Matt McLaughlin Dressage

06/17/2024

MMD had a great weekend at Grand Oaks!

Matt and Barbara Nagle’s Lusitano, Forcado CL, had their best weekend yet at Grand Prix, earning a 67.39 on Saturday and an even better 69 on Sunday, which made them FEI Reserve High Point! We love this super horse, which Jorge Gabriel bred at Casa Lusitana.

John McEvoy took his new Holsteiner, Tempest, out at training and first levels. He did a tremendous job working through some tension and got his best score yet at first level test three with a 66.5!

Montana Zito rode Bobby, Jeff and Sonya Reed’s thoroughbred, in training level. They won every class they entered with a 70.6 and a 70.8, which earned them Training Level High Point!

Finally, Matt took Nancy McEvoy’s Gypsy Vanner, Puck, out for some more schooling miles, and he was a perfect gentleman!

As always, thank you to Barbara Nagle for being the groom extraordinaire and taking care of everything in the show barn!

Well done, all!

06/12/2024

While we are tucked away in an air-conditioned truck with comfy seats, our horses are bouncing and swaying in the back.

Unlike many may think, horses don't actually sleep or rest in the trailer. Their body is constantly moving and making adjustments to stay upright - Just like we do when we are standing in the bus or train.

Researchers from Massey University in New Zealand sought to measure how much vertical and horizontal movement horses have when in a trailer. With two horses loaded up into a two-horse, they took a 58-minute trip and here is what they found:

📍In total, horse 1 moved over 228 ft and horse 2 moved over 320 ft vertically
📍Horizontally, Horse 1 moved 745 ft and Horse 2 moved 797 ft
📍Both horses swayed over 11 inches

Next time you load up for a show, clinic, lesson, etc., give your horse a break before jumping right on.
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03/24/2024

What a great show weekend for MMD!

Let’s start with the biggest news of the weekend: LORI GOT HER GOLD on Barbara Nagle’s Lusitano, Forcado! She got both GP scores on the first two GP rides with a 64 and a 62!

Matt took Margie Meyer’s PRE, Mimoso, out at I1 for the second time and earned a 67 and a 65!

Carly Wolf took her Westfalen out at third three and finished the “with distinction” addition to her bronze medal and was the third level champion with a 67!

And Jennifer Freeman took her Lusitano, Nomada, out at third three. After some spookiness, Lori took him out and got a 71.8!

Thank you so much to Barbara for holding down the fort in the show barn and Fiona Laing and Jeanne for helping feed at home, to Darlene Wayne and John and Nancy McEvoy for keeping the team fed, and to Jeanne Thomas for taking the beautiful pictures! We also greatly appreciate everyone cheering on the team!

02/28/2024

02/28/2024

Sharing this for Alpha Dressage!

02/07/2024

It's that time of year again!

01/24/2024

MMD riders had a great time at WEC last weekend!

Matt took Barbara Nagle’s Lusitano, Forcado, out at Grand Prix for the second time and won one of his classes and qualified for regionals!

He also won a couple Intermediare I classes with Margie Meyer’s PRE, Mimoso, and qualified for regionals! *dusts off shoulders*

Holly Melzer had a fantastic weekend with Remi too, winning her PSG class on Sunday and getting another mid-60’s score in Fourth 3 on Saturday!

Carly Wolf qualified for regionals at Third Level with her Westfalen, Atlas, and won a Third 1 class with him!

And John McEvoy rode his Holsteiner mare, Morrigan, and his warmblood cross, Oberon, in Training 3 and First 3. He took home lots of ribbons in some busy classes. Morrigan—the mare who nearly severed a tendon a few years ago—took home a third place with a mid-60’s score her first time at WEC!

Well done, all!

01/22/2024

Matt McLaughlin Dressage in St Cloud, FL, is looking for a farm worker (may also consider a working student)!

Duties include feeding, turning out, mucking, mowing, moving hay, ideally helping groom horses, and other tasks as assigned.

Pay can include lessons and housing but doesn’t have to.

Please email [email protected] or contact Carly at 813-294-7258 if you’d like to apply!

12/03/2023

MMD riders had so much success at Orlando Dressage’s Orlando Winter Classic show this weekend!

John McEvoy took his Holsteiner mare, Morrigan, out for her first show since almost completely severing her suspensory 3 years ago. Multiple vets recommended euthanasia and promised she’d never work again. They tried First 3 and Training 3 and broke 60. Congratulations! All that work rehabbing her and bringing her back has been so worth it.

Matt was FEI champion with a 67 in I1 on Margie Meyer’s PRE, Mimoso. Well done!

Barbara Nagle took her Lusitano, Forcado, out at I1 again after a brief break. It was great to see that team back at it!

Finally, Lori took Jenny Johnson’s Lusitano, Nomada, out at Third 3 for the first time. They won all of their classes with mid-60’s scores.

Excellent job, team! Now to prep for the next show!

12/01/2023

Matt McLaughlin Dressage in St Cloud, FL, is looking for a farm worker or a working student!

Duties include feeding, turning out, mucking, mowing, moving hay, ideally helping groom horses, and other tasks as assigned.

Pay can include lessons and housing but doesn’t have to.

Please email [email protected] or contact Carly at 813-294-7258 if you’d like to apply!

11/23/2023

11/19/2023

Carly: Look how cute?!
Balentino: Dewishus!!
Carly: Gaaaaah! You Grinch!!
Rebecca: How about using Haygain lids?
Problem solved!

11/10/2023

New form added to our boiler plate training contract! I love it

10/30/2023

For sale: 2021 17.5” Custom Star with subtle burgundy piping. Buffalo leather and plush seat. Standard flaps. Was nearly new when purchased in March, so it’s in fantastic shape!
On 10/27/23, our Custom rep said its retail value is $4,695. Asking $4,300. Fully paid trials only.

10/30/2023

For sale: Hermes Corlandus Dressage Saddle 17” black standard tree and flaps. Mono flap deep-seat and narrow twist with ergonomic blocks allow optimal vertical leg positioning, and very close contact with the horse. V-shaped billet system attached directly to the tree ensures saddle stability and optimizes horse’s movement and comfort. Hinged stirrup bars allow two different leg positions so that the rider’s balance can be altered to suit. Serial number 29281s. Excellent condition. Retailed at $7650 new, asking $2500 obo.

10/26/2023

MMD riders had a great weekend at WEC!

Holly Melzer made her FEI debut with her half Arab, Remmbrandt! She earned her first PSG score toward her silver: one more, and she’s got it!! She may not be in our physical barn, but she’s most certainly part of the team!

Carly Wolf took her 6 year old Westfalen, Atlas, out at third level for the first time! They won both of their classes with scores up to 67! As you can see, Remi and Atlas had fun getting to know each other.

And John McEvoy took his ginormous Oberon out at Training and First Levels. After an opinionated Saturday, they had a pair of very solid tests on Sunday, earning scores up to 64–and these judges were tough all weekend! Well done staying positive and having a great second day!

Extra thanks to Barbara Nagle for being the horse show groom extraordinaire! She hauled the horses and helped with everything all weekend!

10/03/2023

Matt McLaughlin Dressage in St Cloud, FL, is looking for a FARM WORKER and/or a WORKING STUDENT!

The right candidate will:
-Lug and divvy out pre-processed hay and grain
-Muck out processed hay and grain
-Doctor, groom, bathe, turn out, dote on, cookie-fy, and snuggle the hay and grain processors
-Mow and w**d eat what the ponies don’t (if you’re a farm worker)
-Speak fluent sarcasm

Benefits depend on whether you’re a farm worker or working student and include:
-Lessons with Grand Prix trainers who have turned countless hooligans into Grand Prix crossy prancy show offs and helped riders all over the US work their butts off to earn $0.50 ribbons and nickel-sized lapel pins
-Depending on your level/ability, which will develop while you’re here, the chance to ride our horses and learn upper-level movements
-Housing (sorry, no pets or other humans)
-Pay - varies based on whether you bring a horse and whether you’re a farm worker or working student
-Board for one horse

Extra benefits:
-Watch and learn and try your hand at it as Matt teaches piaffe and passage. Seriously, he’s the piaffe king!
-You’ll have no need for a gym membership. This is essentially paid cross fit!
-You get to learn cool, more unique things, like long lining and teaching tricks
-Be part of our amazing, super-supportive barn family, including the best clients
-We have 0 complete A-hole horses...(we all have our moments...).
-Get kisses from one real-life Breyer horse and hilarious looks from another: no joke - two of our horses have Breyers made for them!
-You get all the pupper snuggles you can handle.
-Popsicles. So. Many. Popsicles. It’s Florida.

Part-time work also available if you don’t need housing!

Interested? Email your experience, goals, and contact info to [email protected].

Not interested? Please share, so we can find someone to share all our popsicles with!

09/23/2023

We love how professional Donald McGrew is with ABS Sharpening Services. This is how our sharpened blades were returned!

09/03/2023

Wouldn’t it be nice to be sharper? We know someone who can help!

No…not with your mental acuity. BUT as we approach body-clipping season, Don McGrew at ABS Sharpening Service can at least revive your clipper blades (and plenty of other blades)!

For the mental sharpness, coffee is the best we can suggest. 🤷🏼‍♀️

09/02/2023

Carly Wolf thinking she is funny... Lass and Ass. Well I guess it is a little funny...and fairly accurate.

08/31/2023

MMD had a great first outing at WEC last weekend!

Matt took Barbara Nagle’s Lusitano, Forcado, out at Grand Prix for the first time at a rated show and qualified for regional championships and was second on Sunday!

He also took Margie Meyer’s PRE, Mimoso, out at PSG to finish earning scores toward all-breed awards and won on Sunday!

Jenny Johnson made her show debut with her Lusitano, Nomada. Of course, they kicked off their show career at third level at WEC with no one else schooling him and got a couple blues! *dusts off shoulders*

John McEvoy took his huge Dutch cross, Oberon, out at training and first levels and finished qualifying for regionals! He also brought home a couple ribbons in big classes!

And Carly Wolf finished qualifying her Westfalen, Atlas, at training level and with their first-level freestyle, winning a class of 12 and taking second in a class of 18!

Thanks to Jeanne Thomas and Nancy McEvoy for some of the pics!

07/24/2023

MMD had a few riders do a great job at the Ocala Summer Fun 2 show!

Matt took Margie Meyer’s PRE, Mimoso, out at PSG and started qualifying him for regionals with a couple of 65’s that earned seconds in a large group of open riders.

Our wonderful working student/intern, Eileen Goodge, took Carly Wolf’s Westfalen, Atlas, out at first and second levels and earned her first 4 scores toward her bronze, winning all but one class and getting scores up to 72!

And John McEvoy did a great job with his Dutch cross, Oberon, getting better each ride with scores up to 66, including earning a regionals qualifying score in first level!

07/06/2023

06/19/2023

MMD had a great weekend showing at Grand Oaks!

Alison Ferrell and her Friesian cross, Finn, took home a couple of seconds with their fourth-level freestyle with scores up to 66.7.

Matt and Margie Meyer’s PRE, Mimoso, were high point with scores up to 72.2 in fourth level test three.

He and Amy Smith’s Hanoverian, Princeton, were reserve high point with scores up to 68.9 in third level, getting a regionals qualifying score at this one-show weekend.

Lori took Jenny Johnson’s six-year-old Lusitano, Nomada, out to his first show, winning both classes with scores up to 72.1 in third one.

She also took Fiona Laing’s Lusitano, Jac, out for her third-level debut with scores up to 65.

John McEvoy and his big guy, Oberon, had a solid weekend with scores up to 66.3 in first level, earning a regionals qualifying score.

And Carly and her Westfalen, Atlas, debuted a first-level freestyle and won with a 72.3 and got a 71.4 in training three—both regionals qualifying scores.

Well done, team! Thank you, Jeanne Thomas, for pics! And thanks for putting on a great show, Orlando Dressage, Gayle Witty, and Carlie Evans!

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05/29/2023

We’ve had a great week with our new working student/intern, Eileen, who’s joining us for the summer. And welcome to her pony, Pony, too!