Stone Gate Farm

Feb Farm Projects

2012-02-20T20:54:00.001-05:00

Tile trench to the east of the ditches

It's hard to believe that we have been able to get outdoor farm projects done this time of year. The first weekend in Feb found Dave digging a trench and laying a tile line by the ditches to help keep the ground in better condition no matter the weather and prepares a site for a new Beginner Novice ditch. That ditch won't be ready until the fall event because we have to level off some ground and push that down to the low spot in front of the Novice and Training ditches and we don't want all that fresh dirt before Winona. By pushing some dirt into the low spot combined with the drain tile; the footing should be pretty high and dry.

Draining the ditch jumps and the site of the new Beg Novice ditch

When Dave was done with the tile line he took his min excavator back to the woods to dig some drainage ditches in four of the wet spots and laying 10" clay culverts to essentially make dirt bridges over the wet spots. I''m glad Kevin was home to help because those culverts were pretty heavy. The plan is to let things dry out and do the final grading this spring so they will good to go for the spring Hunter Pace. The following pictures show Kevin & Dave setting one of the clay culverts, the excavator giving the culverts (2 -3 150lb culvert) a gentle nudge ti get them in place, and a look at the whole Dave had to dig to get enough dirt to mound up over a low wet spot we haven't been able to use in years.

The second weekend as cold and snowy but the third weekend, although a bit chilly was good and dry so Dave got the mini excavator out again but this time it was to transplant some trees and bushes. We planted 4 trees back by the new stadium area so spectators can have a shady place to watch the show jumping or clinics. I'm afraid they won't provide much shade this season, but hopefully it won't be too long before they are producing enough shade. As you can see; I am being very optimistic about the weather, plenty of sun. The way I look at it; we paid our dues with the wet weather last year and we should have good weather this year :)

In addition to the trees, we had to replace two of the tall bushes next to the water jump. These bushes are a little smaller and in better condition than the ones we transplanted last year so hopefully these will make

it.

Next on the list is aerating the dressage warm up. The ground has dried enough to get a tractor on it without making a mess and it will allow the spring rains soak in a little better. Here's hoping that we have normal spring rains this year. That's it for now. I hope you all have been enjoying the nice weather we have been having this winter.

Jackie

New On-line Forms for Clinics and Competitions

2012-02-07T23:17:00.002-05:00

I have been working forms that you can fill out and submit on line as well as the option of paying on line. I am hoping that you will take advantage of using these forms as it will not only hopefully will be more convenient for you but it will streamline that data entry for me as well.

Check out forms and the online payment forms on the Camps and Clinics page and the Competitors' Corner.

Thoroughbred Incentive Program

2012-01-26T14:05:00.002-05:00

We are happy to announce that the Winona Horse Trials has been selected as one of the competitions recognized by the Thoroughbred Incentive Program. read more

New Arena Update

2012-01-25T21:32:00.001-05:00

All the rain this fall & early winter made it rather challenging getting the last few loads of base material in for the arena. The truck didn't have any problems because the earlier loads of the 8x material was compacted really well and the truck barely made a dent. However spreading out the last few loads was a different story. The last loads went on the south end of the ring which was the lower end which was built up with fill dirt. Although it had been compacted, it still wasn't as solid as we would have liked it to be. Dave was able to get it spread but because it was several inches deep and saturated from the rains he couldn't compact it at that time.

Water has been flowing out of the drain tile

All the rain was actually a 'blessing in disguise'. It let us know that we had a problem, a big problem. As the rain seeped into the ground on the hill above the ring the water flowed out of the hillside where we cut into it for the fill dirt and made the whole ring wet, really wet! So that's when Dave ordered drain tile, dug a shallow trench & covered it with large rounded gravel to trap the water coming out of the hill and direct it to a nearby pond. The tile is doing a great job of keeping the hillside water off the ring and has been running continuously since it was set. Thank goodness we discovered that before the final grading, compacting and adding the top footing.

Because the south end of the ring needed to be built up and basically slopes off quite a bit; Dave was afraid that a lot of the base footing was going to get washed away before he would be able to compact it. He wanted a barrier that would help to hold the 8x while allowing the water to run off. He decided on snow fence rolled in a coil and staked in place. So far it seems to be working fairly well although he hasn't gotten right up to the edge with a tractor yet.

Basically the project has been put on hold until spring when it will get the final laser grading and compacting with a vibrating roller. But Dave periodically went down to check on how things were settling and seeing if he needed to tweak anything. Since the whole arena wasn't grading we had some 'pooling' problems and a few small diversion ditches needed to be dug to get the water to run off. With the ring drying out and settling a little Dave was able to get on some of the areas with the tractor and rough grade more of the area which had not been compacted yet. He knew the one corner was going to need more fill to get the correct final right grade but as things settled it looked like it was going to need to be built up more than originally thought. After checking it out with the transit it we knew that just putting more 8 x wasn't going to do the job.


The 'bigger' stone to bring up the low corner

We had a stretch of dry weather and that's when Dave decided to take the base material off that corner piece and bring in 'bigger' material to bring up the corner and then put the 8 x back on top of it. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Dave and his 'big toys'! Now I think it will just be left to settle until spring.

I'm looking forward to having the ring completed and being able to ride on it.

Looking at the stone waiting to be covered with the 8 x

Dave's REALLY, REALLY BIG IDEA - Phase 1

2011-12-02T13:54:00.001-05:00

For those of you who have been following this blog for awhile, you are aware that my husband can come up with some 'big' ideas, but this time I think he has outdone himself! He saw an ad in the Farm and Dairy for fiberglass domes that have been used as covers for the Akron water treatment plant. He showed me a picture and asked me if it would be anything that we could use. I thought hmmmmm, a 100' covered round pen could be very useful. So after a few phone calls we went to look at them to see if it would be something we would be interested in.

Dome at the Akron Water Treatment Plant

I have to tell you that the picture doesn't accurately portray the magnitude of this structure. The center peak is 15' high, each of the 34 panels is close to 50' long and 9' wide at the base! We jokingly called it a 'spaceship'. Now picture it on top of a 10' tall cement base, not at ground level like it's shown here. I'm still having trouble envisioning that!

Now all we had to do is figure out where to put it, how to get it home, and how to get it up. Dave made some more calls and found someone to haul it which was half of what we paid for it and get bids for building the structure to put it on. Well all of a sudden our frugal little project is turning into a major investment!! But still less that if we had to build something similar from scratch.

We finally decided to on a location where it hopefully won't look too out of place and be useful for more than riding. We're going to put it in the south east corner of the pasture just south of the dressage ring closest to the drive and near the barns. It's going to be dug into the side of the hill so it won't be sticking 25' feet up into the air looking like aliens have arrived at SGF. Hopefully that will help to keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. We also felt that with the close proximity to the stabling barns it could be used as a shelter for people during competitions and clinics. And let's hope it won't be protection from the rain and/or oppressive heat this year.


More room for the turn without the posts

The crew was finally ready to dismantle the structures the end of Nov. but before the first load could come; Dave had to remove a couple of posts so the semi could make the turn onto the drive. For those competitors who have had close encounters with the posts; you'll be happy to hear that they are permanently removed, but a rock has been put near the pasture post to protect it ;)

The first of five loads

When I saw the first load coming down the road I was taken aback by how impressive it looked and I must say I would have taken a double take if I had passed it on the highway. The picture at the left not only shows the load, but it is very close to where the dome will be erected.

The pictures give you a little better idea of the magnitude ot the structure. Dave had to make an attachment for his tractor so he

would be able to unload the panels

Preparing to unload the first set of panels. That's Dave on trailer

which barely could lift the top panel high enough to get it off. The window panels were a little harder to get the first couple off, but amazingly enough; it wasn't that difficult to do. There were a few loads when the driver couldn't stay to help unload and I got the job of climbing up and I was given the job of climbing up and hooking the chain to the panel, getting down and balancing the panel to set it aside, climbing up to unhook & repeat the process again and again. You see there were 8 panels to a load for the first 4 loads and after we unloaded them we then had to repeat the process to stack them in place.

The pictures give you a little better idea of the magnitude of the structure and Phase 1 of Dave's REALLY REALLY BIG IDEA: getting the dome home. Stay tuned for Phase 2: the rebuilding of the dome.

Unloading step 2

Unloading step 3

Unloading step 4

Unloading step 5 - moving them to their final location

Unloading step 6 - the stacks (this shows 2 stacks)

Close up of a panel with window

One load of windows - the done will alternate panels of solid & window


The final stack showing the two halves of the top

The 5 stacks - a little less room in the trailer parking area

The top vent

2012 Calendar & Feedback Requested

2011-11-27T21:53:00.001-05:00

What better way to get over the end of the season blues than making plans for next season? Today I worked on putting together a schedule of activities at SGF for next year. There may be additions or changes, but this will get you started on making your plans. I haven't updated the fliers yet but, other than the dates, last years' fliers have additional information. The fliers be found on the SGF website.

I'm toying with the idea having the dressage rings, a show jumping course and the cross country country available for schooling once or twice a month on a weekday/night. I'm thinking of a Wed as it is smack dab in the middle of the week either before or after a competition without being too close. Participants would have scheduled times where they could practice their tests and courses or simply spend the allotted time in the arenas. It would be controlled chaos so to speak. Additionally, instructors or Pony Clubs could be scheduled a block of time for lessons. For those who don't have an instructor who could come with them; Kyle and I could also be available. So what do you think? Is that something that you would be interested in?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, here's the Stone Gate Farm 2012 Calendar of Events.

Jackie

March 17 - 18 –Eric Dierks Clinic

April 21 ~ Dressage Show& Test Clinic

May 11 - 13 ~ Winona Horse Trials (FEH, Starter - Prelim)

May 20 ~ Jumper Show &Cross Country Pace Competition (Sun)

May 26 - 27 ~ Tri-State Region D 3 – C 1 Clinic

May 28 ~ (Mon Memorial Day) Hunter Pace

June 3 - 4 ~ (Sun - Mon) Lucinda Green Clinic

June 23 ~ Cross Country Schooling

June 24 ~ Stone Gate Farm Mini Trials (back to original date)

July 17 - 20 ~ Eventing Camp (Tues – Fri)

July 21 ~ Combined Test, Dressage Show, & Jumper Rounds

July 28-29 ~ Mock Event / Clinic

Aug 4 ~ Cross Country Schooling

Aug 5 ~ Stone Gate Farm Mini Trials

Sept 22 - 23 ~ Stone Gate Farm Horse Trials (Starter- Prelim)

Sept 29 ~ NEW Jumper Derby

Sept 30 ~ Stone Gate Farm Hunter Pace

Oct 6 ~ Jumper Show & Cross Country Pace Competition (Sat)

Stone Gate Farm is also available forclinics and camps.

Cross country, dressage, and showjumping schooling available by appointment.

For More Information:

www.stonegatefarm.org ~ organizer@stonegatefarm.org~ 330-222-2089

SGF Gift Certificates for Christmas Gifts

2011-11-25T21:22:00.001-05:00

Soyou don’t know what to give your children, friends, siblings or instructor forChristmas ?

Howabout a StoneGate Farm gift certificate ?

GiftCertificates can be used for clinics, camp, competitions, lessons or training.

www.stonegatefarm.org

e-mail

Jackie@stonegatefarm.org

Gift Certificates

Will be sent via e-mail either directlyto the recipient with a confirmation e-mail to the purchaser unless requestedotherwise. Be sure to check out a samplecertificate.

Name to be put onGift Certificate: ______________________________________________

E-mail address wherethe Gift Certificate should be sent: ____________________________

Name of personpurchasing the Gift Certificate: ____________________________________

E-Mail of personpurchasing the Gift Certificate: ___________________________________

Occasion for GiftCertificate:

     ___ Christmas                      ___ Birthday                  ___Anniversary

     ___ Mothers Day               ___  Fathers Day             ___ No Occasion

Make Checks Payable to Stone Gate LLC & Mail to:
       Jackie Smith
   31407 Schneider Rd.
   Hanoverton, OH 44423

Updated Blogs

2011-11-21T23:16:00.001-05:00

I've finally had a little time to update some of the blogs. Check out Jack & Jill's competition debut and reports and results from the Fall Hunter Pace and the new Jumper Show & Cross Country Pace Competition.

Let the Excavating Begin and ....

2011-11-18T18:37:00.001-05:00

Deciding to build an all weather show jumping arena was the easy part especially after the flooding rains we had at the Winona Horse Trials this spring. After moving ALL the jumps to the dressage arenas so we could do Show Jumping my husband finally agreed that an all weather show jumping area would be useful. Finding a location was a little more challenging. The plan was to buy a couple of acres from the neighbor whose land boarders ours near the stabling area and the cross country warm up but no such luck' they wouldn't part with any. Then Dave was talking about taking the top off one of the hills in the pasture, but I nixed that one for many reasons. So we went back to the area that my husband has been calling the new show jumping area for a few years now. I kept telling him that it wouldn't y.work because the area was too small and hilly and that's why we were trying to buy some land that adjoins it. But that area was only place put the arena which would be close to the stabling, not cutting into the pasture (although we had fenced that area off for additional pasture) or Dave's precious hay fields ;)

I went back to that field and starting pacing things off to see if there was enough room for a 250' x 150' ring while still having enough room for warm up and / or derby field. We could have enough room if we could get the ground level. Now that was going to be the trick. I can remember when we used that field this spring for the Lucinda Green clinic, here first comment was it was rather hilly. Originally we were going to build another pond to get the fill dirt but the area where we would be getting the dirt could qualify as a wetlands and it had a lot of gray clay so we decided instead to dig into the hill and push the dirt into the low spots. Before we could do that the top soil had to be removed and it was moved to the north to level up the grass warm up area. It became apparent that Dave's little dozer wasn't going to be able to get the job done so we had to hire someone with a bigger dozer. It probably took about a week to move all the dirt, compact it, and move more dirt. Unfortunately it there were some delays due to the weather.

When all the dirt was moved, compacted, and leveled it was time to start bringing in the screenings to make the base. But before we could do that, we had to make improvements to the drive to handle the heavy truckloads of base material. The guy who was suppose to haul for us canceled because he had a bigger job so we found someone else who was actually less expensive. Unfortunately he had to fit hauling between other jobs and the weather so it's taking a lot longer than it should. But by bring a few loads a day it gave Dave the time to spread it out with his little dozer and compact it some with his tractor. By the time he's done hauling the screenings he will have made approximately 45 trips to bring approximately 1,000 - 1,200 TONS of material just for the base!!

We're getting real itchy to get this phase of the project over so we can get it leveled so that it can settle over the winter so we can see if there are any areas that need to be tweaked before adding the sand in the spring. We're planning on using the new ring for our spring event!

Below are some pictures of the process. It's a little difficult to get a feel for the magnitude of this project from the pictures.

Moving topsoil

Cutting into the hill to get fill dirt


Dirt waiting to be pushed to the low end

The 'Sheep's' Foot' used for compacting

Final prep before bring in the base

Gravel added to the drive do the truck wouldn't get stuck

First load of base material


Two loads don't go very far


Time to bring in the BIG truck

Let's Give Thanks

2011-11-15T09:45:00.001-05:00

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the competition season officially over I have a little time to reflect on what I'm thankful for in regards to Stone Gate Farm. So here goes... I am thankful for:

living on a beautiful farm with a beautiful family
all the friends old and new that we got to share time with at the farm this year
a successful season of competitions at SGF. The competitions were well subscribed, no one was hurt and hopefully everyone (horses included) learned a little something and had fun! Even the weather disaster in the spring was a blessing in disguise as it gave us the nudge to bite the bullet to build an all weather show jumping ring
clinics and camp that were a success. See above for the definition of success ;)
the riders who choose to come to SGF
the volunteers who help to 'make it all happen' especially the Western Reserve Pony Club members and their families.
the animals who came into our lives this year which include Jack and Jill, Bandit, Rugby, Sadie, and Wie. Each one in their own way has enriched our lives if only for a short time; we miss you Bandit.
finding Tintin the 'best family' ever!!
finally... I am thankful my family, which includes our adopted daughter Laura, for not only putting up with me but for going above and beyond to help us not only run all the activities at the farm but help with whatever improvement projects we have going on to make the farm an even nicer facility to come to for whatever reason. I love you all and appreciate each and every one of you more than you will ever know!!

Happy Thanksgiving all and I hope to see you at our farm some time next year. Enjoy some of the pictures.

Jackie

Jack & Jill when they first arrived

New Jump made by Kevin & Laura

Dave's Gazebo Project


Patty Keim & Eric at Camp

Cooling off at Camp


'Bandit' - the summer's entertainment

The beginning of the new Show Jump arena

Sadie - Kyle's new pup

Prototype Show Jumping Numbers

2011-10-24T15:52:00.000-04:00

The last competition may be over, but I'm always thinking about ways to make the competitions a little more uses friendly and easier for volunteers. At the recent jumper show I had the courses numbered as the Black and White courses so we didn't have to change the numbers between classes and so riders could differentiate the courses but that wasn't perfect. During the events, since we have different tracks for the various levels, we have maps printed complete with fence names so riders can walk their courses a little easier while they are set up for different divisions. However that still isn't perfect especially if the riders forget to bring the maps with them. At he last event a rider was walking the course on her cell phone while a friend was at the in gate telling her which fence was next. So I asked myself what I could do better.

I decided that we would make the numbers different colors to match the cross country numbers; that certainly would help alleviate the confusion. So this morning I made a prototype on on the computer and printed it up and showed it to Kyle for his input. The idea is to have the numbers on a free standing support where the numbers slide in and out so they won't blow around and as each level finishes the number gets pulled out. When I showed it to Kyle he thought having all the numbers up during the rounds (even though they were different colors) may, in the heat of competition, still be confusing for the riders. When he was judging the jumper show a few riders did indeed get confused wile riding and went off course. In addition, with 5 levels the stand is going to be rather large. So what to do? I still wanted the numbers up so people could easily walk the courses even if it's set for a different level. Kyle suggested having the number up on the support for the course that is being run at the time with smaller color coded numbers below it for walking courses.

So back to the drawing board. I think I have come up with something that I think will work. Since I'm more of a visual person I actually had to make a to scale model. The overall dimensions are 14" wide by 18" tall. Below is a picture of to give you an idea. The large number 2 is for the Beginner Novice course that is course being run and the numbers below it show what number the fence is for the other levels. And no we're not running Advanced, we will be using the blue for Starter. So what do you think?

Dave's Big Idea Part 2

2011-10-23T20:24:00.000-04:00

The Gazebo awaiting the roof.

Dave got two of the metal shelters done before the Sept event and although it did rain quite hard on Fri we didn't need them for rain protection during the event, thank goodness. However they did come in handy for someplace to sit and watch either dressage or show jumping. The gazebo looking one that is going to go do by the dressage warm up didn't get done in time for the event. But Dave did manage to finish framing it in during the event.

Now all Dave had to do was put the roof on. Easier said than done. Actually I really don't know as I wasn't home when it was done. All I know is that after taking a few measurements to make sure the finished product would actually fit under the garage door Dave put the plan into action. The plan was to attach a chain to the top of the inside of metal building, drive the hay wagon with the top on it under the chain, attach it to a chain, hoist it up, pull the hay wagon out from under the top and pull the gazebo frame under it and lower it into place.

After the roof was unhooked from the chain

Waiting to be pulled out

Apparently it all went rather smoothly and of course no pictures because all hands were busy helping. These pictures were taken after the job was done.

Since we got the grain bin from the Van Scoys we have dubbed the structures the VS 1, 2 and 3. Since this was the last one built this is the VS 3. It will serve as a place for the dressage volunteers and spectators who are in the warm up area to sit and stay out of the elements. It was put in place before the hunter pace and it served as a jusge's stand for the recent jumper show and the VS 1(the first one built and near the dressage ring and stabling barn) was used as a secretary's stand. The VS 1 was also used for the starters and scoring at the Hunter Pace the week before. It made for a comfortable place to set up a table and chairs and finally a place where you could actually see the computer screen ;)

Although I was rather skeptical when Dave told be about his "big idea" and even more so when the bin was so floppy when we took it apart; we have 3, albeit unusual looking, useful structures.

Dave & the dogs checking out VS 3

For those who did not read the original post be sure to check out Dave's Big Idea Part 1. Knowing my husband; I'm sure I'll be reporting on future "big ideas" from Dave.

The VS 3 in place by the dressage ring

Post Event Competitor Letter

2011-09-27T10:39:00.001-04:00

The Stone Gate Farm post event competitor letter and a great video are posted on the Competitors Corner

Stone Gate Farm & the Area VIII Novice and Beginner Novice Championships Wrap Up Report

2011-09-26T14:52:00.000-04:00

Kerrigan Baird & Mister Remington - Novice Champions

Wow, there must have been a lot of people praying to the 'weather gods' because we were suppose to have some rain all weekend long but ended up only having rain on Fri which watered the rings and made for perfect footing for cross country. From what I hear we dodged a bullet as there was some pretty heavy rain not far from us early Sun morning and some rain and thunder a couple of hours after everyone had left. But I think after the deluge that caused the cancellation of cross country in the spring; we deserved a nice weekend! The mix of sun and clouds all weekend and above normal temps on Sun were welcome by competitors and volunteers alike. Some some of our volunteers were sporting a fresh sun burn by the end of the day ;)

So enough about the weather, on to the competition. There were 131 entries (which is about the most we can comfortable handle) hailing from KY, IN, MI, PA, NY, WV and of course OH. Many of the competitors who came for the championship divisions had never been to Stone Gate before. We hope they enjoyed themselves and will come back again even when we're not hosting the Championships.

New Sail Boats - by Laura & Kevin

The championship levels saw some different, more challenging questions than the open divisions on cross country and had a different show jumping track than the open divisions. All divisions did their Show Jumping on Sat and due to the slopping grass and slightly slippery (due to the rain on Fri) Show Jumping area riders really needed to ride positively forward in balance and rhythm. Those who did were rewarded with clean rounds and those who didn't ended up with some penalties. Additionally those who chose the 'scenic route' received time penalties. Although some of the standings were shuffled around after show jumping; the courses were educational for both horses and riders.

View of the Water jump from the Announcer's tower

View of the Show Jumping area and the back side of the Cross Country Course

For the most part the cross country rode really well for majority of the competitors but some of the Novice Championship competitors had problems coming down the hill to the Round Top a few strides before the water. Kerrigan Baids and Mister Remington had no problems and lead from beginning to end to become the Area VIII Novice Champions. The Beginner Novice Championship riders didn't have problems cross country but the faster speed cross and the show jumping did shuffle the standings a bit. Karen Berger and Lindor HB who moved into first place after Show Jumping had a clean round cross country to end up the winner of the Area VIII Beginner Novice Championships. In addition to the lovely ribbons and awards through third place, riders who placed 1st - 5th shared in more than $700 in prize money. In addition to the normsl awards; SGF wanted to recognize those riders who continue to compete in the sport of eventing in their senior years and to encourage the up and coming riders by presenting the youngest and the most senior riders who completed the Championship divisions with a gift certificates for a photo from Brant Gamma. Kerrigan, at 15 years was the youngest in the Novice Championships while 11 year old Helen Claire McNaulty riding her adorable 13.2 Cowboy Freckles was the youngest competitor in the Beginner Novice Championships. The senior winners are Marianne deBarbadillo riding Myers Wonder and Lowelle Messner on Tessie's Bright Star in the Novice and Beginner Novice divisions. We will be polite and not mention their ages, but I will say that Lowell and I are the same age ;) We did give a best score award to the riders who are over 50 in the Novice & Beginner Novice divisions and tho winners were Sue Hines and Jan Hoover.

The biggest winner of the weekend undoubtedly was Sue Hines who won on three of her four horses and second on the fourth; finishing on her dressage score on all four horses! She won the Beginner Novice on
Jana Tuckerman's Taconite Mike, was second in Training B on Brigette Colloca's Shoshone. But the most impressive win(s) were in the Preliminary division when she tied for first with both Corporate Crash & Flying Four Shoes. Talk about being consistent ...not only did they have the same dressage score and clean jumping rounds but they had exactly the same time on both Cross Country AND Show Jumping!!! Unbelievable...good thing I had extra awards ;) Full results can be found at Start Box.

Kyle keeping track of horses on course and the HAM Radio operators

On a personal note; I think this was the most relaxed I have ever been during any event we have run over the last 27 years. I actually was able to watch a lot and enjoy myself. It was disappointing that neither of my boys rode but made the stress level much lower not to mention I put them to work!! I must say that having Kyle home to help with the ALL the prep work and having him to bounce ideas off of was invaluable. It took a huge load off of me to have him serve as the Safety Coordinator as well. With his recent training as a Technical Delegate and obviously knowing the farm so well he was a perfect fit for the job. The addition of the HAM radio operators also took a big load off of me. No worries about radios not working, someone hitting their call button, transmissions getting walked over etc. etc. They were very professional and did a fabulous job. I think all the radio operators enjoyed themselves and plan on coming back next year.

I hope you have enjoyed this report and if you have any pictures or stories to share we would love to hear from you. As always we just want people to come and enjoy our farm (we think it's kind of pretty) and all of our hard work. If we have done that, and no one gets hurt, we consider that a successful event. Many thanks to all of the volunteers and to the competitors who chose to come to SGF and of course to the horses who allow us to pursue such a fabulous sport!

Jackie

Volunteer Schedule

2011-09-18T08:59:00.000-04:00

The volunteer schedule for the Sept 24 - 25 Stone Gate Farm Horse trials is now available.

Keeping up with What's Happening at the SGF Horse Trials

2011-09-16T03:30:00.000-04:00

Whether your a competitor, a friend or a family member of a competitor or you're just interested in keeping up with what's going on at the Gate Farm Horse Trials Sept 24 - 25; check out the helpful links on the Competitors Corner for checking scores and receiving text messages.

BIG NEWS!!!

2011-09-10T10:37:00.002-04:00

Who would have thought that all the rain at the Winona Horse Trials this spring would turn out to be a good thing? After moving the entire show jumping course from the grass to the sand dressage rings; (so we could safely compete) my husband finally understood why we needed an all weather surface show jumping arena. When we sold Kevin's horse Tintin he was the one who suggested putting the money towards building a show jumping area. After unsuccessfully trying to buy 2 acres from the neighbor next to the stabling area we decided to build in it the newest field where we will be having cross country warm up for the upcoming event which is just to the south of the stabling barns. Ironically Dave always called that field the new stadium area but I told him it would never work unless it was level and an all weather surface. He always said that would never happen because it would be too big of a project and cost too much. Well it's still a big project and it's going to cost a lot but Dave has decided he's up for the challenge and will do most the work himself!

It is going to take some major excavation and building yet another pond to get fill dirt but the plan is to have an all weather arena that is at least 250' x 150' with a grass warm up next to it which will be approximately 130' x 250'. Since we will be doing major excavating anyway, there are plans for banks, a ditch and maybe a small water jump so we can use the entire area for a Jumping Derby!

In order to help raise additional funds to build the stadium & derby field we are hosting a Jumper show and Cross Country Pace competition on Sat Oct 15th. Come join us for some fun while getting good practice with your show jumping and cross country pace.

Stay tuned for updates, complete with pictures of course. We'll be starting sometime in Oct.

Jackie

Dave's Big Idea - Part 1

2011-09-08T23:27:00.003-04:00

Well it all started with me saying that I would like 2 small buildings for the dressage & show jumping warm ups because the tents keep blowing away and getting destroyed. Nothing elaborate something like those at Chatt Hills. Then I also requested a building where we had the big tent that we had this spring near the stabling and dressage rings. Well on the first one he said that he didn't have time before the event to build them and on the second one he said we couldn't put up that big of a permanent building because it would add to our property taxes. I said fine; I would rent a tent again.

Well I come home from officiating an event and Dave says he has an 'idea'. I always get a little nervous when I hear those words. He said he saw something in the Farm Show paper (a newspaper where a bunch of farmers show what they have made out of things they or someone else don't need or want anymore) and he had the perfect idea for making the buildings that I wanted. I can hardly wait. .. but first he had to see if Van Scoy's old grain bin was still available. Well it was and the 'big idea' began to take shape I still wasn't thrilled with the idea, but once Dave sets his mind to something there is no stopping him. Besides that, it was this or nothing.

Removing the top of the grain bin

So while I was away officiating again Dave and Kyle unbolted the grain bin from its cement base and when I got home I was the lucky one to go with him as the excavator loaded it on the trailer. Easier said than done and without the base of the grain bin the 15' in diameter top just flopped down over the sides of the trailer. Dave managed to find some boards to put under it for a little more support. I led the 6.5 miles home on winding roads and warning any oncoming cars that there was a WIDE load ahead. Somehow we managed to get it home and moved it to the hay wagon so we could go back the next day for the rest which I was told 'would go better' because it is much stiffer corrugated metal.

The top hanging off the sides of the trailer

So the next day we go back without an escort car because the actual bin will be much more rigid and won't be hanging off the sides of the trailer. So while Dave was cutting it in half I was busy unbolting the door. Dave was happy because it was cutting fairly well and he didn't need all five of the cutting blades that he bought for the project. When he was almost done cutting he got the man to come over with the excavator. I won't bore you with the details, but the corrugated metal was NOT much stiffer than the roof and things rapidly began to deteriorate Let's just say we needed the escort vehicle as the bin did not go onto the trailer as planned.

At one point I said that we would be further ahead selling it for scrap. Well that was not well received; after all Dave had just paid a fair chunk of change to get all this metal loaded on the trailer and now he considered it a challenge to try to make this all work. I knew I was doomed and had no other choice than to go along and hope it would turn out. The Van Scoys found it all a bit entertaining to say the least.

So once it was home Dave got busy building a frame for one of the two buildings made from the sides of the bin. It was a plan as you go sort of thing and do as your told and don't ask questions ;) It took a little doing, but putting the metal back up actually went better than taking it down and hauling it home.

Again I won't bore you with the details of building the structure. I'll let you use your imagination as you look at the some of the pictures. I had some interesting captions but they really weren't fit to print ;)

So after a little time we have some semblance of a shelter that measures 15' long by 11' deep. Not as big as the tent and a bit too large for the dressage warm up. We added two rows of bleacher seats (my idea which originally wasn't well received) and there is room for 2 tables and chairs or just more chairs. Believe it or not there is seating for about 25 people. We're in the process of building a second one and now that Dave has already built one the second one will go a lot faster. One will be placed where the tent was this spring near the stabling area and dressage rings and the other one is going down by the show jumping. Although they aren't quite what I had envisioned; I think they will be very useful shelters. Let's hope we'll need them as protection from the brilliant sunshine and not the R*&%.

Next up... the gazebo type structure using he roof from the grain bin. Stay tuned for Part II of "Dave's Big Idea"

Two Projects for the Fall Event.

2011-08-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

Although the fall horse trials is a little more than a month away; we're busy getting things ready for the event. Kyle has taken on the project of stripping all the old paint off the Preliminary Barn so it can get a new paint job and a SGF Logo on the roof. I don't think he realized how long it was going to take, but he's doing a great job and all his efforts will result in a longer lasting paint job.

While Kyle is working on a cross country fence, Laura has been busy designing 2 new fences for show jumping. One is going to be the Golden Gate Bridge with a liverpool under it for Training and Prelim with an option of the waves framed by the sail boats. The old canoe which was on the Novice cross country course is getting reincarnated and coming back as a sail boat ;)


Kevin and Laura working on converting the canoe to a sailboat

Blog Updates

2011-08-15T20:01:00.000-04:00

I've finally had a few minutes to update a few blogs. Check out the Clinics and Camp Recap as well as catching up with Jack & Jill's blog and Jill's big news.

Jackie

Whew

2011-08-10T21:33:00.000-04:00

Talk about a busy last couple of weeks. First there was the new Event Camp, a Combined Test, the "Mock Event" Clinic, hosting the Tri-State Regional D rally and organizing the WRPC Mini Trials; all during longest stretch of hot and humid weather in years! Whew I'm whooped. I took a deep breath on Mon thinking things would quiet down a little when I realized that Tues was opening date for our fall recognized horse trials and I had to get started with all the projects that need to be done before then. At least I don't have things scheduled here between now and then and I may actually get to ride in an event soon ;)

I hope to have a recap of the various activities especially the camp which was a huge success and I have the pictures to prove it ;) But for now I have to focus on the Sept event. I will be making regular updates on the Competitors Corner the first of which is the announcement of the early bird discount, the Area VIII Beginner Novice & Novice Championships and the Master Beginner Novice & Novice divisions.

For those of you who are Jack and Jill fans their blog will be updated soon as Jill has some BIG news!!

That's it for now.

Jackie

South Farm Wrap Up.

2011-07-05T15:33:00.001-04:00

I can't believe that South Farm was our FIRST event of the year! It was also a first in many other ways as well: the first recognized event for Kyle's little 'red head' Creative Optimism aka Margee, first Training for Forbidden aka Pip, first event for Kevin & Tintin aka Tinners since last Sept, first time Kevin braided his own horse ;o, and the first win for Kevin and Tinners at the Preliminary level!

Sarah, Chris and the whole South Farm crew did an outstanding job providing a wonderful weekend for all who attended. The farm looked fabulous and the changes on the cross country tracks made by John Williams were well received by all. I saw a lot of smiling faces cross the finish line on Sat. Mother Nature cooperated pretty well too. There was a brief thunderstorm on Sat morning that improved the footing, the predicted temps in the 90's never materialized and the nasty thunder storms came overnight on Sat.

Because the forecast was for very high temps on Sat we were told on Fri that coats were waived for the weekend. Well we got there on Sat and it was relatively cool and decided that coats were in order. Unfortunately Kevin never packed his coat. It was quite amusing to see him in a coat that probably could have fit around him twice but barely covered his butt. Fortunately the judge didn't seem to care. Tinners was the first of our three horses to go on Sat. Kevin and Tinners were having a good warm up when one horse before he was to go all the riders were sent to the barns due to a thunderstorm. The hold ended up being a half hour and Tinners thought he was done. It was a little difficult to get him back in gear after the hold but they had steady relaxed test that needed just a little more energy and 'throughness'. But considering this was their first competition in nearly ten months Kevin was happy with the ride and the score of 35 from judge Sally O'Connor. It was good enough for a tie for 5th.

Forty minutes later Kevin was the first to go in the Training A riding my horse Pip. Pip is pretty uncomplicated to ride on the flat but he definitely keeps you honest; it is always leg to the hand and he will tell on you if you go to the hand first. Kevin managed to remember 'the rules' but Pip had to be reminded to keep coming forward and 'connected' a couple of times. The horse is capable of a better test but all in all it was a pleasant test that earned a score of 37 which was good enough for third place.

Next up was cross country for Tinners. Because of the wet spring and Kevin's busy school and work schedule he hasn't been able to do as much conditioning as he would have liked so the plan was not to go for time and take it easy on him. Well no one told Tintin about the plan and he came out with a full head of steam and ended up the same way. They skipped around the course and had a great time. Unfortunately he pulled a shoe just before the Weldon's Wall near the end of the course which explains he was a little sticky on that one. Thank goodness for the farrier on grounds and some good ol' Magic Cushion ;)

Pip was the next one on course and considering that he only did three Novice events with me last year and Kevin has only done the Lucinda Green clinic with him this spring he was quite good. The goal was to get a good educational round with NO BUCKING. At both events last year he would buck on landing in the warm up and after the first fence on course, hence Kevin moving him up instead of me. I'm getting too old for that. Success on both counts. Not a single buck!! Although he did have to take a second look at the ditch he jumped around very well and his confidence grew as he went around. A clean round would have been nice, but all in all we were quite pleased with him.

Finally it was time for Margee (Creative Optimism) to get off the trailer. Although a little unsteadiness kept her scores lower than they could have been, she is a fabulous mover with a very elastic and naturally engaged trot, Kyle was happy with how she behaved in the dressage ring and both canter departs were better than many I saw in the Preliminary tests. She was a little nervous in the cross country warm up but when she got out on the course she was all business and got better and better as she went around. No one would have ever imagined that this was her first recognized event.

Sun morning we loaded the horses back up in the trailer for show jumping. Sometimes it's really difficult to make that 50 mile drive just to show jump, now cross country would be a much different matter. Anyway when we got to South Farm and opened the horses' windows Margee couldn't believe that we had gone back up to South Farm and spent the morning hanging her head on the trailer window with her lower lip hanging.

Tinners was the first to go and Kevin was well aware that the scores were really tight, but regardless of the scores and placings he really wanted to give Tintin a good ride and leave all the sticks up. It seemed that the downhill triple right in front of the spectators was the trouble spot and that the time was rather tight. After a good warm up Kevin did his job and gave Tinners a good ride, made tight turns where he could and opened him up a little on the last long canter and ended up with a double clear. He was very pleases with his ride and sat back to watch the last two rides. Kelly Sult and the Queen of Hearts found that downhill triple rather troublesome and had both the B & C elements down so that moved them up to second. We never expected the leader Sue Hines and Corporate Crash to have a rail down and before we knew it Kevin and Tinners we atop of the leader board! You kind of feel bad for those who dropped down but then you remember all the times that you were the one to have the rail to allow others to move up and you realize that it all evens out in the end. Sue and her other horse, Flying Four Shoes did win the other Prelim division.

Pip was the next to show jump and he was a bit tired as he had missed a couple of weeks of riding due to a kick in the stifle. He did the same thing to Kevin that he did to me at Novice last year; he got in the ring and dropped behind the leg looking at everything. After a few sticky fences Kevin was able to get him 'in front of his leg' and he started jumping the fences out of stride. The ended up on a positive note looking ready to do the course again. Although not pretty, it was a clean and educational ride.

By the time it was Margee's time for show jumping she was well rested and was even more anxious in the warm up than the day before. She was quite relieved to get into the show jumping arena by herself with jumps that were a little more interesting. Kyle gave her a quiet confident ride and she had a very nice clean round. Of all three horses; Margee was the only one to finish on her dressage score.

We're looking forward to the next event.

Jackie

A Tribute to All of Our Horses

2011-06-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

I was going through some files to find something and I stumbled across a file that I had saved years ago which was misfiled under 'cross country'. Anyway I thought I would share it with all my horse loving friends.

Jackie

God gives us horses and compels some of us to love them. Yet why does the horse, an animal with such a big heart, live such a short life?

Perhaps it's because if our horses lived any longer, we wouldn't be able to bear losing them. Or, perhaps it's because God wants to jump.

Perhaps God looks down on the fine horses we raise and decides when it's His turn to ride. He gives us a few good years to care for and learn from them, but when the time is right, it's up to us to see them off gracefully.

OK, perhaps not gracefully. Blowing into a Kleenex is rarely graceful. But we can be grateful.

To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a girl courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.

Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle - or a computer - a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily, we know we've made the right choice.

Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you - you'll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You'll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll swear they're intentionally finding new ways to injure themselves.

If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know that they have unique personalities. You'd expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it. I found one of ours on the front porch one morning, eating the cornstalks I'd carefully arranged as Halloween decorations.

Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as there are people - which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.

If you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday - but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car in "drive."

In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he's fed up with how slowly you're learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences...if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all about.

If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it, you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion, in addition to basic survival skills. You'll discover just how hard you're willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn. And, while some people think the horse "does all the work", you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the closest you'll get to heaven.

You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly, but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.

If we make it to adulthood with horses still in our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our over saturated schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures.

If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals...Some of us need these reminders.

When you step back, it's not just about horses – it’s about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, or a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals bring us. When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.

We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give.

To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.

Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in return.

Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.

In the end, we're not certain if God entrusts us to our horses or our horses to us. Does it matter? We're grateful God loaned us the horse in the first place.

~Author Unknown~

Show Jumping Location Poll

2011-05-24T23:10:00.000-04:00

There is a Show Jumping location poll on the Competitors Corner. Your input is requested.

A Competitors Report From the Winona Washout

2011-05-21T08:25:00.001-04:00

I've gotten all sorts of feed back from competitors regarding Winona and I really appreciate all the kind words and support. I recently got an e-mail from a competitor that I would like to share with you on the Competitors Corner.

I'm sure her story is just one of many that we would love to hear. Remember as part of the year long Stone Gate Farm 25th Birthday celebration we will be awarding a $100 SGF certificate to the best blogs, so submit your stories now.

Jackie

Winona Washout ?

2011-05-16T09:09:00.004-04:00

After weeks of preparation and unbelievable stress the bottom finally dropped out and I crashed this afternoon (Sun). I woke up hearing it raining yet again and began to stress all over again about the event when I realized that it was over!! Well it's not really over, all the clean up and post event paperwork yet to do, but all of the competitors are gone.

Here is the recap of the Winona Horse Trials. The month of April was the wettest April on record which put us way behind schedule on course preparation. Fortunately the farm has great drainage with good soil and we only needed a few days of dry weather for conditions to be near perfect. Finally we got almost a week of beautiful dry weather and we were golden. These last week saw us frantically mowing, put fences in place, replacing old fences, building new fences, aerating, put footing around as a precaution if it should be needed, placed more gravel in the parking area and the list goes on. Although there were odds and ends to finish up the farm was ready to welcome their guests and provide them and their horses with a good competition and an enjoyable weekend. Even with rain on Thurs evening the farm and the footing was still in good shape on Fri. until the storms arrived on Fri afternoon.

The competition started with 13 young horses (yearlings to three year olds) for the Future Event Horse classes. There were several delays due to thunder and lightening. At one point we sent everyone for cover in the near by stabling barn while we waited it out. They finally were able to finish in the rain about an hour behind schedule. They are all definitely great event prospects as the boldly trotted through massive puddles and for the most part very well behaved youngsters many of which traveled more than 6 hours just for this class!


Watching the FEH classes from the cover of the tent

The high scoring FEH was Debra Shade's 3 year old gelding Bold Testamony, a TB/Connemara cross by Reputed Testamony out of Balmallo's Rhiannon and handled by Shade's daughter Sarah Kleintop with a score of 79.7. For those of you who are familiar with the two three year olds Jack and Jill who came to Stone Gate Farm last winter; they made a respectable competition debut. Jill aka Key to the Stars tied for 1st in the 3 year old fillies class with a score of 77.1 and Jack aka Collinwood Super finished 3rd in the three year old colts and geldings class with a score of 75.7.l Check out their blog the Adventures of Jack and Jill for 'the rest of the story'. Full results will be posted on the Stone Gate Farm website and pictures will be posted shortly.

After the youngsters finished I still had work to do and while I was down in the stadium area I got my first look at how much the stream had swollen with the Fri. afternoon rain. This was not good, but I though if it didn't rain anymore we might still be OK, after all cross country wasn't until Sunday. So I continued to try to get some final course preparations done until torrential rains forced me back for cover. Drenched to the bone (fortunately it was still warm) I hung out with Penne (the secretary) and friends Karen and Nancy. That's when it the reality finally hit and I knew that, with more rain predicted, we had to cancel the cross country for the safety of all of the horses and riders. Only once before in the 27 years of running events, mini trials, clinics and hunter paces have we had to cancel even a portion of a scheduled activity. I remember then feeling like I had been stood up at the alter. All the preparation done, all the high hopes, all the guests have arrived, all the money being spent and bam, the big event doesn't happen!

The Preliminary ditch before it went completely over the top and washed away ALL of the footing

Like all of the competitors we were extremely disappointed (that's an understatement) that the riders and horses weren't able to enjoy the cross country courses. Having been on the competitor end of such a situation I can appreciate their frustration. Dave and I were determined to be able to provide those competitors who came the best competition possible in the safest conditions. As after examining the stadium course and actually having Kevin ride his horse on it to see how the ground would hold with a horse on it the decision was made to move the stadium course after the completion of dressage.

To get the word out announcements were made, text messages were sent, and a meeting was held during the lunch break to discuss our plans. While we had a group together we served birthday cake to celebrate Stone Gate Farms 25th birthday to kick of the year long celebration (not quite what we had envisioned) and held the raffle drawing where a $25 gift card to Big Dees along with a SGF hat bag, personal cooler and a water bottle. Sweets and prizes always help to make things a little better. Of course the warm and dry conditions didn't hurt either. So we made our plea for competitors to meet us at 3:00 to make the change.

During lunch break I walked around the dressage ring trying to figure out how we were going to fit Leigh Fischer's great courses into the two dressage rings. I was pleased that we were going to be able to fit it all in except for one jump that was only used for two divisions anyway. Too facilitate quick course changes it was decided to run the same track with a few modifications for the various levels. While dressage was still going on Dave and a great bunch of volunteers loaded up all the standards and rails so as soon as the last horse finished dressage we were able to move right in. While Dave was giving the judge's car a jump to get it out of the ring the riders and volunteers were putting the dressage rings away; I laid out the course. Then we got busy putting rails and standards where they needed to go. It was a sight to be seen with everyone pitching in and making fast work of it all. While the TD Muffin Pantaze measured distances, competitors walked the course and I dragged the rings; Dave and his crew went back and got all the gates, boxes, wishing wells. Muffin suggested that we pull in a portable cross country fence for the riders to finish on just for fun. So Kyle got the Pink Panther (a rusted out Geo Tracker) the pull a few portables to the rings and by 4:10 we were ready to start the first horse.

For the first time all weekend I finally began to relax and enjoy the competition a little. The course was riding great, the riders were appreciative for the opportunity to jump on good footing and the sun was shinning! For a brief moment I wondered if I had made the right decision about canceling cross country, but then the predicted ominous clouds began to roll in and we had to hustle the last few riders into the ring and finished the show jumping just minutes before the skies opened up yet again.

Putting the finishing touches on the Starter Course

Each competitor had to make a decision this weekend that was the best for themselves and their horses whether they stayed home, went home before the competition started, only did dressage or stuck it out to the end and made the best of a miserable situation. In the end we had 82 of the original 125 scheduled riders trot down center line and of those only 67 show jumped Interestingly enough, it was the divisions that had the younger riders in it that most of the riders who stuck it out to the end. Click here for results. What the results don't show however, is the winner CANTER Sponsored award for the best scoring OTTB which went to Nancy Koch's lovely The Quinn Man.

My mother always taught me that "when you're handed a lemon, you made lemonade". I think we managed to do that this weekend and I am convinced more than ever that Eventers and those involved in the sport of eventing are the absolutely best people on earth. Another thing that my mother taught me is that you have to keep everything in perspective. Compared to all they other hardships so many people are going through across the country due to weather related disasters; canceling cross country is trivial.

We realize that for those who have traveled some distance that an offer for cross country schooling doesn't do you much good but we do hope that you will come back again some time and believe me when I say that in the 25 years that we have lived here, this is the wettest that our farm has ever been!!

Many thanks to all of our great volunteers especially my secretary Penne Colao who was sicker than a dog and was still here to do her job, to all of the riders and their friends who were so understanding and supportive and finally to Mother Nature. Yes you heard me right, because it could have be cold & wet and all day on Sat and we wouldn't have been able to salvage anything out of the weekend.


Overflowing water jump and uprooted bush

We may have felt a bit down like the bush in this picture, but like this bush that is already back up we are too and making plans for the next one. So while many people may think that he Winona Horse Trials was washout; there were many positive things to come out of the weekend.

We hope you'll join us for our fall event.

Dave, Jackie, Kyle and Kevin

PS Brant said that she and Pete got some great pics and that they will be posted soon

Cross Country Updates

2011-05-08T20:38:00.000-04:00

Finally a great day for getting a lot of work done. We managed to get a lot checked off the 'to do list'. Almost all of the portables are in place excluding those that will be going in the hay fields, replaced a bunch of old logs (the rock gardens near stadium, the Prelim water, and a new Beginner Novice option at the water), added a rail on the down bank for Novice, added a big fat ground line on the bank out of the water & replaced some rotting supports for the log after the ditch for Prelim. Unfortunately there still is so much to do but I feel like we're making progress.

The weather was fabulous and made for great working conditions. Looks like the next couple of days will be great for getting a lot more done. Anyone is welcome to come and pitch in ;)

Here are some pics of today's work.

Beginner Novice Water Option

New Log for Prelim Water

Big Ground-line for the Bank out of the Water

Looking for People to "Adopt a Fence"

2011-05-04T07:07:00.001-04:00

So this is what $310 can get you. I hope I don't kill them off before the event ;) Unfortunately this will only decorate a few fences ;( If anyone would like to lend a few plants or flowers for the event let me know and I'll find a fence for you to adopt.

Pipe Barn Gets a Couple of Improvements

2011-05-04T06:51:00.000-04:00

Go to the Competitors Corner to see the improvements made to the pipe barn

John Deere Tractor For Sale

2011-04-26T09:19:00.003-04:00

It's official, Dave just ordered a bigger tractor to pull his new disc bind. He needs to sell one of his tractors to help pay for the new one. Somehow this sounds a bit like upgrading horses ;)

Here are the stats:

'06 JD 5325, 2WD, OS platform, 16.9 x 30 tires, 9x3 synchro, 2SCV, 840 hours, rear weights (front weights & sprayer are not included) EXCELLENT CONDITION

Call Dave @ 330-222-2089
$19,000 OBO

Input Needed on the New Style Pinny

2011-04-25T08:41:00.001-04:00

I'm looking for input on the new style pinny (click here for more information)

Google Maps for Stadium?

2011-04-25T08:22:00.000-04:00

So with all of this wonderful weather limiting my outdoor preparation for the upcoming Winona Horse Trials, I have asked my sister Leigh to send me the stadium courses early since I will be doing the maps myself this year. I figure since I'm not a graphics arts person with all the fancy software I needed to get an early start. Only one problem ...the tracks that Leigh sends me often don't quite end up looking like the rough drafts that she sends me so how could I do the maps before the courses were set? That's when I thought about trying Google Maps like I started doing for cross country last year. Wow, I think I'm on to something without spending a small fortune on the software.

I went to Google Maps and enlarged the stadium area and got out a dry erase marker and started drawing the course directly on the computer screen. Then I started drawing the lines which measure the distances and tweaked things around to the point where I think the lay out looks pretty good and I could make fairly accurate course maps. I did have to move one fence significantly to get the distance that Leigh wanted and I would not have discovered that until we had gotten all the jumps into the field.

Time will tell if this is really going to make set up easier, but here's hoping and for now I'm a happy camper. Well that was until I realized that we have one too many jumping efforts for three of the levels and have to decide which jump has to go.

Sunday Afternoon Project

2011-03-30T16:40:00.002-04:00

I've waited years for this...landscaping around the water jump!

Dave decided that he wanted to transplant some bushes that were getting too big and pushing under the barn roof so he asked me where I wanted them. I knew just where to put them. Here's hoping that they survive!

Thank goodness for the right equipment

Tying an Anchor

Finished Product

SGF Newsletter

2011-03-30T14:14:00.000-04:00

Just in case you missed it; here's a link to the Stone Gate Farm Newsletter

The Winona Horse Trials

2011-03-30T09:59:00.001-04:00

Be sure to check Competitors Corner for Winona updates.

Jackie

Area VIII looses a familiar face

2011-03-21T08:49:00.000-04:00

Terry & Chris @ South Farm

Terry Kennedy, a long time cross country starter at many events in Area VIII died Sat night as "his COPD got the upper hand and his lungs just gave out". Arrangements are pending and no further information is available at this time.

Although not a rider, Terry stepped into the role of starter some years back when he and his wife Chris took over the duties of Chris' parents Jack & Pat Ray who won a Governors Cup for their services. Terry's smiling face and encouraging words will be greatly missed by riders and organizers alike.

Our deepest condolences to his family

Jackie

Text Message Service for the Winona Horse Trials

2011-03-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

We are happy to announce that we are offering a text messaging service for the Winona Horse Trials. For more information and signing up for the service competitors and their support crew should go to Competitors Corner and volunteers go to Volunteer Views

Survey Results AND More Input Needed ASAP

2011-03-09T22:34:00.003-05:00

The results are in from the survey regarding the tent near the stabling area and considering it was our first survey I'm pleased with the number of responses. Basically 70 % think it's a good while others aren't sure or wouldn't be using it because they don't stable or they aren't competitors. Most if the respondents were Mini Trials competitors, followed by Horse Trials & Hunter Pace coming in a close 2nd and 3rd. It was close between the canopy (45%) and a tent (55%) but most agreed on the size of 20' x 30' or larger. As for the location, no surprise that people wanted it closer to the food (45%) as compared to the location near the drive (32%) with the location by the pond a distant third (20%). With the recent rains, it became quite apparent that the site up on a hill near the drive is the best location and we will try to locate the food booth closer to the tent ;)

Now for my next request...Stone Gate Farm / Winona Horse Trials is going to be the featured event in the new 'event preview' in the April issue of the USEA News. I have been asked a few questions that I think I know the answers to but I thought I should ask those whose opinion really counts, yours! I'd appreciate your response ASAP as we're on a deadline.
        1. What’s a familiar aspect of the events that the competitors have grown to love and appreciate?
                2. What unique about these events and your facility?
        3. What sets it apart from other events?
        4. What’s the atmosphere like?
5. Anything else that you would like to add

We are only allowed to use one picture. Which one do you think we should use?

Thanks for your input.

Jackie


# 1 'Reflections'

# 2 Simon's Butterfly Garden

Small things you would like to see ....

2011-02-28T10:11:00.001-05:00

Check out the new post on the Competitors Corner. Let's get the dialog going. If we don't hear from you we don't know what's on your mind.

Jackie

New Pages on the SGF Blog & Stone Gate Farm Celebrates 25 Years!

2011-02-25T16:02:00.001-05:00

The following pages have been added to the SGF blog:

In order to have these pages interactive where people can make comments on posts I had to make new blogs for each of the pages. You will be able to easily link to any of the above blogs from the SGF blog home page or any of the pages listed above .

Now all I need is people to participate. If you have a story that you would like to share or you have any questions please send them to SGFblog@stonegatefarm.org . We really would like to see your pics too especially if it's from one of our earlier events. I would love to see pictures from years gone by especially since we will be celebrating 25 years of owning Stone Gate Farm in May.

As part of the year long celebration we are going to feature the 'best blog' from each category every month in the SGF Newsletter. At the end of the season we will have our viewers vote on their favorite blog. We're currently working on prizes for the best blogs in each category in celebration of 25 years of Stone Gate Farm.

In addition to the 'best blog' contest, every rider and volunteer who participates in any activity @ Stone Gate Farm will receive a raffle ticket to some great prizes. All you have to do is show up and ride or help and you'll get a ticket each time.

What better way to get through the latest snow storm than to reminisce about for favorite activity at what I hope is one of your favorite farms!

Be sure to become a follower of Stone Gate Farm's blog so you can easily be kept up to date.

Dave & Jackie

Your input on type, size and location is requested

2011-02-20T11:27:00.000-05:00

Since we now have a food booth in the stabling area and with the clinics and camps we hold we thought it would be nice to have a place where people could comfortably hang out while being able to see what's going on. Originally I wanted to put up a building, but that isn't in the budget right now so we're thinking of buying a tent that we can sufficiently anchor down so it won't blow away like the many EZ up tents that we have lost in the past. I'm going to put out a survey to get some input from the people who will actually be using it, that would be you. Before I do the survey I'm going to explain a few of the pros and cons to help you make an educated decision.

Canopy

The first decision is tent or canopy. I've posted pics of both but if you have the time and want to check out the specs here is the link to the canopies and here's a link for the tents link to the tents.

The next decision is the size. The canopy sizes that I'm considering are: 10' x 20', 10' x 30', 18' x 20', 18' x 30', and 18' x 40'. The tent sizes that I'm considering are: 20' x 20', 20' x 30' or 20' x 40'.

Tent

Keep in mind that these tents will be put up for the entire season and in addition to competitions they will be used during Pony Club lessons, clinics and camps.

Now for the big question, where do we put it? I have three proposed sites. The picture will show you where the proposed sites are starting at the right near the drive and going clockwise. The X marks where the food trailer is located and the porta jons are to the east (right of the food trailer.

Proposed sites are marked with a black line

Site # 1 is on top of a hill directly next to the driveway. The pros of this location are: close access to the driveway (many advantages), out of the way in regards to the cross country course, relatively close to the food trailer,barns and porta jons, good view of the dressage arenas, good view of the cross country fences in the area including the water, ditches and more, close to the arenas which make it handy for clinics and camps. The cons for site #1 are: relatively close to the dressage arenas which may distract the horses, may have to limit the size of the tent or do some excavating to make a suitable size site.

Site # 2 is behind the pasture fence to the south of the pond and near the ditch jumps. The pros of this location: close to the food trailer, porta jons and barns, out of the way in regards to the dressage while still having a fairly good view, can see cross country fences in the area, relatively close to the arenas for clinics and camps, protected from the wind and a small pond behind it. The cons for site # 2 are: somewhat inconvenient access, close to the ditch jumps and may cause a distraction, the site is lower and the view of the water jump and dressage is not as good as site # 1, limited space which will limit the size of the tent and may lack a breeze on hot days.

Site # 3 is right next to the pond. The pros for this site : a pleasant location to hang out, view of dressage rings (hopefully Dave has trimmed the limbs enough for a good view), good view of cross country fences and can see more jumps in the pasture than sites 1 & 2, plenty of room to put any size tent, and it is more accessible to spectators who park up near the house.The cons for location # 3 is that it is further from the food, porta jons, the barns and the arenas (especially for clinics and camps), and people would have to access this site by crossing the cross country track.

As you can see, there are pros and cons to all of the sites. I'm hoping you can help me out with your input. If I don't hear from you, you'll be stuck with what I choose ;)

The survey is located to the right of the post and will be open for 2 weeks. Thanks for your input.

Jackie

The Febuary Thaw

2011-02-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

With the recent warm temps I've started walking around beginning to plan the cross country tracks for Winona. I happened to have a camera with me and thought you might be interested in seeing what the Prelim ditch and creek crossing looks like after a big thaw. The ditch is 4 poles deep BTW.

The picture to the right is looking east and the snow covered field in the background is the hay field where cross country starts in the spring and Prelim & Training finish. The picture below is looking west. By Fri most of the snow was melted.

All the snow must have come before the ground froze solid and insulated the ground because the tile lines were running a steady stream of close to 4". With the wind Fri and Sat things are drying up quite nicely. Too bad winter isn't over yet but this was a welcome reprieve from all the cold, snow and more recently the ICE.

The lack of ice and frozen ground found the four geldings running and bucking like wild men. A lot of pent up energy and frustration. Fortunately I had changed them from turnout blankets to sheets because they got pretty warm. But not to worry, they found a good way of cooling off ! ;)

Stay tuned, we have some big plans to unveil soon.
Jackie

Welcome to the Stone Gate Farm Blog

2011-02-19T13:58:00.002-05:00

Hi All and welcome to the Stone Gate Farm blog. After helping Jack and Jill with their blog The Adventures of JAck and Jill ; I decided that a blog would be an easy way to keep everyone updated on SGF activities. This is not in place of the newsletter or the website or even Facebook for that matter; it's just another avenue for better communication with our customers and friends.

So stay tuned and be sure to become a 'follower' so you can get an e-mail when something new has been posted. The first installment will be posted later today.

Jackie