Merle-Smith Sporthorses

11/16/2024

Heard galloping from inside the house.... Yup, they're at it again!
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11/16/2024

Joel and I trekked up to Upperville, Virginia last weekend to compete in the Virginia Field Hunter Championships, hosted by Piedmont Foxhounds.
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This competition invites 💌 Virginia packs to send two members each to represent them. It was created and started in 1951 (I believe) by Alexander Rives (MFH of Keswick Hunt Club 1947-1954), the father of our own Sandy Rives (MFH of KHC 1990-1992 & Honorary Whip) and Barclay Rives (Honorary Whip).
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Our day began with a 4am 🕓 wake up call to be dressed, get horses washed, vacuumed, and forelocks braided, followed by a two hour drive. The day was overcast and chilly and our horses felt fit.
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The competition started at 9am with the Best Turned Out, quickly followed by the WTC hack so the judges can see all the horses competing, which was about 20+. We then waited for some of the judges to get into position for the mock hunt, while the other two judges rode amongst us. The previous year’s winner leads the field over a series of fences and terrain for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on who designed the course.
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Once home from the mock hunt, the judges deliberated and chose their favorites to ride in a final individual test. Both Joel and I were chosen for this, which was thrilling! The test was shown to us by our fearless leader, and then off we went one by one! 🏇
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Winterstormwarning (OTTB - Deputy Storm xx/ Vice Regent xx) finished 6th while Fortune Cookie (Homebred Connemara Sporthorse - Concerto Grosso[Holsteiner]/ Ganymede[Conn/TB]) did not make top 6. Breezy and Cookie are two of our most prized ponies, and we are so thankful to have them to enrich our lives.
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Thank you to Middleburg Photo, Luci Photography, & Liz Callar Photography for these wonderful photos we will treasure forever! 💖

11/10/2024

After sustaining a strain to a hind leg suspensory in the Spring, and an eye ulcer in early Summer, Fortune Cookie 🥠 feels INCREDIBLE and strong.
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We made it to the finals of the Virginia Field Hunter Championships today, and weren’t pinned. But I don’t even care because I got to showcase my breeding program, and my horse was a beast today. I am just so thankful that she is sound, happy, and rideable!!
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Coming home with the biggest smile, and a bursting heart. 💖Cookie Monster 🍪👹 is the BEST GIRL!!!
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Thank you to Piedmont Foxhounds for hosting. And a massive thank you to the veterinarians who helped bring us back to action - Old Dominion Equine Associates & Animal Eyecare of Richmond.
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11/06/2024

Time to share this one again!

‘Tis important for stallions to be treated like any other horse, therefore I pretend to trust him like I would any other 4yo. “You’re still standing back there? Great.” He is especially thoughtful after a good ground work session.
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Here he is, this afternoon, watching me teach from the middle of the arena on the other end of his line. He is content and captivated by the 11yo riding the semi-retired 12 hand POA.
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It doesn’t take long to get a horse to this happy place. Ground work is about speaking their language, and it’s not rocket science.
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Horses want us to understand them. I love creating that horse and human dance where we both have finally “memorized the routine.”

11/04/2024

Pony appreciation post for our goober, Arthur of Camelot. Arthur is now 7 and a half, and is in his 4th season of hunting. We purchased him off of a video on my birthday in 2021, through Lauren Romanelli.
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When the vet called me after the PPE, he said he was surprisingly impressed with how lovely his movement was after seeing how goofy and gangly he looked in the cross ties. I considered that particular comment a perfect reason to buy him! 😉
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Arthur has ridden in clinics with Bernie Traurig and Lucinda Green. He was dubbed “Bobble Head” by Bernie, as he still hasn’t figured out how to keep his head in one place, but both Bernie and Lucinda absolutely adore his athleticism and scope!
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He has numerous positions within the hunt field nowadays. Most of the time, he whips in with Joel. But he also leads first field OR happily goes behind friends in first field! He is a complete goof ball on the ground, is constantly bobbing his head while standing around, but he is sure-footed and bottomless with energy, making him an essential steed for judging performance trials — He has gone 27 miles in one day before.
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I attribute his goofy behavior to his start to life as an orphan foal. He is only 15.3hh, and I wish we knew what breed or combination of breeds he is — What is your guess?
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📸 : Warner Granade

11/04/2024

First flight jumping - Chilli and Cora at the end!

11/04/2024

Thornton Hill Hounds Opening Meet 2024!!
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Rosie lead second field with Hermione, and Joel and I took Chilli and Cora. I expected to ride in second field with Joel and Rosie…
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After 20 minutes, Joel somehow convinced me to go up to first field, which is the jumping field… 😳 Cora has literally been so perfect at every hunt, and this was maybe her 7th or 8th time hunting. She is so chillax, and loves it so much. She hunts with a loop in the rein. HOWEVER, she still is only ridden to hunt right now, AND I’ve literally never jumped her under saddle - not over a cross rail or a log…. NEVER. She doesn’t even steer well. 😅 She has jumped once or twice on the lunge.
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Well today, we wung it! And she jumped like 5 or 6 coops! Perfect form every time. 😎
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Less than 30 rides under saddle… 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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I don’t know if it’s Katie Pinner’s breeding or my training, or the combination…. But the pony is simply magical!
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And Chilli absolutely ADORES her new job! I’ll have to fight Joel for the reins. 💪👊

10/30/2024

Yesterday, I took SRF Chilli Sunrise (Chilli Morning x Jetting West, bred by Setters Run Farm) up to Thornton Hill Hounds for her second time out with hounds. We left from the kennels just down the road from Sperryville. Chilli’s first time out was two years ago, and then she had a foal by BSF Golden Snitch (MS Chilli Tryst), so here we are! We decided to go slow and take her in 3rd flight, which is generally walk/trot. She has a busy mind, and I didn’t want to over stimulate her.
[Young and/or green horses should always start out in the slow groups because hunting will just about always pump up a horse (which is sometimes something I count on with a lazy one 😉).]
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Chilli started out very high headed and staring around at all the horses far away. She wouldn’t stand at the checks, and was getting more and more jiggy in 3rd flight. Ultimately, our plan is to turn her into a staff or first flight leading horse, so bravery and forwardness is encouraged. I’m not particularly worried about her being comfortable behind a group of horses, especially since she won’t really need to be when all is said and done.
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After about 15-20 minutes, just as I was thinking maybe I should move along up to 2nd flight to have a canter and go up a big hill, Rosie (who was leading 3rd flight) suggested maybe I go up as well — So we did.
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We trotted up Little Mason and around, and finally she started to settle at the checks, but was spooking at hounds coming up behind her on the trails. Not ever threatening them, just genuinely spooky. Ok, that’s something we can work on — no big deal.
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About an hour into the hunt, we had trotted and cantered a decent amount. She got completely over the hounds, and was totally chilling at the checks, just watching everything go on around her. She spent far more time listening to and watching the hounds than worrying about the horses just on the other side of that hill.
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Nearing the end of the hunt, we had jumped a couple logs on the trail, and Kat (2nd flight leader) asked if we wanted to jump a coop! Uh YES!! So we did! No problemo!!!
As we neared the trailers, Kat excused herself from the hunt to get to a meeting, and we joined the back of 1st flight!! We didn’t jump anything else, but we did some more mountain climbing following the hounds, and she was absolutely perfect. WTC with bridged reins in one hand, neck strap in the other. Plus she’s careful about rocks, roots, and holes!
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It’s safe to say that Chilli needed that stimulation to keep occupied, and it just settled her more and more. She completely stepped up to the plate. Feels so great to be out on the ones you love to ride so much. 🥰🥰 Wahoo! New hunt horse!
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📸 : Denny Bomar

Tamarack Hill Farm

10/28/2024

✨ Someone please buy this filly so I DON’T!!!! She is a Connemara/Thoroughbred by BSF Golden Snitch, and the mare comes from Smiling Tiger xx / Tiznow xx
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Watch the video! She is a saintly baby!!

“Tink” is a 2024 Connemara Sporthorse filly by BSF Golden Snitch and out of Miss Sprinkles. Her sire, BSF Golden Snitch is by Tre Awain Goldsmith, an ACPS An Tostal award winner and a dressage prodigy. Miss Sprinkles, Tink's dam, is by Smiling Tiger, a Grade 1 Winner and a Leading California All...

10/28/2024

Lovely day spent with KHC taking out Chinggis Khan this morning from “Old Keswick.” He was green at times (he is only FIVE!), but so honest and willing to hang! A special thank you to Gavin Marks for letting us ride with him and babysit us. And thanks to Toni-Ann Gambale for the photo snap!
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I really think this boy is gonna be an awesome first flight field master’s horse! But he might also go in the field like a champ as well!! Time will tell. As I have said many times, stallions love company!
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10/28/2024

💖 “Hi! I’m Barbie!” 💖
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Equestrian Barbie featuring 4yo Gallo’s Coriandrum “Cora” at Thornton Hill Hounds’ Halloween Hunt during Virginia Hunt Week 2024!!
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Ralph Lauren jacket provided by Sweet Rose Sporting Finds & Treasures
Boots by Romitelli Boots
Unicorn crop by Fleck
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10/26/2024

The bestest baby 4yo Connemara filly, Gallo’s Coriandrum, lead 3rd field today for KHC. What a GEM!!!
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Bred by Katie Pinner, proudly owned by me!
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Cora was Reserve Champion at the 2024 Upperville C**t & Horse Show and Champion at the 2024 Warrenton Pony Show, in the Connemara divisions at each.
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📸 : Warner Granade

10/24/2024

This horse is amazing

10/22/2024

Finally got my girl Fortune Cookie out hunting today! We lead 3rd field with Keswick, as she spent the summer recovering from a hind leg suspensory strain from March/April, PLUS an eye ulcer she sustained while munching on the round bale in the medical paddock!! 🙄🙄🙄
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She may be a tad unfit, but she was sooooo wonderful today!! I’m just so grateful for my amazing number one homebred CHESTNUT MARE!! 🥰 We even viewed the gorgeous blonde fox! 🦊
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Thank you Warner for the photo!
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10/20/2024

Another wonderfully fun day galloping and jumping behind Pennmarydels on my 🌟 Golden Super Pony at the Thornton Hill / Snickersville joint meet at Sunny Bank!
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If you had asked me a few years ago if I thought he would be happily plodding along in the back of first flight, I would have said no way. But if there is one thing I’ve learned with all my boys.. it’s that stallions really do love friends and camaraderie. And if they know other horses and spend time with them regularly, they will love being in the herd. Today, Snitch spent the majority of the hunt behind our joint master’s mare, and only gently nickered at her one time.
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It’s important to always ask permission to bring out a stallion to a new hunt. We were welcomed with open arms today, but he may not always be! I always have to be paying attention to be sure I am keeping him at a safe distance from others, but he is truly one of the best behaved boys out there. Love him so dearly! 💖
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BSF Golden Snitch - Connemara Stallion

10/19/2024

YOU GUYS!!! This little Golden Boy was an absolute 🌟 today, riding in the back of first flight for Opening Meet with KHC — Riding in a field of 8 or 9 other horses, geldings and mares alike. He is still green over XC jumps, but following the others makes him brave! He is just blowing me away by stepping up to the plate. I feel so lucky to own and ride this SUPER PONY!!
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Taking breeding contracts for 2025. Gets yours in by Dec 1 before his stud fee goes up!
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Bred by Maura Jordan
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