It feels so good just to write that word: spring! After one of the longest, snowiest winters in memory, we are seeing green (although there is still plenty of mud). The horses, who suffered sore feet from the icy pastures all winter, are reveling in their verdant, soft fields and feeling quite frisky.

Ellie, Alastair and I had the good fortune to spend the month of March down south. It took some time for us to get the trailer, loaded with three horses, off its icy patch and down the slippery driveway February 28, but we made it to Aiken, South Carolina, where we spent three weeks while Ellie competed at local horse trials and trained with some wonderful professionals.

Ellie and Woodstock had the opportunity to train at Pine Top Horse Trials with Woody’s former owner, four-star eventer Amy Tryon. Even though they were a little off their game in the dressage, the pair finished their first Preliminary competition in seven months. The next weekend, Ellie and Roo trained with Bonnie Mosser at Jumping Branch and took ninth, again at Prelim. Bonnie also trained Ellie at her wonderful facility, getting her ready to ride both horses in her first Intermediate division at Sporting Days’ Combined Test mid-March, where Woody took a third and Roo a fifth place. She rode both horses at the Prelim level again at Southern Pines Easter weekend and took seventh on Roo.

Our wonderful month south culminated in a great showing for Ellie and Woody in their first Intermediate horse trials together at Morven Park in Virginia. Under the tutelage of Missy Ransehousen (who took third on her mount Critical Decision in April’s Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event), the pair not only completed the more challenging level, but took a fifth in the open division, competing against professional riders!

We had to head home after that, but our season has just begun: two weeks later, we hit the road again, this time headed for Maryland, where Ellie and Woody did a one-star at Fair Hill. Cheered on by Team MacPhail—brothers Cameron and Alastair, father Angus, and cousin Duncan and his children, Pemma and Alisdair—Ellie and Woody took third, just three-tenths of a point behind three-time Rolex winner and Olympic silver medalist Kim Severson. The placing qualified Ellie and Woody for the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships to be held in Colorado in July and the American Eventing Championships in Illinois in September.

Our next stop is the Virginia Horse Trials in mid-May, where Ellie and Woody will compete at Intermediate again. Roo, in the meantime, is spending time in Virginia with trainer Mimi Combs, who is assessing his ability to move up to Intermediate.

Upcoming clinics...

Mimi will be here May 30 for her third clinic. Any riders interested in learning the ropes with this wonderful instructor can access the registration form online. A second clinic will be held June 21-23 with Canadian Olympian Bruce Mandeville, our excellent trainer, who heads the Equine Science program at Otterbein. I am happy to field questions about the clinic. Call my cell phone at 614-560-7633.

Combined training, horse trials...

While we were at Fair Hill, Stephanie (Mas) Eurez was doing a great job managing the first in a series of events she is staging at Redtail Ridge. Feedback from those who participated in the combined test and cross-country schooling was unanimously positive and we look forward to her next event on May 18, the day after the Rocky Fork Headley Hunt hunter pace will be held here.

Foxhunting clinic...

May 3 was an historic day for the hunt, when we held a ribbon-cutting at the beautiful, new kennels in Gahanna. I had the honor of helping out in my new position as joint Master of Foxhounds. The hunt plans to hold a Gateway to Foxhunting clinic again late this summer when riders can learn about the protocol and practices and get their horses prepared for entry into the hunt field. Please contact me if you are interested in participating.

~ Sally Crane