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A Bit About Me and my Horse(s): I was bitten by the eventing bug in the early 70's while attending summer camp in northern Virginia (North Fork School of Equitation). I talked my way into being a working student at Morven Park between my Junior and Senior year of high school in order to get more event specific training. I have to say though that over the years I am so grateful for the 3 summers I spent at North Fork learning the Forward Seat tradition of training and riding and I have utilized much of what I learned there, especially in teaching beginners and training green horses. I return to that whole philosophy on a regular basis, no matter what stage of training and competing I am at.
After one year of the equine program at the Agricultural Technical Institute of Ohio State in Wooster, I went to and graduated from Morven Park in 1977 with an instructor certificate. I worked several months in the Poconos, returned to Cincinnati for several months while trying to find another position as an instructor. I ended up in North Gower, Ontario (as a landed immigrant...eventually!) at Spiritwood Farm for 5 and a half years. I have worked in the graphics industry since the mid-80's. The horses are much more fun as a hobby.
My homebred gelding, Freddie, is now retired to a life as a pasture ornament in northern Ohio, a home I was so very lucky to find for him. He took me into Preliminary eventing in the late 80's to mid-90's and was everything I could hope for: bold and generous beyond belief to put up with my short-comings. We went on to hunting in Ohio, with a couple of seasons living out in Colorado where we hunted with Bijoux Springs Hunt (about the only thing I liked about living there). I hunted and then trail rode him once we moved back to cincinnati. Next May will be his 30th birthday!
I bought Dean (aka Lockbourne, show name; raced as Devious Wish), my OTTB in 2007 after he raced 54 times, still sound and with good legs. What I didn't realized, this being the first OTTB I've had: if you buy a horse raced that much, you can guarantee that he LOVES to run! Mind you, he had a very good upbringing for much of his career (thus, the good temperament) and actually gallops in a group much better than by himself, when I think he figures it's time to breeze! He has turned out to be the perfect project that I wanted. Wonderful mind, sweet as pie and would climb in my pocket to go home with me if he could.
As usual with all of my horses, he must be versatile. He's a trail horse, a hunt horse (he loves whipping-in because he can gallop hither and yon), an event horse (twice) and we're working on the dressage and jumping. It really is the training I enjoy most, so competing takes a back seat now. Competing has gotten so expensive that I just can't get to wound up it. And I'm not as young as I once was so I do what I can, when I can and what I can afford.

Country: United States

Do you have any pets?: My horse and my cat

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At 4:52pm on December 30, 2010, Jackie Cochran said…: Did you get to try any of the deserts in Kay's Sinfully Delicious cookbook? She kept tempting us with chocolate cheese-cake, but did not get around to making it before I left. Did she actually let you clean her cast iron frying pans?

I was a residential student during the fall of 1977 (carrying my newborn son in a pack while I did chores).

So you went to MP, I got my first horse from two graduates of the 1st year class at MP (Sharon?, and a lady who was recovered from polio, at Deerfield Horse Center in Va.), that was in 1970. It took me one week at NF to ditch all the MP/Mussler stuff, hey, I was an elementary rider with a just gelded 5 yr. green-broke Anglo-Arab, I had absolutely no business doing the MP stuff! Thanks to the FS I managed not to ruin my wonderful first horse. People used to think I did not know how to ride because my horse was so calm, cooperative, obedient, supple, etc., etc., you know!

Due to the effects of my then undiagnosed MS I never got to compete in 3Day as I wanted to. Before then I wanted open jumping. However the MS was well on its way to destroying my balance by the time I got my first horse, in fact Kay Russell was the very first person who ever noticed that there was something WRONG with my balance. Due to this I never got secure in jumping though I worked at it for over a decade. Ironically my first horse, green broke, who I was training to jump while I was trying to learn how to jump became a pretty reliable jumper, in spite of me! I just never felt like I was in synch with the jump.

I've always come back to the FS. I get better results, faster, on a happier horse. It is due to FS that I can still do remedial training of horses inspite of my considerable handicaps. FS RULES!!!!

At 6:06pm on December 29, 2010, Jackie Cochran said…: Who did you get to take lessons from at North Fork? I got most of mine from Kay Russell as a residential student for 3 months, now I try and get one or two a year from Karen Fenwick, she now has the school up in Md..

At 5:48pm on December 29, 2010, Jackie Cochran said…: Hi Carrie, I finally found another North Forks-er here! Kay Russell fixed my seat better and faster than anyone before or since. I always come back to the FS, the horses appreciate it and put up with me better.