Crazy excited to announce that Wesley and I have moved to Elvenstar Farm with Jim Hagman in Moorpark, California to finish my last junior year. I cannot thank everyone enough at Thumbs Up Farm for being so supportive for the past two and a half years and to John Turner for making this move possible. I am thrilled to continue being a working student at Elvenstar and continue to learn and grow as a horseman. I look forward to showing along the west coast next year and making the most out of my final junior year. Again, none of this would have been possible without the endless support from the entire team at Thumbs Up Farm including John Turner, Quinn Partridge, Keri Bailey, and Gillian Baird. Of course, thank you also to my parents for allowing me to pursue this opportunity and supporting me throughout this journey. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what is to come in this next chapter of my riding career!
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Grateful
photography courtesy of Viola Mitchell
One day, I was browsing Equestriancoach.com, and I decided to look at Bernie Traurig’s clinic sessions. Who knows? Maybe there’s a clinic near me. Much to my surprise, two weeks from then, there was a Bernie Traurig clinic at Farpoint Farms in Maltby, about a 30-minute drive from Thumbs Up Farm. I knew it was a long shot since it was such short notice, but I shot Denise Youll, the head trainer of Farpoint Farms, an email to see if there were any spots appropriate for me. Unsurprisingly, the clinic was full, so I said my thank yous, and if a place happened to open up to please let me know!
About a week and a half later, the Monday before the clinic, I get an email from Denise that a spot had opened up in the 3’-3’6” section! Perfect! I talked to my trainers on Tuesday, and they were flexible enough to figure out a way for Wesley and me to haul-in on Thursday and for me to take the weekend off from working at the barn.
I’m a big fan of clinics, any opportunity to get another set of educated eyes on your riding, especially someone with as much experience as Bernie, is beneficial. Going to this clinic, I expected to go, ride my best, and learn from what he had to say and take it home to improve. Thursday evening Quinn hauled Wesley into Farpoint, he hacked in the ring, my boots were shiny, and we were ready for the first day on Friday!
Friday went well. It was mostly flatwork with some low jumps worked in-between. The first comment Bernie had on my riding was my heel depth needs to be deeper, and he also suggested I go out and buy new stirrup pads since mine were quite worn and frankly hard to keep my foot in with my heel down. Aside from heel depth, he also cleared up some of my confusion on eye level and where I should be looking approaching the jumps, which was very helpful. On the positive, he complimented my release as well as my overall position, calling my angles very “correct.”
I was excited for Saturday. I was excited to ride, but there was also and Q&A in the evening with Bernie and John French, which I was very excited to attend. A night with two legends, how could you not? Saturday session went very well, and I was very proud of Wesley for being so good and answering all the questions asked of him. We worked on an exercise Bernie calls “the accordion.” Executed in the canter, collecting on the short ends and lengthening on the long sides to improve our quality of canter since we tend to get strung-out on course. The jumping part of Saturday went very well. Bernie had many compliments on my release and compared one of the courses I did for him to Dominis Gibb’s 98 at USET finals! What an honor!
Then, at the Q&A, after stories about John French’s jumper career and discussions about the thoroughbred horse, he called me out again for my release! I didn’t know what to say! One of my trainers, Quinn Partridge, came for the Q&A that night, so I redirected his attention to her; In which he complimented her training, which she very much deserves!
Feeling confident, but also a little under pressure, going into the last day, Sunday. Quinn and another one of my trainers, Keri Bailey, came to watch. Bernie pulled them into the ring with him and worked with me a little one-on-one for a short period. I was very proud to show off my trainer’s work, I’m grateful for all their help, and I’m glad someone of high respect had compliments for them! Sunday was very similar to Saturday, course work, but a little higher. We also worked on setting up the distance in the corner to a short turn jump, something I struggle with, which he helped immensely.
Wesley was so good for all three days of the clinic, and he didn’t put a step in the wrong place, I’m very fortunate!! I wouldn’t have been able to do this clinic without the flexibility of my trainers! Also, much thanks to Quinn for hauling Wesley! Of course, a huge thank you to Farpoint Farms for hosting Bernie and Denise Youll, head trainer of Farpoint Farms. I had such a productive weekend, and I hope to be back for the next Bernie clinic in February!
Wow! Where to start. Since this was my first Maclay regionals and both Wesley and I being in the big equitation for only five months, I didn’t expect to place very high, if at all, in the regionals. We’d been relatively consistent during the first days of showing, having minor errors here and there but no major standout mistakes. Being consistent and having no expectations helped me with my nerves going into Saturday, the day of the regional class. I haven’t been a nervous rider in the past, but the conditions of this class got to me a little bit. It also helped that I was doing the class with my friend and barn mate, Emily Steckler. She has done the equitation for a while, and her level headed attitude helped me to stay calm.
Emily and I walked the course with Quinn and John: right lead to the triple bar, bending 7, single oxer, two-step, bending 9 to an end jump, roll back to another end jump, rollback to the Swedish oxer, another rollback to another end fence, then finally a bending gallop to the final oxer.
I went second in the order, a position I was okay with since when I watch more riders, I tend to overthink the course, but I still have one person to watch before me. Our first round went well; we had a couple rubs at the end jumps, but other than that, I was pleased with how Wesley went and with how I rode. What made the round even better was the cheers from the Thumbs Up Farm ladies that came to support! With that, I still figured I wouldn’t be in the running for a top placing considering the quality of riders that were going after me.
Emily went two rounds after me, so I stuck around to watch her before taking Wesley back to the barn. She had a beautiful round, so everyone was happy. We took our horses back to the barn to wait for the flat phase and went back to watch the rest of the class.
Not too long after, it was time to get back on for the flat phase, our least favorite part. Jessica, one of the trainers at Thumbs Up and our main flat position trainer came to watch us in the flat phase, so the pressure’s on! I wanted to give it my all in this class, and that is what I did. I don’t think my thighs, back, and core have ever hurt so bad in a class! We flatted well, and everyone was getting anxious to hear the results as we exited from the ring.
I was halfway out of the loading paddock when I heard “further testing for riders,” and four numbers were announced. I didn’t know my number, and I didn’t think I was called in the top four, but then I heard “Heather! Grace! Ellie! Clara!” I didn’t have time to think, I got right back on and went to jump a warm-up jump.
The test: Walk-in, canter directly to 2 (End jump), rollback to a single oxer, two-step, halt, canter six and hand-gallop 10.
I tested second, the same position I was in for the first round, it was comfortable for me. I watched Grace go, and then it was my turn. Step in, left lead canter, breath. First end jump, got there nicely, look for the single oxer, stretch! It was a little long, and Wesley hit the back rail with his front legs, but it stays up. Two-step, we found the first jump in a little deep, but he covers well out of it. Our halt was the weakest part of our round, we pushed right and didn’t halt for long enough, my mind was going so fast I didn’t think to take a breath and chill for our halt. I knew I had to stand out in the test, after jumping 6 was the hand gallop jump, and I knew that was our place to show off if we could, be brilliant. So right after 6, we picked it up, and the distance was long, but we went for it, and it worked out just right for us. My heart was beating so fast as I walked out of the arena. I was so proud of Wesley for taking care of me and being the best I could ask for in both of our first regionals.
Then, I was standing in the paddock, watching the other two tests, and it hit me. Wesley and I made the test. We made the test! Both of us being unproven in the equitation ring, we worked so hard ever since he came to us in March, and it’s an indescribable feeling watching it all pay off. And then it all began, I started crying because of being so proud of my horse and myself. The amount of gratitude I feel for my trainers, parents, and supporters was so overwhelming. Jessica came over to talk to me, and I was crying and barely paying attention to what was happening in the test.
All of a sudden, “2nd place, Ellie Kurtz” come out of Mary’s radio, and I couldn’t contain myself. Never in my life have I been so proud of my horse and so gracious for everyone around me. Of course, the whole Thumbs Up Farm crew being there and supporting Emily and I just tipped me over the edge. I couldn’t be more grateful for the amount of support I’ve been lucky enough to receive, even in small acts such as coming to regionals to watch. So to all the amateurs, other juniors, and parents at Thumbs Up Farm and beyond, thank you. It means more than you will ever know. I still can’t believe it; this is how we start in our first five months. I can’t wait to see what else is to come.
The biggest thank you’s to my parents, Laura Peterson and Mark Kurtz, as well as my current trainers, John Turner, Quinn Partridge, Keri Bailey, and Jessica Friedman. Another thank you to my past trainers, who I wouldn’t be here without Ruel Johnson and Tara Devlin Johnson. I'd also like to give a huge congrats to the winner, Clara Mcdanniel! And a big congrats to Emily Steckler on her 6th place finish!
Photography Courtesy of Laura Peterson and Katrina J