Garden State Horse Show 2008

Hi, everyone! Thanks for your continued support!

This past week, I worked with Frank Madden Show Stable and assisted some other professionals at the Garden State Horse Show which was held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in northern New Jersey. Since 1999, I have been attending the show but this year, being my first year as a young professional, I gained a rather different perspective. Although I rode and competed earlier in the week, my main objective was to train and assist the clients I was helping. The cold rainy weather on Friday proved to be a bit of a challenge but by Saturday, the skies were more agreeable for the competitors and spectators, alike. I finished up the weekend with a great sense of accomplishment and a resolve to get some rest for the new work week ahead of me.

One of the highlights of the show was watching the 50,000 Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon. The Saturday afternoon turnout for the Grand Prix was rather sizable and the spectators were lucky enough to watch Beezie Madden and Mclain Ward, two of the members of our 2008 Olympic team, compete. Watching riders of their caliber is great experience! Laura Chapot, Ken Berkeley and Michelle Spadone, as well as some other local riders and professionals rounded out the rooster of twenty eight entries. In the first round, the course proved to have a challenging triple combination that became the determining line for more than half of the horse-rider combinations. Ten horse-rider combinations returned for the jump-off. Not surprisingly, of course, the Grand Prix was won by Beezie Madden and McClain Ward, took a close second.

Catch up with me next week for another update.
Talk to you later!
Maria Schaub