We're moving!

Bittersweet update: after nearly a decade of calling Wacky Nut Farm home, we’ll be moving at the end of the month.

I wrote an obnoxiously long ode to The Nut this morning that Instagram promptly ate. What an editor’s note, but point taken.

A short-ish ode:

My first visit to The Nut was after Syrano had very suddenly died, I had just sold Cris, and had nothing short of declared I was getting out of horses. (Ha. Classic, right?) I was working at Beecher’s in Seattle, didn’t have a car, had a blog about my dog riding a bus the city, and ran very long distances for no other reason than I had A LOT of time to kill. To my droughty CA brain, training horses in the PNW sounded miserable…and muddy.

Enter Wacky Nut Farm. Neither miserable nor muddy, I’d have to change my mind about this declaration thing.

There is no combination of words that I can put together that would be acceptably unrambley or even approach capturing what this barn has done for me. Like anywhere meaningful, a little bit of me will always stay here, but the future I was shown could exist, much less be mine, is going with me.

We won’t be going far. I have a darling barn ready for us in Kingston, with more news coming about my training program as the time comes.

Endless thanks to the owners of Wacky Nut, who made this dream farm real and generously shared it with the whole community. I can only hope the future owners will love and be in awe of it as much as we know it deserves.

2022 begins

We’re very excited for 2022! Frankie (Fahrenheit), bred by Gayle Atkins and owned by Sorensen Dressage came into her first show experience with a splash! Scoring very consistently at 69% at 3-3, we couldn’t be happier with her focus and grit in a busy environment with some wild weather.

Photo: Two Red Dogs Photography

GOLD!

XO and I had our Grand Prix debut in April at Devonwood in the Spring. I wasn't expecting to get my USDF Gold Medal on our first weekend out at Grand Prix, but...pop the champagne, we did it!  It was super important to me to be able to earn my medals on horses that I trained myself.  I earned my bronze and silver medals 10 years ago in 2008 with a combination of scores from Cristiano and Syrano.  Since then, I've taken a break from riding and come back with a renewed appreciation and enjoyment for the process of training horses.  

Emily and Excalibur Grand Prix at Donida Farm in May 2018, owned by Delight Willing.  Photo: Mike Fisher

Catalina came into my life in 2013 and XO in 2014, and both have been working their way up the levels.  They're very different to ride and train, but both have an undeniable work ethic and enjoy working. 

Emily and Excalibur Grand Prix at Donida Farm in May 2018.  Excalibur is owned by Delight Willing.  Photo: Mike Fisher

Catalina came back to competition at Devonwood in the Spring, as well.  For a horse that has struggled with flying changes, I was very proud of how she handled herself in the very tricky fourth level test 3.  She loves to show, but hates to make mistakes more, so I made sure she would be well prepared to navigate the details of this test, so she would be confident in the show ring...it helped that XO and I did this test a TON in 2016!  

Emily and Catalina competing at Fourth level, Summervale Premier Dressage in June 2018.  Catalina is owned by Emily Sorensen.  Photo: Mike Fisher

What a year, what a year!!!

This year has been packed with show after show, with a sprinkle of well-timed clinics with Joanie Bolton and Leslie Reid.  XO had his competition debut in the spring and very handily proved his reliability at 4th level and PSG again and again throughout the year.  We were Reserve Champions in the USDF Region 6 Fourth Level Championship in Auburn, WA, which earned an invitation to the US Dressage Finals in Lexington, KY.  

USDF Region 6 Reserve Champions, Fourth Level Open, Auburn, WA   Photo: Carolynn Bunch

USDF Fourth Level Open Honor Round, Auburn, WA  Photo: Carolynn Bunch

XO and Emily at the 2016 US Dressage Final in Lexington, KY

XO's owner, Delight Willing, very generously sponsored the trip for us to go to the finals.  What an experience!  This was my first trip to the finals, but also my first trip to the Kentucky Horse Park.  Though XO loves pretty much everything about showing, one of his favorite parts is going for walks...long, many-mile, multiple-hour-a-day walks.  This usually means seeing the same scenery over and over, but not so much at the KHP.  The portion of the park which the show was taking place was massive, but was really still just a small bit of the entire facility.  To walk at a Lusitano's pace from one end of the dressage show to the other was just under 15 minutes.  XO was in heaven.  

Putting in our miles!  Photo: Emily Sorensen

The USDF staff and every single volunteer I met were like cheerleaders scattered around the show to make sure everyone was having a good day.  Sure, they had their tasks to fulfill, but more than anything, they wanted everyone to have a great time and do well.  A coffee cart zipped around the stabling area not just with coffee, but buckets of carrots and dog treats.  One of the ring stewards, John, made a goal of memorizing all of the rider's names.  By the end of day 1, he had spotted XO a handful of times and by then, he knew us from arenas away.   

XO and Emily at the 2016 US Dressage Final in Lexington, KY  Photo: Susan Sickle

The logistics of getting a horse, all of his equipment, hay, and his rider from Seattle to Lexington (and back!) was monstrous.  It would have been impossible to do without the unwavering support and trust of Team XO.  

Part of Team XO: L-R, Emily, XO, Laura, Delight, Nancy, and Mary

Another logistical challenge...how does one get a horse to perform as he's done all year after being on a trailer for 3 days...??  "XO" and "travel" went together quite well all season, but he'd never travelled across the country then been expected to be at his peak.  I'd strategized his work at home to keep him fit and "show-ready," but then gave him a light couple of days before he left.  It seemed to work out and he arrived to the show all-business and ready to go!  

First things first!  R&R with snacks and a blankie.  Photo: Emily Sorensen

XO arrived to the KHP on Tuesday morning and was one of the first horses to arrive.  In true XO fashion, he doesn't mind much of anything, so long as there are good snacks!  We went for a ride in the evening just to walk and get the layout of the arenas.  Wednesday, we had a bit more of a structured ride to see how his fared in travel.  Remarkably, he felt AWESOME.  Not at all tired, loose, happy, and ready for the show to start!  

The open show (Dressage in the Blue Grass) ran at the same time as the finals, serving as warm up classes and, if you're riding a Lusitano, "keep busy" classes.  We had our best ever feeling test in Friday's PSG.  XO has felt green at PSG all season, but this was the test that he felt absolutely ready for FEI.  It was an amazing feeling to be at such a competitive, national show and be able to ride a test nearly just by telling him the pattern.  Usually this happens for parts of each test, but what a wonderful feeling to be able to rely 100% on the training we've done together and have nearly the whole test feel effortless.  

Dance with the one that brought you  Photo: Jo Wallace

Our Fourth Level Championship was the following day and we drew the first spot in the class.  It's always tough to go first in a big championship class, but we went and did our best and had a solid, consistent test.  Friday's effortlessness was for Friday and Saturday required me to help him a bit more to get through the trickiness of 4-3.  We scored a 65.593% to open the class.  We rode for Lilo Fore, Gary Rockwell, and Adrienne Pot, all of which I respect highly and all of whom commented that our tests were well presented and showed proper training.  Score-shmore, all of our hard work paid off right then to have those comments!

2016 Results and Highlights

NWDC/USDF Region 6 Championship, Auburn, WA

Reserve Champion USDF Fourth Level Open

Reserve Champion NWDC Fourth Level Open

6th place USDF PSG Open

6th place NWDC PSG Open

US Dressage Final, Lexington, KY

US Dressage Final Championship Fourth Level Open, 12th place, 65.593%

USDF Dressage Horse of the Year

Fourth Level, 15th in the United States, median 68.612%

Piles and piles of Thank Yous to Team XO and congratulations all around on a very successful 2016!

2016 US Dressage Finals, Lexington, KY Photo: Susan Sickle

Excalibur's Debut!

XO (more formally known as Excalibur) made his show debut at 4th level at the Donida Derby.  

4-2

69.7 and 67.7%.

4-3

65.7 and 69.1%.

Four wins for XO, and he LOVED it!  Off to a great start on his show career!