SPHT II

Needless to say last weekend was a major milestone for Stewie and I. It was the one year anniversary of my 3rd trimester and his fall with Boyd that left many unknowns. It has been an exciting and stressful year, and I am so happy how the weekend went! First of all, our little girl Hailey was with me all weekend, and was the best lucky charm. (Thank you Katie Peoples for the help babysitting all weekend!) And while Stewie did not start off great, he finished strong. Apparently being able to see the training xc did not benefit us, and we scored a 42. My disappointment, however, did not last long, as he jumped brilliantly around a very difficult xc track. Saturday morning I was so happy to be sitting on that little jumping bean!

Go Stewie!! Thanks Ashley Keller for the pic!

Sunday was also successful as Stewie jumped superbly around Marc Donovan's sj course. The rail at 4A was pilot error, and luckily Stewie forgave me later. Students Maxine Preston and Tracie Marino had solid performances too. Tracie finished her first event post-baby, which speaking from personal experience, is tough! Maxine was 8th in her 2nd prelim, and she and Ned had outstanding jumping rounds. I am very proud how far Maxine has come as a rider and competitor. She has only scratched the surface!

I need to say "thank you" to my good friends Pooh Hoblitzell and Theresa Foote who came for the weekend. Pooh's knowledge is so useful behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly with the care of an advanced horse. She never misses a beat and I am grateful for all her help. Theresa was every one's cheerleader and chef, and what felt at times, my personal assistant. I am thinking of marrying her. (I hope Chuck does not mind). Speaking of Chuck, I was happy he was there to share in the monumental weekend. He was as proud of Stewie as I was.

Next for Holly Hudspeth Eventing is The Fork, where Stewie will tackle the CIC*** and Maxine the OP. If all goes well we are off to Rolex. I cannot believe how fast this spring has gone! I need to give a huge thanks to these companies who believed in me through a pregnancy and injured horse. Prime Performance Nutrition, Devoucoux, Cavalor, Perfect Products, Kentucky Horsewear, and Fools and Horses, I cannot say how much I appreciate being associated with such great people and products! Thank you for everything.

Pine Top Advanced HT

Well we did it! Stewie and I made it safely back to the advanced level last weekend at Pine Top. He was super in his first two events of the year, so I decided we were ready. And lucky for me, I was correct! On Wednesday before the event, Maxine and I travelled to Phillip's barn in Aiken for some pre-event jump lessons. Both Ned and Stewie were right where we wanted them to be in their training, which was a huge confidence boost. Thursday we headed to Pine Top to ride and get set up for the weekend.

Stewie put in three solid performances to finish 5th in Advanced 2. I could not have been more pleased as he didn't put a foot wrong in show jumping or cross country. I cannot explain how happy I felt crossing that finish line on Saturday! It was a much anticipated round, and my little man did not disappoint!



Hoofclix photo



Hoofclix photo

Maxine also had a big weekend, as she entered her first prelim. Dressage and show jumping went very well, and so did most of the cross country. I say most, because Maxine learned last weekend that in the combinations, the "c" elements are not always in a straight line at this level. So one needs to sit up after "b" and steer! With two silly "fly bys" we will be working diligently until SPHT II to fix Ned's steering wheel.



Hoofclix photo



The only downside to the weekend was that Chuck and Hailey stayed home. We decided not to change her schedule up again. It took a few days to get her sleeping through the night after we were in Aiken the last time. They were missed, and I look forward to having my #1 cheering section back with me at SPHT II!

Kick off and great news!

Holly Hudspeth Eventing headed to Aiken, SC last Saturday for 2 weeks. The weather has been outstanding, and the horses are staying at Dollarmor Farm, which is beautiful! Maxine, Eliza, Bradi, Katie, Hailey and I are staying in town and loving every minute of all that Aiken has to offer. On Wednesday Chuck arrived, and Maxine, Eliza and I competed at Full Gallop, which was a great success. Stewie was 2nd in the OP, Maxine was 5th in the OT, and Eliza was 7th in the ON. Next we head back to Full Gallop where Maxine and Eliza will compete again. After that Stewie is off to Pine Top for the OI, then the advanced two weeks later.

Stewie doing what he does best. Running and jumping!

I am so thrilled to announce a new relationship with the company Perfect Products. They work daily with well known riders such as Steffen Peters, Besty Steiner, James Alliston, Tiana Coudray, David Blake, John French, and Lainie DeBoer, just to name a few. Being a part of their team is an honor! They have a wide variety of products to aid show horses, all of which meet the requirements of FEICleanSport and USEF. I began using some of their products in January, and cannot believe the results I have seen. When I emailed the company's owner Jeff about how I could help Stewie feel his best, he called me back in 24 hours to discuss an immediate plan. Talk about fantastic customer service! I decided to give it a go, since many other top riders believed in Perfect Products.

Eliza and Freddie kicking off their xc round

Maxine and the amazing Ned

The last two weeks have me sold, as Stewie has never felt better. Prone to a very tight back and shoulders, last Wednesday was a nice a change. He was much happier due to the fact he felt good on the inside. In asking around, many top riders in the horse show world swear by their products too. I am really looking forward for this spring, and want to thank all the fantastic sponsors I have. Please visit http://www.perfectproductseq.com/ for more information.

Hailey during a helmet fitting



Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone!

Well the 2012 season is under way after a nice break during the holidays. And lucky for me Maxine decided to return after a long trip home! Stewie is clipped again, and feeling stronger everyday. We started show jump lessons with Harold Chopping in Southern Pines, something I have done on occasion for a few years. Riding with an excellent jumper rider is so worth while, as they provide many new techniques for horse and rider. I plan on a few more lessons until Harold heads to Florida at the end of January.

On January 28 Holly Hudspeth Eventing will head to Aiken until February 10, then Stewie will ship to Pine Top for the intermediate horse trials. We plan on hitting a few local Aiken events, and I will be getting some help from Phillip Dutton. Chuck has decided to take a week off and come too, which will be so fun to have my whole family there!

Maxine, Eliza, and Bradi are also heading south, and I look forward to helping them get back in the ring since November.

I want to say "welcome" to all my new students at Equiventure Farm. Rebecca and Charlotte Goodman, Liz Kiewalt, Mykal Roth, Liz Tillman, Vanessa Thornburg, and coming back again, Christine Pavy. It has been great having so many nice people to see everyday, and I truly appreciate being part of an operation with all the wonderful students at Equiventure.

I will also be heading to Shoeman Farm March 17 in Michigan and Pine Meadow Farm June 9-10 in Minnesota for clinics. My website will be updated soon, and I am really looking forward to going to the Foote's and back to my home state! Good luck to everyone this year! See you out there.

Holly Hudspeth