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As we kick-off the 2011 season, we’d like to congratulate our riders for their 2010 achievements.

Once again Lisa swept many of the open divisions, earning her yet another High Point Trainer award. Her very own Mamba was first in both the Low and Modified Hunter divisions. Sabin Marquardt’s Simba S, Camille Burdick’s Corland and Yasmin Sexton’s Georgetown joined Mamba in the Year-End Low prizes as did Maile Burtech’s London in the Modified division. Georgetown, Emmy Sobieski’s Ronrico and Lisa’s Simply Red took top placements in the Pre-Green division. In the Working Hunters Margaux Burdick’s Cazalet and Emily Crommett’s Reginald took second and third overall. Lisa’s Tino and King of Hearts did well on the jumper field.

Haven Farms’ young junior riders had a fantastic season, many of them aboard new mounts. In the Crossrail division, Tanna Seltzer had a great season with Ramblin’ Rouge, as did Abigail Higgins with Imagine Me. Paris Lasek did well in the Short Stirrup division. Alex Trubey and Rainbow’s End, Lauren Matherly with Napoleon, Devin Lasek and Ziggy Stardust, Sabrina Reid with Blue Eyes, and Mary Cate Addy aboard Sam I Am had a great season in the Short Stirrup and Green Rider divisions. Lauren and Devin were also high score champions in their Short Stirrup Eq. over fences at the Champ Show. Morgan Stutts was exceptional in the Long Stirrup and Green Rider division, finishing second overall in the Long Stirrup division for the year.

Our older junior riders had a great season, too. Margaux Burdick and Cazalet, Emily Crommett aboard Reginald and Niki Nordstrom with Blue Note stepped into the Junior Working Hunter arena and cleaned-up. Sabin Marquardt with Simba S. and Yasmin Sexton aboard Georgetown had a great season in the Modified Jr. Amateur Hunter division. We’d like to extend a special note for Taylor Rafii who started a great partnership with Emma Peel the end of the season. Camille Burdick stepped into the Children’s Hunter ring with her new mount, Corland. Noelle Riech also did well in the Children’s Hunters with Twelfth Knight. Jordyn Hechter finished-up second overall in the Pony Hunters and did very well in the Low Children’s Hunter division with Gotta Luv Me. Taj Brust with Rooster Cogburn cleaned-up on the jumper field.

The girls once again worked tirelessly on their equitation, which paid-off for many of them. In the 11 and under section Jordyn Hechter, Margaux Burdick and Camille Burdick finished in the top six for the year. Noelle Reich, Maile Burtech and Sabin Marquardt did just as well for the 12-13 division. Niki Nordstrom was in the top eight for the very competitive 14-17 age category. The ladies also worked very hard in the GSDHJA Mini and 3’ Medals, as well as the infamous flat medal. The medal recipients include: Niki Nordstrom, Sabin Marquardt, and Margaux Burdick who also placed fifth at the Champ Show in the grueling Flat Medal final.

Our adults had a great season, as well. Congratulations to Yasmin Sexton with Georgetown who did very well in the equitation 18 and over, the Modified Jr. Amateur Hunters and was consistently in the top ribbons for the GSDHJA Flat Medal and GSDHJA 3’ Medal. Helen Young competed in the AA Jumpers with her veteran Frisco. Kristen Lowen’s Ace of Hearts made his debut in the Baby Green Hunters, Low AA Hunters and was bold and brave in the Special Jumpers at the Champ Show. Nina Shields was awesome, stepping into the Low AA Hunters with her beloved Surprise. Kimberly Chapin and Vergilio were seventh for the Year-End awards in Junior/Amateur Jumpers.

We would like to thank a few other riders for their contributions in the show ring: Kendra Brust, Ashleigh Mason, Emily Stutts and Abigail Higgins. Furthermore, we would like to welcome, Savannah Bernard, Brooke Galland, Maxine Richter and Sarah Schrag to our barn. We look forward to working with all of you this season! Haven Farms would like to extend a thank you to all of our parents for their patience and true dedication to the sport. Good luck to everyone in the 2011 Show Season!

Practical Horseman - April 2000 - Into the Life

The Horse Biz:
Crafting a Niche in Horsedom

My current career as a Manager, Trainer, and Teacher (see the “Dossier” at right) got a kick-start in the mid-1980s. I was on the road and exhausted. As a groom for jumper rider Hap Hansen’s grand prix string, I had a great job that had given me phenomenal experience: I got to travel North America with Hap, learning from and doing some riding with him, and observing some of the best riders in the world. But after seven years - including some in which I’d spent less than eight total nights in my own bed - I was ready to hang up my traveling shoes. Really ready.

That put me at a crossroads. I didn’t want to give up a career with horses, but I knew one that I involved chasing points on the national show scene wasn’t for me. I also knew that having total control of the horses in my care would be a necessary part of any future job. (I’d learned from experience that many trainers who lease stalls at a barn lose control to barn management and end up in ongoing battles over such critical issues as feeding programs.)

My solution, and the move that shaped my future career, came in the form of Jim and Pat Iverson. They were clients of Hap’s and owned many great horses, including the grand prix stallion Olisco. Sensing my burnout, they offered me a job at their home facility, managing the farm and starting their young horses under saddle. I was thrilled - I could stay home, work with babies, and teach some amateur and junior clients on the side. I couldn’t have imagined a better opportunity.

I worked with the Iversons for five years, during which time I honed my riding skills by taking lessons with dressage trainer Kathy Everman. I also developed a successful program – and an affinity – for bringing along young horses. It was an ideal job.

Sadly, it came to an end when the family took a break from the horse business, selling all of their stock. Still, I left with the knowledge that facility management provided an opportunity to “work at home” – at a top barn – and to maintain total control over the horses’ care.

I also realized that, by cultivating my training specialty, I could carve out a good business starting young horses. Few such trainers exist in Southern California, so they’re in great demand. Trainers on the show circuit don’t have the time and, in many cases, the patience – to put the basics on a youngster: They’re not home enough to execute a consistent program, and taking babies on the road can be a headache. I’d rather stay at home and ride babies than hit the road, so I was happy to fill that demand!

Hidden Oaks Ranch, a large breeding and training facility in Valley Center, California, offered me a position. I accepted it and continued to build my management and training business (I’d started horses for Hap and for such folks as Tish Quirk, who was breeding manager at Hidden Oaks, as well as teaching a few amateur clients).

I also began my own small-scale breeding operation, which gave me another reason to stay close to home. The Iversons had given me a mare by Olisco; I bred her to Tish’s Dutch hunter stallion, Best Of Luck. My first foal went on to success in the hunter breeding ring with Hap and me as handlers. I knew I had a good broodmare, and I soon began to dream of breeding a quality horse of my own.

In 1994, I accepted a job as manager at Wildflower Ranch, which offered even more responsibility – and control – than I’d had at Hidden Oaks. By then, I had a solid string of young horses and a growing roster of amateur and junior clients to bring with me to my new facility. (That’s more important, because one of my responsibilities here is to keep stalls filled.) It turns out that I’d discovered another open niche: adult and junior riders who are improvement-oriented but lack the time, money, horse and/or interest to campaign on the A-circuit. At Wildflower, I began offering a no-pressure teaching program that caters to these people’s busy lives; word-of-mouth has brought me a steady stream of new customers.

My program works like this: if someone can’t ride five days a week, it’s not a problem. If a rider doesn’t want to show, no problem. If another rider wants to move on to a trainer who follows the A-circuit, I send her with my blessing. (I do take interested clients to our local county shows, which are multi-day events that attract top talent in the area, as well as to local A- shows, such as Del Mar and Indio. These competitions offer low-impact miles for customers and my young horses, and give me short breaks from the management routine.)

I’ve come to realize that none of my three branches of business-management, training and teaching – alone would satisfy my financial and career desires. But defining my goals – to stay home, to have total control over my equine charges’ care, and to work with young horses and amateur riders – and then crafting a career to meet them, I’ve found both balance and success.

I also get a “psychic salary” from job satisfaction. For instance, with out ever leaving my home, I can enjoy the success of horses I’ve started. (One alumna of my program, a mare named Graceland, owned by Elizabeth Curto and shown by her daughter, was second in the nation last year in the American Horse Shows Association large junior standings.)

And my breeding program appears to be paying off. I have a here-year-old Oldenburg stallion named L’Attitude, out of my mare and by LeChampion, that could be the horse of my dreams. I’ll show “Luke” in the baby classes; after that, if he’s as talented as I think he is, I’ll sit back and watch Hap launch his jumping career. Then, to cap that dream, I’d like to breed the horse. That would add a new - and exciting – dimension to my stay-at-home career with horses.