GOD BLESS AMERICA

 News! Calendar! Results! Notices! Activities! Archives! Etc....

 Let us know what's happening with you and your FFC-bred or related Connemaras and we'd gladly post your news here as well!
vanessa@compfxnet.com  423-744-9071

Avery Lewis on Balmullo's Beacon won several 2012 year-end awards from the Goodhorseman Dressage Foundation. They won:
The JR/YR division (all levels),
The Training level division (all divisions),
and won a "Good Horseman 75% Metal" for their scord of 75.357% (covers all levels and divisions).

Avery Lewis chased the win on Balumllo's Beacon at the 11/10-11/11/12 Poplar Place Horse Trials, finishing just 0.1 point behind the blue.
The pair earned 2nd place, in a field of 12 starters, on their dressage score of 29.1, with double-clear jumping rounds in stadium and cross-country.
http://davidmullinixphotography.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=0BEF00HW2J0000

1st place at the Rocking Horse 3-day!

WH Topgun owned by the Kilcreases and ridden by Elliot Blackmon has won the Novice Three Day at the Rocking Horse Horse Trials in Florida.

"Topgun had a very successful start to his three day career, managed to keep his feet on the ground in the jog, 1st after dressage with a quiet test, and learned what steeplechase is... And he absolutely loves it!!! Could not have asked for a better finish to the weekend. Topgun led from start to finish in the Novice Three Day at Rocking Horse and finished on his dressage score at his first novice horse trial! Thank you to Jim and Nancy Kilcrease for the opportunity to ride such a lovely horse!" Elliott Blackmon (11/4/12)

Foothills Foggy Morning was 2nd place Novice at the Ram Tap Horse Trials (10/21-10/22/12) in the Jr. Novice division of 14 starters, ridden by Alans Beaulieu. Congratulations Alana, and owner, Darian Hall!

Congratulations to Ann Scoggins of Alpharetta, GA, on her purchase of Foothills Canterberry!!
Ann plans to use him for dressage and he is currently in training with Carla Jimmerson.

Another win for Avery Lewis!
Riding Balmullo's Beacon, she won the Paradise Farm Fall Horse Trials on her dressage scor of 29.5 in the Novice-B division of 15 entries (10/20-21/12)


Foothills Faithfilly warming up with Lily

At the ACPS Annual Awards Banquet, The An Tostal Award for outstanding achievement in performance for a stallion was taken home by the wonderful Balmullo's Beacon!

10/5/12 USDF Regional Dressage Championships, Fairburn, GA, Chattahoochee Hills

Avery Lewis on Balmullo's Beacon competed in the Jr/YR Training Championships, earning a 6th place ribbon out of 24!


A couple hours later, they did Training Test 3, which they won!

(Below) Luke McLaughlin rode Foothills Field Marshall in the Training Level Championships against 23 other fantastic horses and many professional riders They finished just outside the ribbons. Luke did a wonderful job and Bruiser was very steady and consistent. Nobody would know from his behavior and performance that he is a 4 yr old stallion!

I had a great time at the ACPS Region IV Annual Show, Highfields, Aiken, SC held 9/29-9/30/12 . I drove down from Tennessee with Rachel Blalock, our "made-of-awesome" Secretary, and 11 yr old new equestrian/ "all-thing-horsey" enthusiast, Brionna Harper. The first day I spent mostly watching the Jumper ring, since that's where Avery and Beacon were showing (I don't have the results from those classes yet). It was terrific to see Megan and Owen in action, and her adorable and talented young mare. I got the pleasure of showing Donna Duckworth's young mare, Balmullo's Belladona. Alexandra generously allowed young Bri, first-time shower, to take her halfbred, Chesapeake Bay, in the in-hand class, which he won! (Avery earned Connemara Jumper Champion for the show, and also did a wonderful job competing in her first training level CT. She jumped clean, but missed number 6. It was a lot to remember all those jumper courses! Caroline looked terrific with Kathee Cook in the Purebred Mares 4 and over class. We were both pleased with her 6th place ribbon in the largest and most competive class of the show (photo below).

It was so fun watching Gardner Cook, Boots Plyler and Jeff Lewis in the tadpole CT. That was a great class:-) It was wonderul to see the great support from several Region III members and to be reaquainted with several friends. Though the turn-out of Connemaras was smaller than usual (I think in part due to time of year i.e. school conflicts), it was a really wonderful time.

Below: Brionna Harper with Belle

Avery has done it again! Riding Balmullo's Beacon, she won the Jr. High Score Championship at The USDF Good Horsemans Dressage Show (9/15-9/16/12). She rode in four (4) Training Level classes (tests T1, T2, T3 & T3), earning first place in all 4 classes! Avery earned the 2nd highest score of the show with a 75.3, earning a Good Horseman medal for scores above 75.

2012 American Eventing Championships held in Fairburn, GA, on 9/7 - 9/9/12:

Foothills Farms would like to give a big SHOUT OUT to the following competitors riding ponies decending from our breeding program:

Little Avery Lewis faced a huge division of 81 contenders in her first championship horse trials. A bit of nerves interferred with the first half of her dressage test, then she settled into the task, earning a very respectable score of 34.8. This put the pair in 30th to begin the weekend. Beacon rocketed around the cross-country course and incurred 9.2 speeding tickets, knocking out all chances for a ribbon. However, none of that mattered in light of the excellent cross-country jumping, followed by a double clean stadium round! It was a fabulous experience for a tiny little girl on her super 20-yr old Connemara pony, Balmullo's Beacon.

Beacon was also represented by two of his grand-children that did finish in the ribbons:
Sarah Wieland, from NC, rode Indian Summer Keelin (Kerrymor Madison x Beacon's Piper) to 5th place on her dressage score of 29.1 in the BNAMCH division of 54 entries.

Keelin
Carla Jimmerson, from GA, rode her homebred (pictured below), Valley Creek Carlin LeBeau (Heaven Ridge Patrick LeBeau X Beacon's Cathleen), to a 12th place finish on her dressage score of 37.6 in the BNHCH division. Watch their fun ride on You Tube Carla Jimmerson & Carlin LeBeau American Eventing Championships 2012

We we also thrilled to learn of Dana Norquist's great run on her pony, Foothills Waterman (Concord River Roaringwater Bay X Misty Meadows Miss Bonnie ) aka Bucky, finishin in 10th place on her dressage score of 31.0 in the BNAMCH division.

Dana says, “My American Eventing Championship recap in full sentences - First I would like to say I LOVE MY PONY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also want to thank my support crew and trainers!!!!!!!!!!!!

Division - Master Amateur Beginner Novice - 54 Competitors
Dressage - Bucky and I had best dressage ride ever. I was enjoying it so much I had a brain fart and had an error. oops -Scored a 31- tied for 16th with several other people.

“Cross Country – The warm up was a zoo! All I can say is that we jumped all the jumps and toured the course enough that we came closest to the optimum time of the others in the tie so stood in 14th place alone.

“Show Jumping – Beautiful warm up and double clear round!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Finished 10th – baby blue – on my dressage score! Got to ride in the Glorious Victory Lap – WHAT A THRILL!!!!!!!!!!”

 

Rachel Blalock made her combined driving debut at the with her half-bred pony Cathreim Solas (a.k.a. Hilites). Hilites (a.k.a. Loppy) is a Connemara-TB cross by Moxley Duncan out of a Secretariat grand-daughter, Pleasure Is Mine. Vanessa bought the mare in foal from Katherine Wilkins and the beautiful roan filly became Rachel's first pony of her very own, having grown up riding various ponies at a Knoxville pony hunter barn, and for quite a while leased Foothills River Queen. I, Vanessa Morgan, got to gator for Rachel during marathon and in spite of the pouring rain, had a blast. Like cross-country, the marathon phase is the fun and easy part for Connemara ponies. After a less than stellar dressage test (first one ever!), and a very good cones course (slightly slow and briefly got lost), Loppy put on her game face and booked it around Marathon. We had some time faults due to navational error on phase A (partially due to inability to read our time card), but came in on time for D (the walk phase) and had a perfect phase E (obstacles!) It was a terrific first outing and I think Rachel might be hooked on combined driving:-)


For those that know Carole Moss, long-time Region IV Connemara enthusiast: she finished 3rd in the small pony division on her section A Welsh, Lucas, with their best dressage test every. Carole has only had Lucas for less than a year.

2012/08/24 -- Caber Farm Horse Trial --(Area 7) : Awesome weekend at Caber! Boomer didnt really want to work in the dressage ring, but the good moments were good and the not so good moments are an easy fix (as simple as keeping a 5 year olds brain inside his head :) . X country was great and Boomer jumped like a million bucks today to end in 7th out of 22. (Anna S 8/27/12) This was a Training Championship division.

At the 2012 ACPS Region III Show, Elaine Meilahn earned a trophy for the highest dressage score (Novice CT division, penalty points 32.5) and was Purebred Open Champion on Foothills MayBee! Elaine writes, " She really is a star. I just got home and find myself with ribbons, trophies, and a championship cooler to decorate the tack room, thanks to Bea. She seems to take it all 'in stride'. The only time during the whole show that she got really excited and silly was when she saw a foal....I think she must want another baby. Enough with the 20m circles, already!! Hope you are doing well. Just wanted to share the good news about the amazing Foothills Maybee. Well done, Vanessa, to breed such a good horse. "
Pictured above with Ann Moe

Hi Vanessa, We have had Belle for about a month or more now, and just wanted to tell you how much we LOVE her!!! She is a super little mare, and a perfect match for my daughter! Here is a video of them schooling before a show last weekend and also some pictures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns_X0GZBFB8&feature=youtu.be

Thank you so much for responding to me! I did come across your website while researching Nell. My daughter is 17 and does hunter/jumper… We just got her on Saturday, so I don't know a lot about her yet… My daughter has named her Tink (Tinkerbelle's Charm), in keeping with our other Disney themed horse names. This is my first Connemara but so far she seems great under saddle. My daughter has ridden her on the flat 2 times now, but has not had the opportunity to try her out over fences.

I will definitely keep in touch with you and update you on what Nell is doing! Here is a video clip of my daughter's first ride on her-we were in KY over the weekend. I believe this is Tink's 3rd ride or so since she has been off the last 2 yrs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Qphut6j6k

Thank you again so much for responding to me! Tracy Hamilton (June 2012)

Conestoga, PA: Pam Liddell has sent this update from Kynynmont Farm. “Holy Smokes! Kynynmont Connemara’s Gun Smoke youngsters were show stoppers at the PVDA Ride for Life Dressage Show in Upper Marlboro, MD this past weekend. Kynynmont Gunsmoke’s Gideon (*Gun Smoke X Kynynmont Tara) scored a 79.828% at First Level, Test 1, a hair’s breadth away from an 80%!!! That score earned him the Overall High Score Champion award for the entire show, in which approximately 275 horses competed.

The Reserve Champion Overall High Score award was earned by Gideon’s half-brother, our stallion, Kynynmont Cooper O’Grady (“Cooper”) (*Gun Smoke X Kynynmont Moira), with a score of 76.486% at First Level, Test 2. The third overall high score of the show (no award given) was earned by half-sister, Kynynmont Kerrianna (*Gun Smoke X Kynynmont Arianna), with a 76.452% at First Level, Test 3. Their respective second scores for the weekend were 73.448%, 73.387%, and 72.568%.



Pam has informed assistant trainer, Emily O’Neill, who competes all the ponies other than Grady, that she owes Pam a case of Irish beer each time she beats her. Emily will soon be poor, and Pam will be drunk! Pam and Grady are trying hard to move up to Second Level to escape the competition of the other Kynynmont ponies. Ever since Dorie Addy-Crow Dressage came to Kynynmont Farm in April of 2011, the Kynynmont ponies have had the benefit of the outstanding training and amazing showmanship of Dorie and Emily, which produced similar successes last year and earlier this year. Gideon won the First Level High Score award at Dressage at Fair Hill at the beginning of June, and Kerrianna won the same award at Dressage at Blue Goose in May. Pam was adult amateur high score winner at Blue Goose, and Adult Amateur Challenge First Level Champion on Grady at the ESDCTA Memorial Day Weekend Dressage show. Four of the five ponies we compete are dark duns and attract much attention at the shows because of their unusual color, because they are ponies (except for Gideon, who is a half-bred), and because of their successes. Many people, including the judges, ask what breed they are, so they have become great ambassadors for the Connemara breed in dressage. We have found that Connemaras certainly have the brain for dressage, and it is easy for their compact bodies to do the movements. Grand Prix, here we come!”

Had a wonderfully successful weekend at Chattahoochee Hills...Topgun was a rockstar for 3rd at his first really big show. Great weekend and couldn't have done it with out the help and support of Nancy Archambault-Kilcrease...Elliott Blackmon (July 14-15) Topgun got a 27.6 then went double clear xc and had one unfortunate rail, which if it had not come down, we would have won!!!

I had some fun training projects here. Pat Cunningham sent me Foothills' Bobby Sox, a 4 year old she had started very nicely and he took very quickly to being a big boy and did some small jumper classes as well as a combined test with respectable results. Hated to send him home...Martha Slammer (2012)

Congratulations to Donna Duckworth (VA) on her new filly, Balmullo's Summer Solstice (Foothills Field Marshall x Hillside Emily) and to Donna Huntsman (OR) on her colt (Potiquimi Keely Shay x Foothills Faithfilly)

Congratulations to Jill Torres for achieving the USDF Bronze Medal with Jolly Mon! (2012)

June 2012: Megan Harris, Vanessa Morgan, and Sally Eyles-Goldfarb all travelled to Nashville this past week to appear on RFD-TV for an hour-long show on Connemaras. For those who missed it on TV, you can watch it here. It is a wonderful show!! http://youtu.be/NrMRpo5F1p0


L-R: In the studio - Megan, Vanessa and Sally

Dana and Bucky - 3rd place and AEC's bound

Avery Lews and Balmullo's Beacon competed on 7/21-7/22/12 at the Good Horsemen Annual Dressage Show (USDF rated) at the Georgia International Horse Park. They earned Reserve Champion for Junior High Score for the show, as well as winning three of four classes.
They are now Qualified for USDF Regional Championships in October.

Piedmont Ritzy (CR Roaringwater Bay x Flashy Pam (TB)) Therapeutic riding expert:-) This was taken at the Summit Equestrian Center Charity Show near Fort Wayne last Saturday (June 2012). Several children of various abilities put her thru her paces and she was a gem for all. Sandy Hoffman.

Hi Vanessa, What a great weekend! We are really proud of both Beacon and Avery. We attended the Good Horsemen Annual Dressage Show (USDF rated) at the Georgia International Horse Park. There were about 200 rides over the two day weekend. Avery and Beacon won all four of their classes, and won the prize for highest Junior score of the show (they were three places away from winning high score for the entire show). There were a lot of juniors, although Avery was the only one under the age of 16. For the high score, she won a huge neck ribbon for Beacon, as well as saddle pad, gift certificate, cash, and other goodies. The weather was nice but hot on Saturday, but very rainy on Sunday. They rode their last test in a steady drizzle. The rain did not bother either horse or rider, although both were covered with mud at the completion of the test (not sure we will ever get those white breeches clean!).

The scores were as follows:
Sat: 6/9 Training Level Test 1 74.58
Sat: 6/9 Training Level Test 3 72.8
Sun: 6/10 Training Level Test 2 68.39
Sun: 6/10 Training Level Test 3 69.8

Our goal for the show was to gain experience, but now that they have half of their qualification for the US Dressage Federation Regional Championships in October, we are going to go to another show in July to see if we can qualify. Great experience, as the judges at dressage shows are tougher than the ones at Horse Trials.
Beacon was his usual wonderful self. He got a lot of carrots, but was not much interested in the rest of the loot. Best regards, Jeff

Hi Vanessa,I sent Juniper to a hunter barn to do camp but she has found a kid who loves her and is going to stay there for the time-being. Sending some photos for her album:) One is of Haley and Juniper and one is of Haley and her Juniper generated ribbons at the recent show held at her barn. They were cross rails champions. Hope all is well. Marion (June 2012)

Luke just called to tell me that Bruiser, i.e., Foothills Field Marshall, won BOTH his classes at the Canterbury May Days dressage show with scores in the 70's. He has never been to a recognized dressage show where he didn't win everything he entered!! He is now qualified for Regionals. AND his first baby o/o Hillside Emily is due in a few weeks. He is da man!!!!!!

Bruiser, a 4 year old Connemara stallion, competing at Canterbury Showplace on May 13th, 2012. Ridden and trained by Luke Mclaughlin. Bruiser is simply fantastic to work with and he is so proud of Bruiser! First place in Training test 2 with 70% and first place in Training test 3 with 72%! Now we are qualified for regionals!!

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5pT-k5JaP7Y%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&h=xAQFTdO7bAQFiGrxMJ4w_XcbdZmrxD7wXZ1B1c6XNiQLRqA

From the ACPS Weekly Pony News: week of 6-10-12

Elliott Blackmon and W.H. Topgun (*Gunsmoke X Ballywhim Candace) winning the USEA Rocking Horse HT on their dressage score of 24.3 (May 2012)

Arbor Lane's Bailey is due in early April (2013) to Triple Twist (TB). Quite an athlete this foal will be!

What an awesome month for Avery Lewis and Balmullo's Beacon: First, the won their Novice division at the River Glen Horse Trails on her dressage score of 27.0, then they won the BN Championships at Poplar Place with a 27.5!!

Also, a big shout out and congratulations to Carla Jimmerson on her 2012 Championship Win at Poplar Place on Carlin LeBeau!!

Congratulations to Marion Calwell and Arbor Lane Conor (*Gun Smoke x Hattie Belew, TB) for winning at the 2012 Sporting Days Horse Trials


From the ACPS Weekly Pony News: week of 5-20-12

Plant City, FL: Beth Davidson sends this news from Black Dog Farm in Florida. Beth says, “This April, at the Ocala Horse Properties CCI*/** event, the halfbred filly, Black Dog's Top of the Morning (Black Dog's Fiorella X WH Top Gun) finished in 4th in the Future Event Horse Three Year Old Class. At the same event, WH Top Gun (*Gunsmoke X Ballywhim Candace) finished 5th at Beginner Novice ridden by Elliott Blackmon.

Congrats to Avery on her BIG move up to Novice at Chattahoochee Hills (April 2012)
http://www.hoofclix.com/Chattahoochee/2012-04-08-USEA Horse Trial

Bruiser won both his classes at his first USDF show! Was in Training Level 2 with only 3 people, but then did Training 3 in a qualifying class of 10! Lots of Warmbloods and very experienced trainers...the judge said, "I just love that horse!". Had 68 and 69%. DOrlando Dressage Spring Show or something like that. At the Ocala Horse Park. (Donna Duckworth March 2012)

Congratulations to Jill Torres and Jolly Mon in their move to 3rd level dressage (Jan 2012)

Foothill Farms and Piedmont Connemaras would like to congratulate the following ACPS Achievement Award recipients for 2011:

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We have lost track of the current owners, locations, and status of the following ponies;
any news or updates on their whereabouts would be greatly appreciated.

Foothills Ashford

(2003 photo)  last known address: Hoaenwald, TN

Gately's Smoking Gun

(2003 photo)  last known address: California

Foothills Holiday

last known address: Louisiana

Foothills Finale

(1993 photo)  last known address: Greenwood, SC

 

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