From Laura

Laura Juniewicz, SFD's glamorous assistant, said she had a submission for our newsletter. She was pretty secretive about what she wanted to write about, but I trust her, so I said 'sure, I'll run whatever you write.' I really didn't know it was going to be this flattering, but thanks Laura!!! Hiring you was one of the best business decisions I've made.

My Pilgrimage to SFD...One Year Later

By Laura Juniewicz

So there I was a radiology student, in school full time and insanely in the middle of doing her L judge program through the USDF when I got a phone call from a fellow candidate that I had gotten really friendly with at the L activities and at the DVCTA Adult Team Show. Ange asked if I would be interested in coming to her barn to teach part time as her business was growing and she needed some help. I was firstly flattered and thought it would be a good match because in discussions Ange and I had we agreed on a lot of theory and saw things in a similar light. So I went to SFD and rode Sam and Clyde who were lots of fun and well trained. After being there a couple weeks, and after talking it over with mom I asked Ange if I could move my horses to SFD and so my journey began.

I had offered to do feedings and in discussing things with Ange I could see she was as meticulous as I was about my pony’s care. So what did I do? I promptly left my ponies in her hands and went to work my week at Dressage at Devon as the trophy and awards coordinator. But I needn’t have worried as my ponies were fine and survived the week.

So my first few months at SFD were interesting for me and I learned a lot about myself and about others. One of the first things I noticed about SFD was how tight knit the group was and how supportive they were. But it took time for people to learn to trust me as an instructor and as a trainer. And I could hardly blame them. After all, ninety percent of the time I try to audit someone before I take a lesson and sometimes it’s a gamble. But the time it has taken has been well worth it because I have gotten to see the progress in the group at SFD and they’ve gotten to see me and how I work and function. Training and teaching is not just about the process or the learning, it is also about trust and about building lasting relationships. After all, not only is one placing themselves but the welfare of their horse in my hands when I teach or train them and their horses.

The support of the group at SFD is unlike anywhere I’ve seen with such a mixture of levels of different riders. Everyone supports one another and I think it’s great! When we go to shows, it’s all about the team. There is such group support and you can feel your group of cheerleaders rallying behind you. Plus we bring great food or know the best places to stop for more food!

I really felt that support (as well as did my mother) when we had to make the heart wrenching decision to put Solitaire down this year. Everyone at SFD was so supportive, kind and caring. It made something horrific slightly easier to know that you all were there for us.

It is so nice having the support of Ange for me professionally. We joke competitively with one another, but it is so nice to have regular, knowledgeable eyes on the ground. We both are similar but also bring different things to the table. Between her and everyone else at SFD whom I get to teach or ride with on their pony, it makes me so grateful that I cannot even place it into words. But I know I look forward to going to the barn each morning! J

Looking back over the year, it was a great year! I passed my x-ray boards and became an R.T.! Ange and I passed the L program. Additionally, I have so many memories associated with SFD that make me smile. Taking my mom’s new horse to her first show, Merrick splashing himself in the face at Fiddler in the huge lake from the horrible rain, and Anita and Dream qualifying for BLM’s. Victoria Franzen and I driving to see Rocky, Pene, Secret and E show at Quentin. Going to get ice cream after Blue Goose shows. It’s all the little things and the great horse moments that make me smile and happy that Straight Forward Dressage is my home.

Show food

I love pre-show anticipation, not just about the ribbons. Of course, I want to do well and bring home lots of high scores, but the way I see it, 50% is preparation and 50% is luck at the moment (I have had many quite colorful examples of bad luck, but that’s for another blog…). By this point in show season, either I know my mounts are prepared or I’ve canned the show season to stay home and train. So for me, show anticipation takes on another angle–the food.

Showing as a kid, if you told me a show grounds, I could tell you the nearest fast-food restaurants. Maturity, and a husband who can REALLY cook, has improved my culinary tastes. Add Linda, Secret’s owner, who believes both commiserating and celebrating require linen napkins, and pre-show anticipation becomes very sweet.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First we have to pack to proper road-trip-stall-side munchies. We just cannot show without SmartFood White Cheddar popcorn. Animal crackers and trail mix are also essentials. Add some granola bars, apples, carrots and grapes, then wash it down with Smartwater for Ange and Coke for Linda, and we are set. Usually there’s a small bag of M&M’s somewhere, but white breeches require me to limit my quantities.

Of course we have to pack something for lunch, and my preference is good-old fashioned peanut butter and jelly. PB&J represents one-handed comfort food at its best. Today’s PB&J is a bit more grown-up than years past, though. To start, Doug bakes excellent bread. Last weekend, for fun, he took my leftover fruit and mixed it with honey and sugar, making an amazing jelly, so last weekend’s PB&J were especially tasty. Linda, not to be outdone, brought some chicken club salad from the farmer’s market.

Then there’s dinner, and of course I have my favorites. NJ has the most incredible Italian restaurant, Villa Barone's, and I’m sure the food tasted better coming from a very yummy waiter. In July, Linda and I split an appetizer, dinner, desert, and a bottle of my favorite wine. NJ also spawns an awesome ice cream parlor, Swal’s Ice Cream, on Main St in Allentown.

Lexington, VA’s long haul is softened by Southern Inn, which is hands-down my favorite restaurant ever. It’s so good, last weekend we went there twice. The appetizers show the chef’s amazing talent with cheese. The Cornbread-Stuffed Roasted Chicken Breast was incredible, and the Blueberry Napoleon was so good I actually used my fingers to get the last of the sauce (in public even). To top it off, they stock one of my favorite beers, Delirium Tremens. Does it get much better than that?

The schooling shows aren’t exempt either. We can’t haul to Blue Goose without the trailer drifting into Bruster’s Ice Cream on the way home. We are all card-carrying Sweet Rewards members. There’s a perfect trailer parking spot behind the shop.

At this rate, all that weight I carefully lost this spring will be back plus some. Good thing show season slows down in August, or I’ll never get back into my show clothes.

My Right Leg

A couple of months ago, I visited Dr. Dermatologist for my twice-yearly strip-search. As a red-head, I am destined to be inspected, poked, prodded, and dissected. This used to be an annual event, carefully coordinated with the end of show season, but 18-months ago I made the mistake of showing up with a sunburn (yea, not a good idea ...). So now Dr. Derma and I catch up twice a year.

Dr. Derma searched for something called a "suspicious mole," and suspicious moles require removal. The last two were on the inside of my calf, so I rode with a sponge padding the inside of my left half chap. This year's removal was on the back of my left thigh, right were the edge of the full-seat breeches rub. Not a good spot.

I padded the stitches with layers and layers of gauze and paper tape--of course I have to use paper tape, I have sensitive chestnut-mare skin--and went about business as usual. At least I thought I was.

Then, on Tuesday, a student snapped some photos of me riding. When I saw those shots, I thought, "Who was that on my horse? It couldn't be me. There's no way I sit that far off to the left. Nope, no way. Must be the Evil Twin." Well, Evil Twin must be exorcised before the weekend, as filming for Super-Duper Secret Takes on the Warmboods Episode 1 begins on Saturday.

I'm a riding instructor, so I know how to fix this--ride without stirrups. So I did. And since I ride a lot of horses, I got LOTS of practice time. Maybe a little too much, or so I thought on Thursday morning. Ouch. Not only did my right thigh hurt, so did my tummy muscles, but only on the right side. Maybe the stitches did get me a little off to one side. Maybe.

We packed up for the show on Friday, and I distinctly remember packing my new-and-improved right leg. But somehow on Saturday I couldn't quite find it. In warm up, I kept grabbing the SOS strap to pull my seat deeper in the saddle. Once my right thigh started really complaining, Super-Dooper Secret would lengthen her neck and float.

And float she did. To two blues and a red, with scores from 67-70%. Go Secret! Next stop, Eastern Arabian and East Coast Championships. I'll make sure I pack my right leg for that trip.

Hi everyone

Ok, folks keep asking for the stories behind my ponies, so here we go.

This weekend was a bit crazy. We hosted a schooling show on Saturday, loaded up 4 horses and went to Fidler Run recognized show on Sunday, the Tuesday took 4 horses to Blue Goose schooling show. Next week we go again, taking the black girls to NJ Horse Park for the weekend. It's show season, let's show!

Eclipse (AKA Studboy), Ensign's Grace's premier stallion and the love of Kate Farris' life, had a full dance card, competing in all three shows. He finished with 5 blues and one red (the wonder pony was getting a little tired ...), and is now qualified for BLMs in October. More than one judge commented on the happy harmony between he and Ange. Then, to further entertain his friends, the silly pony pulled a bottle of U-7 out of the trailer, bit the top off and started slurping it up like it was a well-deserved cold one.

Eclipse is enjoying a light week and hacking, then will get hard at work polishing off his freestyle demonstration for ODMHA in September.

Secret, (BR Danny's Secret) was not to be outdone, competing in both schooling shows with 4 of 5 rides in the 70's this weekend. I couldn't be more thrilled with this little mare's progress. Linda Butz really has a gem here--18 months ago she was mowing grass in a pasture in Wisconsin. She has a work ethic that just won't quit. I get to show her off again this coming weekend at NJ Horse Park.

Silly (show name Anisette) and I worked out our warm-up issues (too much, too little, where the heck is just right??) on Saturday in anticipation of this weekend's show at NJ Horse Park.

Laura isn't going to let me get all of the limelight. She judged all day Saturday, took two horses to Fidler Run on Sunday, then joined me at Blue Goose.

Her horse, Oberon, and Eclipse continued last year's tradition -- Oberon was 2nd to Eclipse in one class, then made Eclipse take red in the next. She had her maiden competition voyage on Flika (show name My Valentine), her mom's new horse, and earned blue and red for mom, with 64.8% and 66%.

Then, just to contine to show off, Laura and Rocky, Liz Dobrinska's horse, won both intro classes at Blue Goose and brought home the Intro High Score neck sash.

Then there's our students. Most of the barn came out for our schooling show, with so many scores into the 60's I can't do them all justice here. Anita and Day Dream joined Laura and I at Filder Run, qualifying her mare for BLM's. Victoria Franzen joined us at Blue Goose for a blue and a yellow ribbon.

As the saying goes, great fun was had by all.

Once I get my laundry caught up, let's do it again next weekend!