Congratulations to Iamlucia on being invited by the USEF to compete at the East Coast Hunter Breeding Championships Labor Day weekend at the Warrenton Horse Show in Warrenton, VA.  Last year as a 2 year old Lucia competed there and came in 8th place in the East Coast Championships.  We are so excited and proud that we were invited to compete her this year as a 3 year old.  We’ll keep you posted on results! 

Keri, who first joined us this spring through the Freedom Recreation Services riding program, has now started taking lessons on a regular basis.  Her first day at the barn she was nervous and only wanted to ride the smallest horse we had, Rannita.  Now she rides Geronimo (our biggest horse at 17hh!) for her lessons.  We are so proud of what Keri has accomplished.  She has written us an essay about riding and I’d like to share it with all of you…Enjoy!

“At first, before I got the hang of riding Geronimo I was afraid to get on him.  But when I got on him I wasn’t afraid to get on him.  Also after getting on him he made me happy and also he made me feel brave.  When I have lessons and when they are over I can’t wait until the next lesson.  And so when they are over I give him a treat to eat to tell him he did a good job.  Now we are at the end.  Here’s how much I really enjoy Geronimo…he’s a funny horse and he is a lovable horse. I really love him!” 

Lily aboard Ransom in Leadline with Claire

On Sunday July 13th we attended the Canterbury Horse Show in Cazenovia, NY.  Lily showed Ransom for the first time in Leadline and came away with a hard earned 5th place ribbon!  Nikki rode beautifully in the Novice divisions on Lucky.  Breanne also competed on Ransom for the first time in the Maiden Walk Trot division.  She took a 3rd in Equitation, 4th in Under Saddle, won the Pleasure class and came in Reserve Grand Champion!  Congrats to all riders and THANK YOU to Lizz for being so generous with Ransom and to Pat for letting us take Lucky as well! 

Breanne and Ransom!

Team Affleck is pretty in pink! Chris and Shadow, Betsy and Chance, Claire and Geronimo, Lizz and Ransom, Jeff and Mason. 

On Saturday July 12th, “Team Affleck” attended a Limestone Creek Hunt ride hosted by Hobbit Hollow right here in Skaneateles.  Despite the heat,  we all enjoyed a wonderful ride with wonderful people.  Lizz joined us for the first time on her darling horse, Ransom.  Jeff took his sweet horse, Mason, on his maiden voyage with us as well.  This was also Betsy’s first LCH event!  After the ride, we were all treated to a lovely brunch.  Thanks so much to Hobbit Hollow for being such generous hosts!  We are really looking forward to more trail rides, hunter paces, and, of course, hunts, courtesy of LCH. 

Most horse crazy individuals, like me, read everything we can get our hands on if it remotely has any thing to do with horses! To keep us all in the loop on good horse reads, I’ve asked my riders to do book reviews on any horse books they recommend.  Elise, one of my most dedicated riders, has just finished reading Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan.  She HIGHLY recommends this book! Read her review and if you would like to purchase Paint the Wind click on this link:  http://www.amazon.com/Paint-Wind-Pam-Munoz-Ryan/dp/0439873622

Enjoy!

Paint the Wind Review
 
In the beginning there was a horrible accident which had a bad ending. Death!! Therefore, this girl named Maya had to go to her Grandmothers house to live and she got the best life that her grandmother wanted for her. However, she never new her mother that well because her Grandmother did not like her. She had to change schools a lot and had so many house cleaners in her life. Then one horrible day it changed. It started with a heart attack by her Grandmother and it ended up with her DEATH!! In between each chapter there was another story happening and it will go together in the end. However, it was about a horse named Artemisia. She had two foals the first one died at birth the other survived. Then she took care of him and called him Klee and he never left her. She took him to the herd and was greeted with joy. 
Since Maya’s Grandmother died she went to live with her uncle, grandfather, and aunt. There names were Aunt Vi, Uncle Fig and Grandfather Moose. They took her in like her parents wanted. Then they took her to there camp called Sweetwater it was lovely out there and she found out she had a cousin named Payton he had 3 brothers. He loved to play pranks on everyone. Maya took riding lessons there and they loved to have her there. She wanted to leave at first but after a while, she loved it there. She found out that her mother had a horse and it was free so she wanted to see her and when she did, she saw the baby. She thought that they were so cute and the herd. Then people came to gather horses and the herd ran. Then after they noticed that Artemisia and Klee were not there. Therefore, they went looking for them and they did not find them at all. Then one day Payton fell and lost a tooth and Aunt VI took him to the Dentist to get it fixed.
Maya was left alone at the camp and when she looks in the desert to see if she could spot the horses she did. Therefore, she mounted up to go after them. When she got there the ground began to shake it was a earthquake!! Therefore, she fell and her horse ran but Artemisia stayed with her when it was over she saw Klee on the ground dead he was attacked by a mountain lion. She noticed her arm was cut badly and she broken her ankle and couldn’t move. After the 7 or 6 day, she was able to get on Artemisia and rode to camp.
When she reached there was nothing there so she went to the other campsite by foot and left Artemisia at the old and found everyone there. She was taken the hospital and was treated for her wounds. After a month, she was better and she went back. Her Aunt and her went for a trail ride and Maya new that Artemisia wanted to be free so she let her go when she let her go she said “ We will see each other again I promise”
 
THE END
 
Read and written by
Elise Morgan