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. 

Every fall upstate New York hosts one of the most prestigious equestrian events of the year…The Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament.  The show is ran by John Madden, famous trainer, horse show manager, and of course husband to Olympic Show Jumping Gold Medalist, Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY.  The competition hosts a Grand Prix show jumping competition, the ASPCA Maclay Equitation Finals, and this year will be hosting the classes formally held at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden.  With that, I am proud to say that Dr. Robert Kiltz’s CNY Healing Arts Wellness Center and Spa will be a major corporate sponsor of the event, which includes having a team of riders on Friday evening’s big Corporate Challenge jumper class.   I am so excited that we will get to be a part of supporting this great equestrian happening!  I am also thrilled to announce that Chris and Jeff have generously sponsored a ringside VIP table at the show for Claire Affleck Training!  I can not thank them enough for their support of myself and the barn.  

Beezie Madden aboard Authentic

Pat and Breanne were real troopers this weekend at the Bridle Path Manor Horse Show at the NYS Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY.  Both riders kept their cool in the 90 degree heat while competing their horses. 

Pat had fabulous hunter rounds over fences on his beautiful mare, Suki.  She is jumping great, getting her lead changes, and we are really looking forward to competing her more seriously in the jumper divisions in the near future.  Pat is doing an excellent job brining this green, but fancy mare along in her training!

Breanne showed Rannita in the walk-trot division and came away a 3rd and two 4th place finishes.  Breanne showed great horsemanship skills in the ring because she not only had the extreme heat to deal with but she also had to deal with Rannita accidently cantering on her! Oops! Breanne rode through it, got her back to a trot, and finished her class. Nice ride!

We all survived the heat, learned alot, had great rides, and are looking forward to the next Classic Series show on July 13th at Canterbuy Stables in Cazenovia, NY.

Anthony loves Geronimo!

Micha and his new best friend, Rannita!

May 31st was the first of 4 spring sessions of horseback riding for children involved in the Freedom Recreation Program of Auburn, NY.   Claire Affleck Training is the lucky host of this wonderful program.  All of the children had great rides on our saintly horses; Rannita, Thunder, and Geronimo. 

A big ”THANK YOU!” goes out to the owners of these horses, Daryll Wolford (Rannita’s owner), Traci Uyehara (Thunder’s owner), and Dr. Robert Kiltz (Geronimo’s owner). 

We welcome volunteers to join us each week. Thank you to the volunteers that helped out the past two weekends…we all had such a great time and couldn’t do it without you!  

Some of the kids have participated in the riding program for years and for others it was their first time in the saddle.  We were so proud that the new riders all were brave enough to climb on board! 

Skaneateles Talk wrote a great blog post on our program! Thank you!

http://skaneatelestalk.com/2008/06/15/freedom-riders-at-claire-affleck-training/

Also featured on http://mindbodysmile.com

Breanne leads Thunder with Heather holding Robyn on for her first ride!

Elise gives Selena a ride on her favorite horse, Rannita!

 Look no hands! Elise and Keri having fun with Rannita!

Jared taking Geronimo back to the barn for water after a hot ride. 

Traci and Nikki, both volunteers, take a break on Thunder in the shade.

On Saturday May 17th Claire, along with Chris Lego and Rick Signor attended (and ended up winning the 5 mile division)  the Limestone Creek Hunter Pace in Cazenovia, NY.  Claire rode Geronimo, a Friesian cross owned by Dr. Robert Kiltz.  Chris rode her pony Shadow and Rick was on Chance, Chris’s new Connemara/Thoroughbred cross!  It was a beautiful morning for a ride and the views of the upstate NY hills were spectacular.  We all had a great time and are looking forward to more LCH events!