The Advanced Show Team from Best Intentions Farm, in Westminster, attended its first show of the year Feb. 5 at the Carroll County Agriculture Center.
Sponsored by Horse Force 4-H Club, the team showed in separate levels in this second in a series of three dressage shows.
Literally translated from French as "training," dressage is riding correctly and accurately, creating a sense of oneness between the horse and rider.
Shown by owner Sarah Bode, Delta Blues showed in the United States Eventing Association's Novice Level Test A and B. Bode is a student at Delaware Valley College in Pennsylvania, where she is studying equine science. Bode has ridden with Linda Oland since she was 3 years old, and bought Delta and supports him herself. The two have been through a lot of life experiences together, and Bode hopes to take Delta to college and participate with him on the college dressage team.
Nell Boley, a senior at McDaniel College, rode her horse Sprite in the Novice Level Test A. Boley brought her horse from her home state of Maine two years ago, and boards him where she works part time, at Best Intentions Farm. Boley expects to graduate in May and will be taking Sprite back to Maine with her.
The youngest member of the advanced team, Ellie Profaci, also showed in the first show of the series. Using the dressage tests as a way to set specific goals, she rode the same Introductory Level tests, looking for and getting improvement for her and her horse Dream Catcher, or Cody as he's known at the barn. Profaci is using these winter schooling shows as preparation for spring Pony Club trials, where she and Cody hope to obtain their next level of rating within Pony Club.
Would He Be Scotch, owned and ridden by barn manager and coach Linda Oland, made his successful debut in the dressage world. Scotch was a rescue horse, purchased out of a slaughter pen in West Virginia, and has become a barn favorite. Scotch is only 4 years old. He is going both English and Western, and used as a therapy horse at reConnect Inc., the occupational therapy program housed at Best Intentions Farm.
Team members are excited about the April Combined Training test, also sponsored by Horse Force, and are looking forward to competing in the jumping ring as well as dressage.
