Treasure and I showing at the Del Mar National
Treasure is now proudly owned by Christina Coppenrath

Me at 16 years old on Dara's Dollin Junior Jumpers at the (Old) Del Mar National Horse Show. Her daughter, Winship Lane competes and wins today!  Her Granddaughter, Nations is coming 3 this summer and will be started under saddle.

I began riding at 2, went to my first horse show at 6, and have been riding ever since.  Growing up in an equestrian family, I have had the opportunity to ride and show top performance horses.  All of our horses were either bred or purchased and trained by my family. Just a few of my favorite horses, Colonnade, Finnian, and Pewter Splash,  were tough campaigners in the show ring. It was routine to take 1st, 2nd and 3rd, all in the same Jumper class!  What can I say...

Colonnade Reg. TB Name:  Power Bill by Power Ruler Colonnade or "William" as we called him, was a bold and forward Thoroughbred gelding.  His solid manner gave me a good feel of the jumper course before I had to pilot the greener horses.  William wasn't always careful, rolling a pole here and there, but when he was clean it was a sure win with his lightning quick speed!  Sired by Power Ruler by Bold Ruler, he was bred to the hilt for the track.  He was taught to muscle into the bridle, take the bit and gallop with a huge stride.  After a couple of years in hunter jumper training he learned to balance up and carry himself to the fences.  But his trademark  after the jump off course, was to resort back to his old track days-- dropping behind the bit ears back and teeth grinding.  He was definitely type 'A' personality!  When William held it together and jumped correctly it was the most powerful explosion, up, up, up and over...there was never a fence too high or wide.  We stuck to mostly showing the 4'6 division.

Finnian was usually my second ride.  He is a 16.1 hand Appaloosa with lots of power and speed.  However when he was green and in his first years it wasn't unusual for him to really, and I mean "really!" calculate each and every jump, nearly dribbling to a trot!  No matter how we got to the jump, we jumped clean and with style.  Finnian to this day can win in both hunter and jumper classes.  Tidy with his knees, well rounded back and arched neck not to mention the "careful not to touch hind end" and of course, ears always forward!

 The next morning I post entered the class.  I had completed my Jumper classes winning Champion and Reserve.   My Dad coached me in the warm-ups, he has a special way communicating with the horses on the ground.  His soothing words pointed us in the right direction.  Now all I had to do was ride a jumper course, smoothly.  I had dreamed of jumping so much the night before that the course to this day rode surreal.  Every fence came to us perfectly.  Neither did I move up nor take back for the distance.  I can remember feeling so relaxed and confident.  Maybe it was because I had nothing to loose.  The class was big.  I believe it was a double pointer (but not sure on that one).  In any case, I was called back into the work off.  We all dropped our stirrups and and rode through our paces.  Finnian performed like he had done medals all of his career.  I ended up placing 2nd, I was more than pleased.  Many people came up and said they had me pinned first.  But I was so excited to have won 2nd in my first 'A' medal class.  Finnian still jumps today, he looks the same but whiter.

Pewter Splash, my Dad schooling us in background. My third ride was Pewter Splash, or "Tabby" as I called him.  A 15.3 hand dark dapple grey Thoroughbred with a pure white mane and tail.  He was the most beautiful color.  He carried the bloodlines of Promised Land. Tabby was tough to beat.  A little bit spooky to the fences, he did not like to touch.  His form was big and airy but as light as a feather.  On the take off he patted the ground softly sprouting  wings in the air.  This horse was full of surprises but I trusted him 100% and he probably was my favorite ride. Taking him in last I knew what I had to do to get him in the lead.  Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.  He wasn't as fast as the other two and his airtime was a bit slow so we stuck to tight turn options.  His rollbacks were hard to keep up with, especially from a spook!  We ended up selling him but luckily I continued to ride and show him until I went to college.  He continued to show Modified Jumpers.  Sadly he had to be put down from an illness.  I have had the opportunity to ride other horses with similar bloodlines that seemed very close in their jumping style.

I left showing to continue my education earning a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a minor in Technical Writing.  While in college I competed on the West Coast Intercollegiate Horse Show Circuit.  In this picture everything but the horse and saddle was borrowed!  I won the Reining class that day not knowing what I was doing, as you can probably tell.  This little mare was Doc's Dreamy Dolly by Doc O'Lena.

These are just a few of my horses from the past, coming soon will be a scrapbook page dedicated to horses I have owned and shown.

I currently stay at home with my daughter and train part-time in Del Mar, CA..  If you have any questions or would like to say "hi" drop me an email:  ride2jump@yahoo.com
 

Looking back, riding and winning was a "team effort".  I rode everyday, my dad coaching from the ground, my sister Dara schooling me at the shows, my mom always listening and full of advice. I also took additional outside lessons.  I couldn't have done it alone.  You can join our team, where we still train the winning way at Carmel Valley Ranch.