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The Plaid Horse
“There are two kinds of experience,” said Morris. “Experience in the britches and experience in the brain. Experience in the britches is ‘doing it’. Experience in the brain in learning to anticipate what the horse will do. Riders and trainers need both kinds of experience.”
October 2013
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ABOUT THIS MONTHS COVER
Richard Rhinehart tackles the open water. Auditors of the clinic were right in the mix as well with the spectator tent set in the middle of the field, offering the best views of the entire field. “This clinic was a school similar to one you would do to get ready for Spruce Meadows,” said Carney. “The Canterbury field was built from both Greg’s and my experience showing in Calgary. All the natural obstacles found in the International Ring at Spruce Meadows are in the field at the farm. I appreciate the riders, horses, auditors and all involved that made this clinic a great learning opportunity with George. It’s all about promoting better riding. Riding in the field makes better riders in the ring.” It was a great event on the heels of the 2013 Chicago Hunter Derby, which Morris judged, held at Rush and Carl Weeden’s Annali Farm in Antioch, IL, just one hour away. Morris helped design the course for the 2013 Chicago Hunter Derby with Bobby Murphy of Lexington, KY. One glance at the field would tell you Morris’s concepts were present. The course was built using minimal ground lines and a variety of jumps reminiscent of foxhunting days. Natural coops, stone walls, hickstead fences and brush jumps provided the appropriate test for horses and riders to navigate with the up and downhill terrain.
Belcort is 5 year old by Budweiser x Chasing John and was purchased by Bill Rube at 5 months of age. His career started in Hunter Breeding, winning The PA Hunter Breeders Yearling Futurity, and placing as a 2 and 3 year old at Devon, Warrenton, and the Sallie B. Wheeler Championships. He went on to be Champion in the Baby Green Hunter Division at Warrenton and Champion 3,4,5 year old hunter at the Middleburg Classic with Jason Berry. He continued to win in the Pre-green hunter division with Jason, Jocelyn Martin, Kara Raposa, and Tammy Provost qualifying for the Inaugural Pre Green Incentive Championships in Kentucky this past August. Bill decided to ride (after not having been in the saddle for a year) and competed in the AA hunter 51+ division at the Capital Challenge. They did very well... and as Bill said “one more class and I would have nailed it”.