Now, let’s talk about the audacity of naming a horse Runsonstilts and expecting anyone to keep their balance on top of those leggy strides without lots and lots of practice. But hey, that’s where Voltaire Design Saddles come swooping in to save the day. Voltaire Saddles have got our backs – and our butts – through every shoulder-in and over every oxer!
And it’s not just me – even my awesome student, Margaret, who owns the one and only Stilts, can testify to the magic of Voltaire Saddles.
This was a little bit of a quiet weekend for ABBF riders but a smile this big is all we need to remember how lucky we are to get to do what we do everyday!
Huge congrats to Deb Neivert and her Tally (former ABBF sales horse) on their Intro level Reserve Champion status at Woodstock’s PVDA show this past weekend!
ABBF had a lot of fun this weekend out and about! Be sure to check out the video of Rachel and sales horse Nui bombing around the cross country! Great job everyone!
9/16: Marlborough Horse Trials (Upper Marlboro, MD)
• Kelley with Valfreyja: 7th in Open Training
• Rachel Narrow with Nui (owned by Troy George): 2nd in Training Rider
9/16-17: MDHT Fall Starter Horse Trials #1 (Adamstown, MD)
• Kristen Parris with ABBF graduate Platinum Edition: 3rd in Beginner Novice-A
Kelly Williams is an amazing 3 day eventing woman.
Kelley is an advanced level eventer whose passion for horses began at young age while taking riding lessons at summer camp. Pat, having loved horses from the time she was a child, saw an opportunity to fulfill her childhood dreams and decided that mother-daughter riding lessons might be fun. And the rest, as they say, is history.
After graduating from St. Mary’s College with a degree in Mathematics, Kelley began working for Dr. Will Engel of Ridgeview Veterinary Practice (large animal veterinarian). Working at the practice has helped fine-tune her horsemanship skills over the years. In addition, Kelley continued with her riding and competing, and soon found a love of retraining young horses off the track and teaching students. That, coupled with her passion for eventing, led to her current career as trainer for A Bit Better Farm.
Listen to the podcast HERE
Wow! It was an exciting and busy weekend for team ABBF! Everyone has been working so hard this summer and the results this past weekend show the pay off! Great job everyone!!!
9/2-3: PVDA USDF @ Waredaca I & II (Laytonsville, MD)
• Amy Gaynor with Studly Dudley: 2nd in First Level Freestyle 9/2-3: Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials (Poolesville, MD)
• Ashley Gross with State of Lux: 2nd in Training Rider
• Katie Mayo with Mr. Mayhem: 1st in Training Rider + TIP Training Champion
• Haley Miller with He’s True Brew: 8th in Sr. Novice Rider
• Rachel Narrow with Nui (owned by Troy George): 3rd in Training Rider + TIP Training Reserve Champion
• Shari Young with Pure Cotton: 1st in Sr. Beginner Novice Rider + TIP Beginner Novice Champion 
What a wonderful week we had at the Kentucky Horse Park for the American Eventing Championships! This event is so unique in the opportunity it provides to horses and riders at every level to really experience top-tier competition. I was lucky enough to be on hand to help a few students and friends this week, and I walked away feeling very thankful and so inspired to be involved with helping these riders reach their goals!
I can’t emphasize enough the hard work and dedication that it takes from a rider and their “village” to get here. Among other things, the level of emotional investment and pressure that the riders put on themselves is huge, and that in and of itself is a huge part of learning how to be successful in this sport.
Each of the riders that I was lucky enough to coach this week had their own personal goals to achieve (in addition to looking for that victory gallop around the Rolex Arena, of course 😉). I think the most important achievement for these riders was not the ribbons but that they had the grace to handle the pressures of intense competition, putting their best foot forward but then being prepared to keep moving in the direction of their goals even when things didn’t go according to plan.
Learning to take pride in the accomplishments along the way of that never-ending quest for perfection is one of the major keys to success.
In any case, I am immensely proud of the maturity and growth demonstrated by these lovely humans and their horses this week. Congratulations thoroughly on your wonderful performances! This week has been a testament to your hard work, dedication, and desire to keep learning and improving!!!
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