“Roo News”

Mighty Mangaroo “Roo” at the American Eventing Championships 2012.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Roo is about to wrap up 2012. After a very successful year in 2011, finishing with a fantastic top finish at Fair Hill International  in the CCI**, 2012 has been a training and transitioning year as he moved up and confirmed himself at the advanced level.

Roo started the spring competing at some intermediate level events and finished 4th in the CIC** at Poplar Place in March. He debuted in the advanced level at Millbrook Horse Trials in August and completed advanced divisions at Richland Park and the American Eventing Championships in order to qualify for the CIC*** level.

“Roo” at Fairhill International CIC** 2011.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Photo by Hoofpix

He competed at Poplar Place CIC*** in September.  A minor glance off at a corner combination added 20 penalties that kept him from gaining the clear round and qualifying score necessary to qualify for the CCI*** and will keep him out of Fair Hill this fall.

Although we don’t get to contest a three-star this year, I feel comfortable that we truly have a three-star horse. We have spent the last several years training to get to this point.  We can now spend the next several years perfecting it! We are spending the last few weeks of the season confirming the training from the past few months. We have been working on the nuances that differentiate between intermediate and advanced level dressage. Half pass, lead changes, collection, extensions and impulsion. We continue to work on our technique in the show jumping that is developing the strength, confidence and style that will produce clean rounds at the advanced level.

We continue to work with Buck Davidson and had the opportunity to take some dressage lessons with international judge Linda Zang. Becky Holder has been able to help with some lessons and coaching at events and her dressage expertise and competitive insight has been incredibly encouraging. We will finish next week with the opportunity to perform the dressage test ride for the CCI*** at Fair Hill which will at least give us the chance to put this work to practice and give us some invaluable insight as we go forward into next year.