Northwest Autumn Classic 2020

This show is not only special because it hosts the Maclay Regionals, but also because it is the first show that I officially own Wesley! I was so excited coming into this show, excited for Maclay Regionals and excited to be back at Meadow Wood. Warm-up days went well doing the 1.10s and the much anticipated Regional class was coming closer and closer. On Friday, Wesley and I won both of the equitation classes, which was a big confidence boost for the weekend. Also on Friday, the smoke from the wildfires started coming in which was concerning with the air quality getting worse for Saturday. My horse always comes first and if I ever felt like his health was being compromised then I would scratch without hesitation.

Saturday morning was filled with damp air and fog, we would have to wait for the fog the lift before being able to truly assess the air quality. Through the entire day Wesley was in his tent stall with a fan over him and access to water at all times. His breathing was never abnormal, he never coughed or sneezed and his nose never ran with any discharge. We continued to monitor the air throughout the day and when the time of the class came we felt that the horses were comfortable and healthy. We did a short warm-up and went into the Special Equitation class before the regional with confidence. Wesley felt amazing and we won the class, another great confidence boost. Another quick and easy warm-up and we went into the regional class. The course really complimented my horse. There were three left rollbacks which are a strong point for my horse and only on bending line off the right lead, our weak point. I went third so I was able to watch two rounds before mine to see how everything rode and I felt like it gave me an advantage because I was able to watch a couple rounds to watch the course but not watch too many to get nervous.

We went in for our round and it started with a left lead rollback, we nailed it and then came the one right lead bending line which was what I was most worried about. I structured the bending line into two parts, five strides each and it ended up working out beautifully. After nailing the bending line I was confident and the rest of the round came up in stride. I was thrilled with the round and ready for the flat phase. The flat came around and I could feel Wesley getting jazzed and he was a bit more up in the flat than in the class itself. He was strong through the class but it was manageable and I was able to hide it well. We lined up after the flat and they announced no further testing. This was nerve-wracking since then they go right into announcing the results. Going from last place to first, riders got excused one by one until it was only Wesley and I standing in the center. I was thrilled, what a great way to end the regular season! I can’t thank my trainers John Turner, Quinn Partridge, and Gillian Baird for all they have done this year to help us get to this point. Another special shout out to barn-mate Emily Steckler for placing third in the regional!

Looking ahead to the future, I don’t plan on going back East for Medal Finals since it is a weird year with COVID and we can only afford to go back East one year. Fingers crossed for next year! After this show and this class, Wesley will have some time off due to the poor air quality and will resume slowly coming back to work once the air clears. Hoping everyone stays healthy during these times, horse and human. Thank you to my mom for making this show possible and for everyone who has helped me along the way! Can’t wait to see what the future has to hold!

Northwest Spectacular 2020

Week 2 here we come! Fresh out of a successful first week, I was feeling confident and excited for the second week of Wilsonville. We started the week off as usual, in the 1.10 jumpers for warm-up. We played around with adding and subtracting strides in lines and taking more inside turns, it was a lot of fun and got me excited for the weekend. The weekend came and we were schooling Wesley differently than the week before, trying different methods to help him keep his legs up over the jumps and not hit the rails. The main method we used was for me to lean up his neck so he would have to really pick up his legs to lift my weight over the jump. This method worked really well and Wesley was being very careful. When we went into the ring, Wesley was really thinking about our school and was more backed off than I was used to. This caused my eye to be a little off and it really showed in the first class. Distances that were usually right on were showing up too long or too short and overall the picture was off. The next day we addressed this and found a happy medium with how we schooled. Saturday went much better and we got back into our groove. I learned that changes in how we school are great and beneficial, but too drastic changes at the last minute can hinder us more than help up.

The rest of the weekend went well besides one spook from Wesley on Sunday. He takes care of me so much and has been so good that it’s unreasonable to be upset about one spook over the course of the past four shows. Once again, I was lucky enough to work for Casey Sorita and Ross Alexander with Therapy Corner Store. Special thanks to them for continuing to let me work and learn from them to make my horse feel better. Thank you of course to my trainers Quinn Partridge, John Turner, and Gillian Baird for making this week successful and to my dad for making this week possible! Now one week at home and then back to Meadow Wood!

Bernie Traurig Clinic 2020

After attending the Bernie Traurig clinic in November at Farpoint Farm, I was eager to sign up for another session with Bernie in February. Once again hosted by Farpoint Farm, Wesley and I attended the three-day clinic in the 1.15+ jumpers section. Although I compete in the equitation, I have aspirations of competing in the bigger jumpers and more education on any aspect of my riding improves how I ride and how I think while on course.

Additionally to riding with Bernie, he was kind enough to agree to meet with me on Friday during the lunch break to discuss some questions I have about pursuing my professional career. I may as well take advantage of the knowledge of someone who has been in the industry for his whole lifetime. He was very insightful when it came to answering my questions about how to manage the financial side of becoming professional as well as what the best educational path would be to become the most well-rounded professional I can be.

As for the riding part of the clinic, Wesley was fantastic and jumped better and better throughout the weekend. I particularly enjoyed how Bernie had us play mock horse show on Sunday and let us think for ourselves in the warming up process of schooling jumps before the course. Furthermore, Bernie let me walk the course with him and walked me through step by step how he walks courses and how his method is simple and timely in the event of having a quick course walk. Historically, I’ve been confused while walking the course even in the equitation and his method really made sense to me and I’m excited to use it this season.

Once again, on Saturday night there was a Q&A hosted by Denise Youll. We discussed many topics including my question about how to manage finances as a professional. Many people had input on this topic and it eventually led to discussions on how the sport has gotten more financially difficult for the typical equestrian as well as discussions on the Thoroughbred horse and how we can make the sport more financially doable.

Overall, I’d like to thank Denise Youll once again for hosting Bernie Traurig as well as her assistant Sophie Geantz for making this weekend possible. As well as thank you to Bernie Traurig for coming out to rainy Washingon this weekend and for being kind enough to lend me his time and meeting with me on Friday. I’m looking forward to Bernie coming to Thumbs Up Farm December 4-6 and being in his clinic once again!!

Sunshine Series I and II

Photography courtesy of Shanna Waite

Goodbye beginning of Washington winter, hello California!!!

Woohoo! Not only did I get lucky enough to escape Washington when the clouds started rolling in, but I also got my school work done, which allowed me to skip ten days to attend both weeks of the Sunshine Series. Located in Thermal, California, at the Desert International Horse Park, it was the perfect dose of sun before the cold winter. I also got the opportunity to work for Thumbs Up Farm throughout both weeks to help my parents with those never-ending expenses!

During this horse show, the Maclay Finals were going on during the first week. We chose to not go to the Finals this year because of expenses, and since Wesley and I are both green. We want to save our trips for the next couple of years when we're both more seasoned. I also feel like two weeks of consistent showing was more beneficial for us than a few classes at the National Horse Show would have been, for three times the cost.

Since it was the first time I’ve ever shown in California, I was excited to see where I would stand in the pool of California riders. Considering it’s more competitive down in California than in the Northwest.

The elevated level of competition almost “forced” me to step up and ride my best. It was insightful to watch many talented riders in person and see what qualities made their rounds go well. Additionally, what made their rounds not go as well. Watching all of these quality riders also made me want it more, want to be as good as them, better than them even. I would make a mental list of the qualities of these riders that I thought were beautiful and use this list as homework to do when we got home. Nothing like some motivation to get us through winter training!

I was surprised with how Wesley and I placed during these two weeks, we even won the WIHS overall the first week, qualifying us for the Hunterdon Cup next year! That would be super cool to attend for the first time next year if all is willing!

I hope to come back to California soon to show! I want to thank my dad, Casey Sorita, and my trainer’s Quinn Partridge and John Turner, for making these two weeks possible!

Odlum Brown BC Open 2019

Fresh off the last week of horse showing, I was excited to take off where we left off! This was my first time showing two consecutive weeks with the same horse, and it was beneficial. I came into this week with a calm demeanor and with even more confidence than the week prior. This week was very similar to the Canadian Premier, except our rounds were much more consistent. As our confidence grew, so did our window to take risks, which took our rounds to the next level. I found that as the weekend progressed, the small details in our courses would improve and become more consistent. My trainers have done a fantastic job schooling Wesley, and I couldn’t be happier with how he’s been helping me learn around the ring. Outside of the show ring, this show was enjoyable hanging out with the amateur crew from Thumbs Up! As well as watching the jumpers in the beautiful grass ring. I even got to watch a Nations Cup for the first time, and it was spectacular!!

I had a lot of fun at this horse show, and I feel as it was very productive as well. We are progressing faster than I anticipated, and although it’s not perfect, it gets better and better each time, and that’s what matters to me. I’m excited to be back in Thunderbird at the end of June and until then, work, work, work at home. Huge thanks to John Turner, Quinn Partridge, the Macbeth family, and my dad for making this week possible.

Canadian Premier 2019

After a month and a half of hard work at home, Wesley and I were ready for our second show, Canadian Premier at Thunderbird Showpark in Langley, BC. Personally, this is one of my favorite shows because of how it’s run, the constant big jumpers to watch, and the beautiful footing in all the rings. I was much more confident going into this show than the last. We did a month of no stirrup work and more schooling of Wesley and me over more complicated tracks. Sure enough, the jumps came more natural, and I gained confidence in our step, causing the fences to flow and connect more effortlessly. Of course, our rounds weren’t perfect. On account of our greenness, we got a little long, a little short, and a couple of rails. Those mistakes will fade away as we gain miles and more experience. I was super proud of Wesley for stepping into the Hunter Derby on Thursday evening and jumping all of the spooky derby jumps without even a hint of a spook. I was also proud of myself and Wesley for placing second in the WIHS Jumper Phase!

I don’t have much more to say about this show as I am delighted with how it went and how we improved every day better than the next. I’m excited to come back to Canada next week for the Odlum Brown Open! I want to thank John Turner, Quinn Partridge, Jessica Friedman, and my mom for making this week possible. Also, a great job to all other Thumbs Up Farm riders for putting in beautiful rounds throughout the week!

Spring National Inaugural Hunter Jumper 2019

What a way to hit the ground running! A week after Wesley arrived in Redmond, we took him to the Spring National Inaugural Show at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. Initially, we were a little worried about how he would act at these showgrounds, given that the indoor ring is spooky. With echos, the racetrack behind the building often has loud cars on it during the day, and the occasional small plane will fly by the grounds to the nearby landing strip. Despite these distractions, Wesley took it all in stride and acted like he’d been showing in the arena his whole life. My trainer showed him in the 3’6” hunters and 1.10 jumpers at the beginning of the show, and when I arrived at the show on Thursday, we did a 3 foot low round to get into the ring. When Friday rolled around, and we had our age group equitation division in the morning. I was super excited to see how we fit together in the show ring. With the age group being only 3 feet, it was very welcoming and less stressful to do so. Wesley could not have been better for our morning classes, which we had top placings in, and I figured we were done for the day until my trainer told me that she entered us for the Dover medal later that day. My first 3’6” medal! Of course, I was excited but also incredibly nervous as we hadn’t jumped very big at home before the show and I had never been able to show in a 3’6” class before. Nerves set in, Wesley took care of me through our first medal and then throughout the rest of them throughout the weekend.

I did not expect to show at the 3’6” level so quickly, but I’m glad my trainer believed in me and allowed me to make mistakes that I took home to improve upon. This show I learned that I need to do much more no stirrup work and other strength exercises to build my strength as the jumps go up as I got jumped loose a couple times over some of the oxers. To make this show possible, I’d like to thank Quinn Partridge, Jessica Friedman, and my mom for an enjoyable week with my new horse!

Side note: I also got to catch up with my old barn, Blue Heron Farm, and their new trainer (welcome to the Northwest!) Ashley Williams! Very lovely to see them and their girls showing and great job to all of them as well over the weekend!

Welcome Wesley!

A story I’m super excited to share. I had the fantastic opportunity from an amateur at my barn to show her horse at Thermal week 6 in the equitation. I was thrilled as it would be my first time down in Coachella Valley, and I was so excited to watch some big names I’ve only seen on my computer. While there, I was also looking for horses to try as I had just recently leased out Danner to another junior in my barn. Throughout the weekend, I tried several horses, which were all a thrill to sit on, but the last day came around, and John told me about a young horse that he’s excited to look at. Not having much luck led up to this, I was still enticed, but not quite as hopeful as I was at the beginning of the search. We were then introduced to Wesley, presented to us by Tanya Loverchick and Krystalle Glosser of Logan Hill Farm. He was beautifully turned out and had a big presence, standing about 16.3. He had been recently imported and was doing the adult equitation for the first time as a six year old. Trying him was cool. We could tell he was green and had much to learn, but he aimed to please. We decided to have my trainer, Quinn, ride him again the next day. I didn’t get to watch Quinn ride him, but I heard it went well. We watched him show with the adult later that day in the equitation and decided to put him through a pre-purchase exam. Sunday had come too quickly, and I had to go back home to go to school, patiently waiting for his pre-purchase exam that coming Thursday.

Thursday came and went, and we decided to do a further examination of Wesley before deciding to bring him home. He went back to his home farm and then hauled out to a clinic nearby to be entirely sure he was sound and healthy. Sure enough, he passed the vet and was set to come home to us the following Sunday!

That wait from Tuesday to Sunday was probably the longest six days of my life. I am so excited for my next year lease on Wesley! I’m ecstatic to step into the 3’6” equitation, now having a horse that can take me there. I’m incredibly grateful to my trainers, John Turner and Quinn Partridge, for finding this talented horse and, of course, to my parents for the continuous support in this crazy horse world. I’d also like to thank Krystalle Glosser, Tanya Loverchick, Liz Smith, and the Macbeth family for making this weekend possible and for allowing me to pair with such a beautiful young horse.

2018 in review

Wow! What a year, I would first and foremost like to thank my parents for their support throughout this sport and my aspirations within it. The big thing this year would most definitely have been my move from Blue Heron Farm to Thumbs Up Farm, and I was lucky to do so. Everyone within Thumbs Up Farm has been amazing and helped me to feel very welcome and accepted in the new barn. I have learned a lot from Quinn, John, Keri, and Jessica. I can’t wait to see what 2019 brings as I step into the 3’6” equitation and begin the process of looking into colleges. I want to thank Ruel Johnson, Tara Devlin, Kelsey Cordell, Quinn Partridge, John Turner, Jessica Friedman, and Stephanie Garrard for the opportunities this year and I look forward to the next year with Thumbs Up Farm! Happy Holidays!

The Country Classic 2018

After being with the Thumbs Up Farm team for merely a week, showing with them came up quick and was a smooth transition. This show was my first time down at the showgrounds in Wilsonville, and I was impressed by the layout of the grounds. We competed once again in the 3'3" junior and the medals under 3'6". This show was particularly fun since Danner came from a barn not too far from the show grounds, so I enjoyed talking to Danner's past owners and finding more about his history.

We started in the age group equitation, and we put in consistent rounds and even won the flat. We later won the THIS medal as well as a 1.0 jumper round. Our junior hunters went well over the weekend, and Danner won the Handy. This show was enjoyable, and a very smooth transition into the Thumbs Up team, and I'm excited for what's to come. I want to thank my parents, Quinn Partridge, and the rest of the Thumbs Up Farm team for welcoming me with open arms.

The Move from Blue Heron Farm to Thumbs Up Farm

I want to start this post off by thanking Ruel Johnson for treating me so well the past eight years at Blue Heron Farm and for making me the rider I am today. I am forever grateful for BHF in how they developed me as a young rider and bringing out my work ethic. After eight good years, I am ready to take my riding career to the next level and have decided to move Danner to Thumbs Up Farm out of Redmond, Washington, with trainers John Turner, Keri Bailey, Quinn Partridge, and Jack Hammond. I am super excited to see where they will take me and how my education will deepen. This move could not have happened without the support of my parents and the encouragement of Blue Heron Farm. I am excited for this next chapter in my career.