LAX-->AMS--> Maizey Manor

From Sarah:

LAX-->AMS--> Maizey Manor 

After two weeks of packing and repacking several times, it was finally time to head across the pond. We had to make a quick stop down the street from KingsWay before departing for LAX with Ginny. We went to pick  up "Quinberry", ridden by Bill Norwood, who will be representing Australia in Reining at the World Equestrian Games. Once all the equipment was loaded, we headed to LAX to drop off the horses at JetPets for the night, before flying to Amsterdam Thursday afternoon.  

We arrived at Jet Pets late Thursday morning to board Ginny & Quinberry onto the pallet, and then we were off to the airport. Once boarded, and 10 hours later, we made it to Amsterdam! Bill and I walked to the KLM cargo port, and waited patiently for the vets to arrive before we could take the horses off the pallets. Once the vet check was complete I was able to put Ginny in a stall to rest until Jessica Phoenix and her groom Sandra Andresen, and Selena O'Hanlon's groom Anne-Marie Duarte and their horses arrived. Finally, after just over 6 hours of waiting, we loaded all the equipment and horses onto the lorry and we were off to England!

We arrived around at Maizey Manor somewhere around 1AM, where team training camp will be held for the next week before heading to Normandy. We unloaded the horses and equipment, tucked in the ponies for the night and were finally off to bed after a long 2 days of travel. 

Our alarms came way too quickly the next morning! With just a few hours of sleep and a little jet lag, we got up and took care of the ponies who all looked great and happy to be here. Once we met our riders at the barn and everything was cleaned and organized we headed into the little town of Barborough for an English breakfast. 

While the horses were turned out in the luscious green grass fields for a few hours (which they very much enjoyed) the team discussed a few things for the coming week and our team gear was handed out. 

Hawley, Selena, and Jessie set out on finding jog outfits, while a few of us had a cup of tea and an afternoon nap... 

It's beautiful here in England, and the horses all look great, lessons and gallops are planned for the week, and some team activities as well!

Part of Team Canada in Amsterdam

Ginny on the lorry headed to England

We have arrived!

Rebecca Farms and the Road to the WEG

From Sarah:

As the countdown to the World Equestrian Games began, Gin & Juice spent some time at her Auntie Robyn Fisher's while Hawley coached Area VI at Young Riders. Since Hawley had to head straight from Kentucky to Rebecca Farms in Montana, Chloe and I packed up the trailer and made a quick pitstop in L.A. to pick up Ginny and meet up with Robyn's crew. By midnight we were on the road with three trailers and ten horses. 24 hours and a layover in Salt Lake City later, we arrived at the prestigious Event at Rebecca Farms. Our precious cargo arrived happy and healthy. Hawley's first ride of the weekend, High Duty, ran the N3D and put in a beautiful dressage test to put them in the lead, which they held onto throughout the weekend to take home the blue!

Rebecca served as Ginny's last prep run before a little show in France A.K.A. The World Equestrian Games. To prepare for dressage day we tried a technique recommended by Uncle Buck- of lunging, which seemed to have paid off, as Hawley and Ginny led the CIC3* division after dressage! Since this was Ginny's first cross-country run since Rolex, Hawley's focus was to make Ginny rideable and get her 'feet wet.’ Their run put them into third going into show jumping after incurring a few time faults. The show jumping arena was packed with spectators and Ginny entered the arena fired up on Sunday. She unfortunately took down a handful of rails but still ended the weekend with an exciting fourth place finish!

We packed up, loaded the horses, and began the long haul home on Sunday afternoon, driving through the night before stopping at our halfway point. We finally arrived home at 1:30 AM on Tuesday from what was simultaneously an exhilarating and exhausting trip to Rebecca Farms!

After a few days of recuperation time for the horses and ourselves, we headed to a local jumper show the following weekend for some practice and fine-tuning. Now, with less than a week left before we head across the pond, the Juicer and a few of her friends went up to L.A. for some "round and fluffy" dressage lessons with Robyn Fisher. Only days away from takeoff and with less than three weeks until the start of competition in Normandy, it's time for the final countdown to begin.... Gulp!

ROLEX CCI**** 2014

Thank you Sherry Stewart for these amazing photos!

Hawley's Interview after Cross Country!

Please help Sarah Braun and Candy!

On march first Sarah Braun's beloved young rider horse Candy underwent a very serious colic surgery and although she is insured, there are still overwhelming costs totaling over 10k! please consider helping this great girl save her amazing horse.

From Sarah: 
I've had candy for 6 years and she has taught me everything I know about riding. Two years ago she took me to the North American Junior Young Rider Championships and won a team gold medal. She has taken me farther than I ever thought possible; she owes me nothing, but I owe her everything. I love her more than words can describe and a life without her is not one I want to imagine. Insurance only covers $8,000 and I don't have the funds to cover the remaining costs. Please help give Candy a fighting chance. Anything will help and mean more to me then you will ever know...

Please click on the link below to donate! Anything helps!
http://www.gofundme.com/7857nw

New Family Members and Ponies at HBE

One of the newest families at HBE was kind enough to write the following blog for us this month. We look forward to welcoming them into the HBE family and feel fortunate to have them at the barn:

An act of sheer luck brought Hawley and my daughter, Elise, together. My husband and I were driving along all the horse ranches near Galway Downs in search of a new riding stable for Elise. We saw a lone rider on the side of the road and we asked her if she knew anyone who would teach a 7 year old. She told us that she taught lessons and she gave me her name. Being new to the eventing world, I had no clue who she was. She had to spell her name twice for me! One thing I learned very quickly about Hawley is that she’s very humble and down to earth. She didn’t give us a list of all her achievements, and she didn’t snub us because we didn’t know who she was. She just accepted us and brought us into her world. And what an amazing world she has shown us!!

Elise began taking lessons from her shortly after our encounter. Hank (Livingstone) was her lesson horse!  She was such a lucky girl!  Hank was amazing.  He took great care of her. He responded well and was very patient with her. You could see it in his big, beautiful brown eyes that he knew he was carrying precious cargo. Elise liked Hawley right away.  She’s a fantastic instructor and she earned my daughter’s trust and respect immediately. Elise fell in love with the sport and was convinced that she wanted to be a champion eventer, just like Hawley. That’s when our lives changed.

Shortly after that, Hawley told us that she found a great pony for Elise. Hawley told us that the pony was a sweetheart and would take Elise to the next level. I trust Hawley immensely, so I knew that this was the right move. Five days later, there was a beautiful Connemara pony waiting for my daughter. Hawley knew exactly how she wanted to present the pony to Elise. The great thing about Hawley is that she remembers what it’s like to be a little girl in love with horses. All the girls at the stables created a beautiful, blingy sign that said, “Congrats on your new pony, Cookie.”  (Elise wanted to name her dream horse, “Cookie.”)  They decorated the stall with streamers and balloons and put a large pink boa and bow around Cookie’s neck. Hawley brought Elise over to the stall and….SURPRISE!!! It was a day our whole family will never forget. Hawley was right. Cookie is one of the sweetest horses I’ve ever encountered. She’s such a good girl. Elise is in love!!!

All of the girls at HBE (Sarah, Holly, Chloe, Jordan, Ashlyn, Emilee, and the rest of the HBE crew.) went above and beyond to make that day special for Elise. They are dedicated, hard workers and they are always willing to lend a helping hand.They are wonderful role models for my daughter and it’s so much fun when we get to see them ride. They are all so talented! Elise also receives lessons from Sarah, who is wonderful. We spend almost every day at the stables and love every minute of it. We are surrounded by nice people and GORGEOUS horses. We are excited to see what the future holds for our daughter.  We’ll be happy no matter what she decides to do. But as far as Hawley goes, she will always be our friend we found on the side of the road.

Thank you everyone for all your support!

http://eventingnation.com/home/thoroughbreds-canada-emerge-as-big-winners-in-en-awards/

Livingstone Retirement Ceremony

Check out the amazing article on Livingstone's Retirement Ceremony!

http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/livingstone-has-touched-many-lives

"There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Hawley Bennett-Awad walked into the main ring at Galway Downs for the final time on her four-star veteran Livingstone.

As announcer Mike Tucker read Bennett-Awad’s tribute aloud, she fought back tears while “Hank’s” support group, including Bennett-Awad’s husband, Gamal Awad, threw a cooler over his back and gave him plenty of pats.

Bennett-Awad chose Galway Downs as the place for the 23-year-old gelding’s final event and retirement ceremony. He finished on his dressage score at novice with her student Ellen Guthrie and was just as full of life in the ceremony as he was the first day Bennett-Awad sat on him.

“It’s a long time coming,” said Bennett-Awad. “The horse has been very special to me. I’ve had him for 19 years, and he’s so sound and willing to go. When do you draw the line? To finish on another double-clean round on his dressage score with an amateur rider at Galway Downs, he’s so well-deserving of it. I don’t think I’ve cried this much in a long time.”

Hank competed at the advanced level for 11 years, completing four four-stars, representing Canada at the Pan American Games in 2003 at Fair Hill (Md.), the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and the World Cup Final in Malmö, Sweden in 2005.

Bennett-Awad’s last competition with the Thoroughbred gelding (Wander Kind—Dancing Proud) was the 2008 Rolex Kentucky CCI*** where they finished double-clear on cross-country.

“I tried to retire him a couple of years ago, and he got so depressed and stood in the back of the stall,” she said. “With a horse that had his career, it’s all he knows. He loves to be brushed, he likes to be part of the team, he likes to have shipping boots put on him and hop in the trailer every now and then.”

Hank took Allie Knowles, who was then a working student and groom for Bennett-Awad, to her first advanced and has tought countless other students the ropes at the lower levels. He completed the CIC* at Galway Downs in 2011 with Breann Hall at the age of 21 before Bennett-Awad decided to drop him down to the lower levels.

Bennett-Awad learned the ropes of the upper levels with the gelding and said he’s shaped her career.

“For the longest time, I only had the one horse,” she said. “If I didn’t ice him and wrap him and take care of him, I had nothing. He taught me horsemanship. I never got the big win on him, but I’ve learned so much and you always think back now, ‘Well, if I had that horse now…’ With all the knowledge he’s taught me, what would have happened? He’s literally a part of the family.”

Buck Davidson, who’s been Bennett-Awad’s longtime coach and friend, won the CCI*** with Petite Flower at Galway Downs and was awarded the inaugural Livingstone Award.

“I started teaching Hawley probably 18 or 20 years ago, and it was with Hank,” he said. “When she first came to me, Hank had a broken leg. He had gotten kicked in the field. I got to see Hawley go from where she was to where she is now. Hank was a huge part of that. It’s funny to go back and watch the videos of Hawley riding Hank and see how she rides now. He never did anything other than just go.”

Davidson laughed as he recalled Bennett-Awad’s early career with Hank.

“Back in those days, Hawley didn’t go very fast, so the stories I would make up for her to have to make the time, I would just totally lie about where the minute markers were and stuff like that!” he said. “Hank was just happy to go in his big, fat, Happy Mouth bit, and Hawley just patted him like crazy at every jump, and they jumped every fence perfect, but it was so slow! It worked at the last Kentucky because they went clean within the time! We played some games to make it work, but Hank knew his job, and Hawley took care of him and loved him to death.”

Hank will spend his days at Kingsway Farm, right across the street from Galway Downs, and Bennett-Awad plans to keep him in light work until he decides it’s time to stop.

“He’s just the most honest, genuine animal I’ve ever been around,” she said. “I went from Pony Club to six four-stars, six three-stars, 11 CIC***’s all in a rubber snaffle that was the first bit I bought for him as a 4-year-old. When I [say] everything I have today is because of him, I truly mean it. I would not be here without that horse, and I’m just so glad I never ever sent [his sale tape] off. That was a life-changing day.

“He’s just taught so many other people in the meantime,” she continued. “He hasn’t won a gold medal, but he’s won so many people’s hearts.” "