerted effort to enter shows or events which offer the greatest atmosphere to improve his ability to cope with exciting, large environments. He is well on his way and has continued to get better with each outing, but this is an ongoing process.

So where to we go from here? I had heard through the grapevine that we would receive final word of the Land Rover/USEF grant following the Fork's CIC***. So why Saumur? I'm not focused soley on the WEG's this year or frankly any particular championship for that matter. That said, I want more than anything to be named to US teams in the future. I'm convinced that if my process is sound I will be able to develop partnerships with my horses which will result in future successes. If I do what I think is best for my horses and myself those team spots will come. Amazingly Tali has only been at advanced since Millbrook and run only one CCI*** (Fair Hill International) where he finished 4th. While qualified and entered at Rolex, I'd jump at the chance to run one more 3* on foreign soil. This would offer the best of all worlds. Strange, charged atmosphere and the complexity of the XC should not be overbearing and should allow for the best chance for sucess. Building confidence and consistency is my main goal at this point in his career.

Last week I received the email from Joanie Morris delivering the great news that I was a recipient of the Land Rover grant! For me it's a humbling experience receiving validation of a lifetime of efforts and the past six years with Tali. I am incredibly thankful both to Land Rover as well as the countless individual donors who have afforded me this opportunity. It's a great feeling knowing you have the backing of so many, I hope you all can share this experience with me.

So what about my Rolex entry? I am still going to still attend this year for the Dressage phase being that there is no other place in this hemisphere to gain exposure on the world stage. Tali and I will no doubt come away from the experience stronger, more resilient and better prepared for Jersey, Saumur and beyond. This is an invaluable opportunity!

This next week will be a continuation of our chaotic past few weeks where we're finalizing our move to Apex, NC. We have been back and forth between the new farm and Aiken more times than I'd like to count. We'll remain in Aiken through Saturday where Eli (owned by Mike Rubin) and I are jumping in the $25k Grand Prix in town. Katie and Jess are also competing at Sporting Days, when both compeitions wrap up we'll pack up for one last time and head to NC! We're planning to depart for Rolex early Tuesday morning giving us enough time to take Tali for a hack in the afternoon around the park.

Check back for updates throughout the week!

-D