Dakota Winds Farm Miniature Horses, Carolyn Aarup

30/07/2023

When the absolute highlight of your show day is not the ribbons but a surprise visit from your eldest daughter … (who also can still get some of the best pics of me driving) ❤️

29/07/2023

GLCC
Great Lakes Carriage Classics 2023
Class descriptions for anyone interested in learning more …
Spectators are welcome!

29/07/2023

Friday July 28

Dressage & Cones

Early show mornings are always a time to enjoy some lovely sunrises and peace … even if it is only brief. 😊

Early morning drivers meeting, helped a fellow friend, Cathy Kelly, get ready for her dressage then got ready for for my own dressage.

Our dressage was … well entertaining to say the least as Favio (one of my brave CDE ponies!) decided the judges stand was a pony rating monster (hence the multiple judges comments referring to how Favio “really did not like judges booth”. )🤣🤣. That’s ok as we had a riot regardless.

Waked cones course.

Cones went well with making excellent time but one ball down (hmmm not that it had anything to do with a certain sign at the end of the arena who replaced the former judges booth … 🤣).

So nice to reconnect with a few old friends again 🥰. Thank you so Chantal and Alysia for helping head Favio while putting to for my classes.

Although she was busy, I was able to sneak in a quick chat with one of my fav photographers Connie Smith who is the official photographer for the show this year.

Awards presentation & corn roast 🌽 yummy!

Favio received 1st in Dressage & Cones as High Point Preliminary VSE.

Then back to the barn to bath and braid Favio.

Prepared cart for Turnout tomorrow.

Action shots courtesy of Chantal Lafleche.

Turnout, Working and Fault & Out classes tomorrow (Saturday).

28/07/2023

Thursday July 27, 2023

Beautiful facility: lovely stalls and arena. It was nice to be in the shade out of the extreme heat.

Got settled and registered for GLCC.

Welcomed some of my arriving vendors (thank you to my assistant Isabel Miller for helping welcome the ones who arrived before I got there). Be sure to check out the great line up of vendors we have!

Got Favio officially measured for the ADS measurement card so now he is now permanent (they have to be 8 years of age … hard to believe he’s 11 this year 😳).

Favio is enjoying peeking at his neighbours though the corner of the stall. Lol

Walked dressage a few times so Favio could get used to the ring.

Delicious supper with friends at Symposium restaurant.

Back to the barn and braided Favio (still loving the Best Braid product … if you would like to get some please visit Sheri’s booth at the GLCC as she’s one of my wonderful vendors and will be here all weekend).

Settled in my darling AirBnB apartment and now studying the cones course for tomorrow.

Dressage and Cones tomorrow (Friday). My dressage time is 9:30 am.

28/07/2023

26/07/2023

Come on out and watch driven dressage this Friday at The Great Lakes Carriage Classic show being held at the Ancaster Fairgrounds.

Spectators welcome. 😊

26/07/2023

Two ponies driven, one carriage cleaned and polished, one harness cleaned and polished, most of the trailer packed for the GLCC, some office work done … cripes it’s been a busy day but it means less work tomorrow!

25/07/2023

My early morning views from my cot in Karen’s trailer. I was snug as a bug in my unicorn jammies ! 🤣

25/07/2023

Today I watched, with absolute pure joy, one of my students fulfill one of her dreams …

When I first started working with Gay & Izzy in the spring, Gay expressed her goals for her Izzy and one of them was to eventually drive her and maybe even drive on some of their lovely trails.

Today was that day! 👏👏👏

Gay has worked extremely hard with Izzy in between lessons to desensitize her through consistent ground work. Last lesson we hitched her for the first time and Gay has since been working on Izzy’s stamina and endurance in preparation of driving on the trails.

I am so pleased with how far they’ve come. Keep up the good work! 🥰

25/07/2023

Photo dump of our weekend!

Please see the write up I put on the main page of this album to give you a synopsis of our weekend.

25/07/2023

Some Drivers at this event came from USA also

24/07/2023

21/07/2023

❤️

This.🤘

21/07/2023

20/07/2023

The weather has been perfect for driving this week. Even the bugs have been better !

So much fun back driving the minis again. 🥰

Tux got back in the action today as he’s been enjoying a well deserved break since he worked hard on the weekend.

20/07/2023

What a fabulous driving event!
Congratulations to all !

20/07/2023

Please contact Lianne Megarry directly to register 😊

I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge 🥰

19/07/2023

Linda and Henry had their lesson recently and have been working on relaxation. They did it (on “Henry time”) 😉🥰

18/07/2023

Back from the OCDA Driving event (will post pics and write up soon) so Tux gets a well deserved break while Favio prepares for the GLCC (Great Lakes Carriage Classics Show) on July 28-30.

So this means learning a new dressage test … off we go! 😊

18/07/2023

No rest for the wicked …

Finished a busy weekend at a driving competition yesterday and back teaching this morning.

Allesha and Summer expanded their skills today with doing some different driving obstacles. And of course they nailed it 👏👏👏

Cones course next? Yep I think so! 😈

Ps and just added a pic of my fav lesson pup who brightens my day as soon as I see her! 🥰