Letter from Clinic participant, Julie Pifer

Moving Forward with Phillip Dutton by:  Julie Pifer

 

As this year's event season comes to a close, we all strive for that perfect ending especialy when this year most of us had to battle early heat waves, hurricanes, tornados and even an earthquake.  I even had to scratch from my last event due to a snow storm in October.  We all have many interesting stories to tell this year, like my grandfather accidentally drowning our truck in our pond the day of Plantation Horse Trials in June.  Well, thanks to Phillip Dutton and the clinic I attended this past week-end November 11-12 at True Prospect Farm, we had the perfect ending to our years story.  We began Saturday morning with dressage exercises immediately followed by stadium jumping exercises.  The riders were all given tips on riding more effectively and improving the exercise at hand. Lunch was provided both days by Karen Rubin the clinic organizer and Phillip Dutton.  Martin Collins, Phillip's footing expert (which was fantastic by the way) gave a talk about the footing and also sponsored the wine and cheese reception Saturday night.  We were even given the chance to sit in the new saddles Dutton and Zabala-Goetschel designed.  These unique lightweight saddles, which are currently available in dressage, show jumping and cross country models, focusing on the comfort of horse and rider as well as the proper balance and fit to help riders improve their position.  They were so nice.  Sunday we were treated to schooling the plethora of cross-country fences at True Prospect.  Phillip has a wonderful variety of fences and even though the weather was a bit brisk, we were challenged to effectively ride courses to the best of our abilities.  I was very pleased with my horse's performance and at the end of the clinic Phillip gave us all recommendations to improve.  Mine was to ride my horse more forward and let the fences back her off instead of holding her back so much.  I look forward to next season's first outing, and would like to thank Phillip for taking the time and giving us all something to ride forward to.

Fwd: Whiskey/Phillip/Julie

-----Original Message-----
From: Rubin9460 <Rubin9460@aol.com>
To: trueprospectfarm <trueprospectfarm@aol.com>
Sent: Wed, Nov 30, 2011 9:10 am
Subject: Fwd: Whiskey/Phillip/Julie

 

 

---

From: mosttimesfarm@optonline.net
To: rubin9460@aol.com, cindypifer@aol.com
Sent: 11/14/2011 2:10:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: Whiskey/Phillip/Julie

 

Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless

I'm writing from Mexico where I'm helping Ronald Zaballa for the Pan Am games.I'm glad to report that Ronald and Wiseguy are in good form.Also the US team seem focused and in good spirits.Fair Hill went well for my three.William Penn in particular really going well.It was a great win for Boyd but also great performances from Jan Bynny Amy Borun and Kevin Keane.Let's hope this is a successful/safe games here. Phillip

Sent from my iPhone

Fair Hill

What an exciting finish at Fair Hill on Sunday with two great eventing stories playing out it was certainly emotional.  It was great to see Jan Byyny and Inmidair finish so well and I know disappointing to her that she had two rails.  But what an amazing achievement for her to come back from such a bad accident and to finish 3rd!  Everyone knows what an awful year it has been for Boyd, so for him to win on Ying Yang Yo (Thomas), the horse that he first brought over to the US, is incredible.  We are so very happy for Boyd, Silva and their wonderful team.

 

Yet again, Fair Hill was a bit soggy.  Luckily the sun shone on Saturday and the course dried up substantially.  It was still hard work for most of the three star horses with only two making the time.  Phillip was very pleased with both his rides in the three star, Ben and William Penn.  It was Ben's first 3 star and he jumped around in great form with time penalties.  One down in the showjumping on Sunday was costly, but he ended up a credible 13th.  William Penn receives the most improved award in my book.  He did a super test on Friday, with just a few small mistakes, jumped the course well on Saturday, again with some time faults and jumped a beautiful clear round on Sunday.  He jumped so big that Phillip was nearly jumped out of the tack!  Thankfully he held on and William Penn ended up 5th! 

 

Phillip is off to Guadalajara to coach Ronald Zabala, who represents Ecuador.  Hopefully, he will be full of news from the Pan American Games when he gets back.   Good Luck to our US Team and to Team Ecuador!

Rain at Morven and other things

It has been a busy few weeks for the True Prospect Farm crew.  Our local Plantation event was a big success.  I surprisingly had a free weekend after that and was able to regroup some.  Evie organized a Paperchase as a fundraiser for Mary and Olivia's school and I was able to ride with Olivia in that.

 

I just returned from a very wet and cold Morven Park.  Unfortunately, because of the rain there were a lot of withdrawls.  Ben and William Penn did dressage and showjumping and then stopped for a gallop on the way home at Michael Dickenson's beautiful Tapeta track.  They are both headed for the three star at Fair Hill.  I did run Young Man in the OI and he went well and is headed to the two star at Fair Hill.  Augie Vettorino's Gran Banks went well on the cross country in the Intermediate and is showing nice potential for the future.  I did not run Fernhill Fugitive on the cross country as it was his first Intermediate start and because it was so wet, decided it would be better to give him nicer conditions for cross country.

 

Next weekend is Maryland Horse Trials and then it is countdown to Fair Hill!

 

Cheers,

 

Phillip

Plantation Field International and more

It's been a hectic few weeks.  After returning from Richland Park, I flew to the UK to meet up with Emma and Happy for Blenheim Three Star.  Overall the Blenheim trip was very successful and rewarding.  Our "little" 7 year old Happy has come a long way in a short time.  Let's hope the improvement keeps going.  For those that followed Evie's blog posts, it truly is an honor to compete at these venues in England.  They are so beautiful and steeped in tradition.

 

Once back, we then had preparations for the our local horse trials - Plantation Field.  Evie is much more involved in the work than I am, and those that volunteer and organize our events know there is so much effort that goes into pulling off a successful event.  It's very rewarding to see now the event coming into its own with many local spectators getting to watch our sport up close.  The hightlight of the whole weekend had to be our Jennie Brannigan clearing the 6'2'' puissance wall bareback!

 

I was pleased with my horses.  Ben and Penn both went well.  I didn't try to go quick on cross country and they finished respectfully in 6th and 8th place.  The King's Spirit did her first Advanced for some time and did it very easily and finished 2nd.  Augie Vettorino's Gran Banks did his first Intermediate pretty well and was placed and my new star, Furnhill Fugitive won his prelim division.

 

The most stressful time for Evie and I, was watching Lee Lee do her first ever Intermediate on Model Cadet.  She rode very sensibly and Cadet stepped up and had a great round.  To round off a great weekend, Mary and Olivia had fun in the kids on foot jumping at the Friday night party.

 

We have a horse trial free weekend this weekend coming up, which is rare, so Evie is running a Paperchaser fundraiser for Mary and Olivia's school (Upland Country Day School).  Then I head to Morven Park.

 

Phillip

Lee Lee at Plantation

Can't say how proud Phillip and I are of our girl Lee Lee and her super little horse, Cadet, completing their first Intermediate at Plantation today!