Basquewille Retires from the Show Ring!

After two Grand Prix wins in the CDI show at Pebble Beach in early July, Mette has decided that Basquewille deserves to retire from the show ring on a high note--while he’s still healthy, happy and well.  Unfortunately Basquewille got an abscess in his hoof shortly after he won the Grand Prix Invitational at the World Cup in April 2007.  The problem, which took almost a year to resolve, took a lot out of him.  He has done so much for Mette and he’s not only a horse that gave her a lot of pleasure in the show ring, he’s also inspired her daily work.  He has a work ethic that is very special and has a heart of gold and always tries his best.  He is the type of horse that if he had a broken leg, he would never give up and would just keep on working.  She would like to leave the show ring while he’s still doing well.  Basquewille has given Mette so much that she doesn’t want to keep showing and showing him. He is healthy and sound now, so he will remain with Mette at Mill Creek.  Mette will continue to ride him to keep up her own Grand Prix level riding skills.  She will not ever sell him and will keep him with her for the rest of his life.  He will still be number one in the barn.  Mette feels very fortunate to have had a horse of his caliber who has taken her so far in her riding career, particularly on the extremely competitive California show circuit.  Since Basquewille has done so much for Mette, she wants to show her gratitude by allowing him to leave the show ring with all of the dignity and respect he has earned over his long, successful career.

Pebble Beach Dressage Show Report (Click for complete results)

At the Pebble Beach Dressage Show in early July, Mette was able to bring all four of her horses for the first time in a long while since she’s been so busy showing clients’ horses.  Mette showed Rockefeller and Donnatello for this first time this year and she had fun getting all four of the out together.  Pebble Beach in July is perfect for showing:  rolling fog, 60° and Mette even had to warm up in a jacket.  Mette says her horses “thought they had died and gone to heaven!” They enjoyed the fresh and healthy weather after the 110° weather at home over the previous few weeks.  Overall, the show was very successful for Mette and her horses: Basquewille won two Grand Prix classes; Donnatello won three of his classes and was second in two; Taison placed well and was also champion in Prix St. Georges; Rockefeller still thinks that he can just go on his looks.  Mette thinks Rocky is such a gigolo; he does well, but is not ready yet to show it in the ring. He will be super one day, but has not been in the show ring enough, so he just needs go out more. Mette was very pleased with all of them them.  She says “.I know I have great horses and I just have to keep on working! I really enjoy the journey.”

Now that the heat of the summer is here, Mette is taking her horses down in their work to give them a break from the hotter months.  She will start working them harder again in the early fall and perhaps take them to a few shows in the fall to get ready for the new show year.