by Elizabeth on April 17, 2013
Well, it’s been a long time. We’re all alive and mostly well. Samantha continues to ride. Our “new” horse is 
named Chili Pepper a.k.a. “Chili” or “Baby Chill” or “Dufus.” He is a seven-year-old Holsteiner purchased from Annie Dotoli and Aster Pieters of Tibri. We purchased Chili with the generous support of a family member in December, 2011. It has been an interesting journey with Chili. He is very young, something he continues to remind us, lest we forget. Samantha had encouraging success with him last show season in the 3′ equitation. She qualified for the Mass Finals and New England Finals. She rode leased horses at both of these finals, as Chili was not quite ready.
At Mass Finals, she won her open equitation 14 & under class and came in 20th the following day in the MHC Junior Medal Championship out of about 120 riders. It was wonderful. She rode Quintess, a beautiful chestnut mare leased from Kathy Fletcher owner of Grazing Fields Farm.
by Elizabeth on October 3, 2011
We’ve just returned from the Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council Days of Champions held in Northampton, MA. It was a great weekend, aside from the pouring rain. What can I say? Samantha and Mondavi were outstanding. Nerves were running high. Not mine! OK, well, mine and Samantha’s.
Her first class was the Open Equitation 14 and Under. She was in section B. I brought her to the show at 6 a.m. and we walked the course with Mo so he could sample the flowers. (The orange mums are the tastiest). Then I quickly went back to the hotel to check us out and take a shower. I returned 25 minutes later and she was waiting to go into the ring. It was HIGH DRAMA because I had her back number. Oh the SHAME. Oh the DRAMA. THEY WERE HOLDING THE RING. I WAS ONLY GONE FOR 25 MINUTES. HOW DID THEY GET THROUGH AN ENTIRE (A) SECTION CLASS IN 25 MINUTES?
This was not good. Samantha was not happy with me. She said something not nice to me. (I can’t even call this her first teenage moment, because she was right). Then she cantered 2 jumps and kept cantering directly to the ring. Stopped, entered the ring and kept catering and nailed her course. It was perfect. No time for me to even be nervous. Score: 75.50!!!!
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named Chili Pepper a.k.a. “Chili” or “Baby Chill” or “Dufus.” He is a seven-year-old Holsteiner purchased from Annie Dotoli and Aster Pieters of Tibri. We purchased Chili with the generous support of a family member in December, 2011. It has been an interesting journey with Chili. He is very young, something he continues to remind us, lest we forget. Samantha had encouraging success with him last show season in the 3′ equitation. She qualified for the Mass Finals and New England Finals. She rode leased horses at both of these finals, as Chili was not quite ready.
