Send Me Dancing, a.k.a. "Bleu", is an 8 year old, 16.2H Thoroughbred, who came off the track in August 1999. After training him for the better part of a year, our trainer (Trish Ringgold) sold him to us. Check out his pedigree.

The first show of the 2002 show season was a Combined Test at our home barn, Winds Reach. It was time to try out the new USEA Novice Test C for Beginner Novice dressage and jump a stadium course with some new jumps recently added. Jess and Bleu rode a steady dressage test and were in second place by one penalty point. In stadium, a clear round with no time penalties would assure her of no less than second place.

Stadium was ridden in the same order as the dressage tests, so Jessica was unable to see the first place rider because that ride went immediately before Jess. Darlene Ehlers had a refusal at the first fence, so Jessica only needed to go clean and without faults to win the division. Jess and Bleu DID go clean and under the time, to win the gold medal. Darlene (also a student of Trish Ringgold's) dropped to second and Stacy Crock (ANOTHER student of Trish's) placed third. Notice the picture of the three medalists above left.

Jess and Bleu rode in their first recognized USEA Horse Trial over Memorial Day weekend (2002) in Wisconsin at the Silverwood Spring Horse Trials. They traveled with her trainer, Trish Ringgold, riding Jackson, and Darlene Ehlers, riding Mystic. The weekend started when all arrived Friday evening for schooling and the cross country walk. The weather was sunny, but windy and cool.

Saturday morning started rainy and in the 50s. Darlene had forgotten a raincoat, so the grooms (Jeff Riecke and Patti Jakoubek) found a couple of raincoats for Darlene and Jess. Fortunately for Jess' class, the rain stopped prior to the beginning of her warm-up. Thankfully, rider and tack stayed dry. Bleu pranced through the puddles, lifting his hind legs extremely high, but he was at least willing to move forward. The ring Jessica was to ride in was running behind schedule, so warm-up wound up being a bit longer than originally planned.

The ride in front of the judge was very steady, even though Bleu broke into a canter for about one stride in the first trot circle. He came right back and continued on. The test consisted of mostly 7s, with an 8 on her entry and a 6 or two, but very steady overall. When dressage scores were posted, Trish was first with a 29.5, Jess was second with a 32, and Darlene was third with a 36.

The cross country course originally was to consist of 15 fences on an easy course for horses out for the first time at Beginner Novice. However, the morning rain on Saturday prompted the organizers to remove one fence that had iffy footing before the rain. Having left jump 14 on course would have been bordering on dangerous. The time window was 4:24 to avoid speed faults and 5:04 to avoid time faults.

Of the three in the Chesapeake Central Equestrian group, Jess and Bleu were the last team to go. The picture above left is the team coming off the last fence on course. Jess is trying to read the (tiny) numbers on her regular watch. She WILL have a true event watch before the next event. Her time: 4:26 -- only 2 seconds over the MINIMUM time -- and they had NO refusals for a clean round. Jess maintained her second place standing with the ride.

For Stadium on Sunday, the day dawned sunny and clear, and the forecast was for temperatures in the 70s. The concerns on course were a couple of funny-looking jumps with plant matter around the outside, a PINK jump, a 33' combination that Trish thought would be best jumped from a trot to make it a 2-stride, and just making sure Bleu knew what his job was.

Rides were in reverse order of finish, so Jess and Bleu were next to last. Darlene went immediately before Jessica and had a clear round with no time faults. Jess and Trish did the same. SO -- when all was said and done, the three competitors finished on their dressage scores! What a great time out for the first recognized Horse Trial! (Photo credit:Robyn Adair Cook, copyright © 2002 -- used with permission)

The last weekend in July (2002) found the team in Morrison, Illinois, for the Hidden Hollow Horse Trials. Friday afternoon for schooling was typical Midwest weather -- hot and sticky. However, overnight and into Saturday morning, the weather turned, and the competition venue received between 1 and 2 inches of rain. The dressage arena turned into an enormous mud puddle. The good news is that Jess and Bleu didn't have to ride in the rain. (Photo credit: XpressFoto, copyright © 2002 -- used with permission)

Warm up went pretty well for the team, considering the conditions. However, during Jessica's ride, the wind picked up a temporary awning and collapsed the entire set canopy, just happening to occur as Bleu was completing a canter circle in front of the judge. He scooted a bit under Jess, and wound up breaking to a trot. They would up with a score of 33.5, good for 5th place after dressage.

All the rain caused concern for the organizers and whether or not to run cross country on Saturday. It was decided to run both XC and Stadium on Sunday, due to concerns about footing and the new Beginner Novice course through the woods.(Photo credit: XpressFoto, copyright © 2002 -- used with permission)

On Sunday, Stadium ran first. The course asked some reasonably difficult questions, and placings changed. The 1st place rider in Jess' division was 12 seconds over the optimum time. Bleu went clean and under the time limit, so they moved up to 3rd place, and within 2 points of 1st place.

By the time cross country rolled around, the weather was hot and sticky again. Members of our party were placed around the course for photo and video opportunities, plus the more important ice packs for the horses and drinks for the competitors when they completed the course. Jess talked to Bleu through the entire course, and a "Woo-hoo!" told Mom that the ride had gone clean and within the time limits. There was no change in placings, but the 2nd place rider had 2 seconds in time penalties, so Jessica and Bleu wound up in 3rd place, but .2 points from a second place finish. (Photo credit: XpressFoto, copyright © 2002 -- used with permission)

The last weekend in September was the final competition for Jessica and Bleu in 2002, at the Wayne Horse Trials in Wayne, Illinois. This also happened to be the Region IV Beginner Novice Championships, which the team had qualified for based on their top three finishes at their two previous competitions. The weather was perfect and the facilities were wonderful.

Jessica's ride time wasn't until around 11:00 a.m., so there was plenty of time to get nervous, renew friendships, or walk the cross country course one more time. Jess took advantage of all the positive aspects. In watching her dressage ride in the midst of the other championship competitors, it appeared to her supporters that she had the best overall ride. When scores were posted seemingly decades later, it turned out the judge agreed. She scored a 34.5, several points ahead of the nearest competitor.

Cross country went in the afternoon. Once again, a beautiful facility, and a well laid out course, if not a little too easy for a championship competition. Jess and Bleu went in the middle of the pack and were off to a fine start.

For whatever reason, the team must have decided they were back at the racetrack, because they came in 24 seconds under the MINIMUM time, resulting in 9.6 time penalties, and raising their score to 44.1 and dropping them to 3rd place. Jess was understandably upset with herself, but with perspective she has concluded that she is ready to move up to Novice next year.

Overnight Saturday and into early Sunday morning, a light rain fell. Upon walking the course, the footing seemed as if it would be unaffected. The course seemed to ask some interesting questions.

Unfortunately, either all the riders were extremely well prepared for a championship competition or the stadium course was very easy. No one had runouts, knockdowns or time penalties in the Jessica's class. SO -- the team finished in 3rd place in the USEA Beginner Novice Championships. We are extremely proud of Bleu, Jessica and all their hard work!