A Bit About Us

Hello!

I hope this posting finds everyone well and with happy horses! I thought I would give everyone a bit of information about Clifden (clif), Vitesse (Tess), and myself.
I am currently a college senior at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina (otherwise known as Alaska!). I have a major in psychology with a concentration in business and have been on the Dean's List the past 3 semesters while keeping 2 horses going full force, lucky for me that I have the best family in the world (my friends are great as well!).

This year has started out very busy, I am taking 18 hours this semester in order to graduate on time..oops :). This year's cold has been brutal and the snow has been incredible! We have had over 68'' in Boone, and yes this is in North Carolina! Luckily, my horses live at home where the snow has been much less, but still somewhere around 30''+! As I mentioned above, my family is great! My grandparents bred, raced and housed Clif until he was nearly four when I got him. He was decent on the track, but had a unfortunate tendon strain that sent him packing! Lucky for me! Tess, was also a very spoiled resident of my grandparents farm (Snooty Fox Farm) in Florida for 4 years until she came up to the rural world of NC to be broke. My Mom and Dad are great, they are so supportive and helpful! My mom feeds and keeps everyone happy and going when I'm at school 3 days a week, how lucky am I!?

I cannot forget my trusty dog Kinley! I found Kinley living in a manure pile while working in Southern Pines. She has turned out slighty better than you would have thought coming from a poop pile! She accompanies me on all my trots (poor dog! those take almost 45 minutes sometimes!) and my gallops (she usually stops to watch by the second 5 minute round!). Most importantly, she is also extremely talented at getting me run away with!

Clif is the wild, fun boy of the farm. He would definately be the class clown/bully/star athlete/everybody's boyfriend. He's the whole package of that kid in school we all couldn't figure out if we liked or not! But, as it stands now, I think he's pretty great. It has definately been a long road for him to get to where he is. He has had several nasty injuries and at one point even neurological problems, but seems to keep coming back stronger, happier, and more sane (thank god!). He completed his first (and my first!) long format CCI* in October at Mid-South where he was absolutely foot perfect and finished 6th. He started the year out excellent with a win at Pinetop II H.T. in the prelimb/training division, finishing on his dressage score of 30.5! Clif is very much looking forward to starting his career as an intermediate horse in April at the BEAUTIFUL Chatt Hills in April.

Tess is the queen of the land, or actually the princess! She was broke as a 4 year old and had a bit of slow start due to a very large buck (she is an Aberjack baby!). She started her career out fabulously finishing 7th at her 2nd event and 1st novice at Virginia HT, and going on to win her 3rd novice start to finish at Champagne Run HT on her dressage score of 30 in a division of over 25 horses, what a good princess! Tess is all woman; everything about her is big, except for her body--biggest heart, biggest attitude, biggest jump and biggest stride! She's a blast to ride as long as you keep signing happy songs in your head while your doing flat work. She has started out this spring with a happy outlook on life-- jumping fabulously and her flat work is coming along well, not too much more I could ask of her. Tess is the resident ADD horse, NOTHING escapes her attention and when she has something to focus on watch out! She is also the resident cookie stealer, as she has learned that she can knock over the cookie jar! She then proceeds to just go to town because it will take me atleast 10 seconds to stop her and she can get atleast 10 cookies in her mouth by that point! Tess ended 2009 on a high note with a win at Virginia HT in prelimb! She also started out the year well in the training division at Pinetop II, her placing didn't show it but she was great; her flat work is seriously improved, her XC was forward and she jumped great, and her show jumping was very calm and happy, maybe a bit too calm as we had a bump on a rail!
Hope everyone stays warm, happy, and healthy!
Hillary