Fun Facts

A Tale of Two Jacks

Fall 2009 Iron Bridge Horse Trails

Chris and All Jacked Up On a cool and sunny Saturday morning two riders from Merry Acres Farm in Glenelg made their way to the Iron Bridge Horse Trials in Olney, Md. A light rain the night before hadn’t dampened their mood or their expectations.

Chris Marchetti, Merry Acres Farm manager and Kris “Cousin” Lenes with the two Jacks were entered in the Novice and Beginner Novice classes respectively. Chris was the first to go and had a solid dressage test (44) and then a clear jumping round with All Jacked Up clearing the fences with plenty of air. Kris, with Black Jack then went, and despite a warm up session were Jack was quite nervous, put in an identical score of 44. The stage was set for the two of them to push on and get in the ribbons.

Kris and Black Jack While Chris doesn’t ride with me, I felt her heroic efforts deserved coverage! Her cross country ride went smoothly with the unflappable All Jacked Up coming home clear and landing her a second place finish. Meanwhile, Kris and the somewhat flabbable Black Jack, were flying around the jumping ring and registered a clear round with no time faults. Onto cross country for Black Jack and another clear round, and despite a couple of time faults, another second place finish. And so with the sun rising high in the October sky, the show drew to a close, with two second place finishes for Chris and Kris and Jack and Jack. Peanut did a wonderful job as groom – we just have to figure out who took the jam out of her doughnut. Now if I could only find the lens cap to my camera’s zoom lens – Chelsea are you reading this?

Featured Lesson

The Disconnected Horse
by Tim Lewthwaite

Do you have a horse that hangs on the bit and feels like he is pulling you around the ring?

Does he get strong when you canter? And do your shoulders or arms end up aching during and after a ride? You may even have considered getting a harsher bit to get the horse out of your hands.

Lesson Continued