PVDA (Potomac Valley Dressage Association) is hosting it's 6th annual Ride For Life, a USDF licensed show to benefit quality of life breast cancer research at Johns Hopkins.  The show is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday - June 28-29 at the Show Place Arena - Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Saturday night is the Dancing Horse Challenge and Gala Dinner.  Special guest judge is olympian Nicole Uphoff!  Some of the amazing riders you can see are Cesar Parra, Chris Hickey, Jules Anderson, a vaulting demonstration and a reining demonstration, pas de duex and quardilles!

 If you're in the area please come!  Doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7:30.  For more information check www.pvdarideforlife.org

 I took Peanut up tonight and will be riding Sat. & Sun. but, I'll also have my cameras with and will post pictures when I can!

 PS, Dressage Today is a sponsor!!

Wish I'd read this earlier, and we might've been able to meet! I worked in the photo trailer all day at the show on Saturday. It was fun, but HOT. Thank goodness for the a/c in the trailer! I had it easy compared to the riders and fans. By the way--I also gave my photo boss your email as a possible future assistant show photographer--he said he emailed you about this show, but didn't hear back from you. Email me at equineeditor@equinetwork.com if you wanna talk more about that. It's a good side gig!

I will e-mail you when I get home, but do you mean Bruce from BHS?  I talked to him at the show and he didn't mention that at all and I did not get any e-mail. Just in case my e-mail is christina @ phyxiusphotos . com and I have an ad in the show program if you have one. :)  I saw that BHS trailer many times and almost stopped in a couple times. :(  I should have! 

It was a very hot weekend and I was super happy that my last ride on Sunday was in the indoor!

I just sent Bruce an email. Sometimes he needs extra photographers, so I suggested he keep you in mind (I don't know if that's something you're interested in, but you can always say "no thanks" )

Is this you? If so and you were in ring 2 (the ring on the right as you're looking at them from the indoor), I think I watched your ride from the trailer! How did you do?

That is me :)  On Saturday I had one ride in Ring 2 and one in Ring 3.  On Sunday I had one in Ring 3 and one in the indoor.  If you were looking from the photo trailer the ring on the right is ring 3, the ring in the middle, by the warm-up is ring 2.  Ring 3 was later ride at 5:00 and we were tired.  I got okay scores and good comments, but the main theme was...we had a lack of energy. :)  I was okay with that though, he was a good boy. :)

Patty,
I did fairly well, we moved up a level this was our first time showing these tests, but Peanut did very well.  Three of our four rides were outside and it was quite hot and humid which is the opposite of the type of weather Peanut AND I enjoy. :)  Our last ride of the weekend was in the indoor.  Ahhhh, air condition!

Except for the judge from California who said my horse wasn't bred to be ridden I had a fantastic weekend!  Peanut's quite famous and I feel like I'm a star with him.  Last year we got all firsts...not so this year but we did place in our last test and if I had been riding "open" instead of as Adult Am. I would have placed higher and better in other tests too, but I don't feel that placings are that important.  I'd rather have a good time and a good ride than a pretty ribbon. :)   I was again a high pledge getter and received a $20 gift certificate from Dover, go Dover!!!

Leg yields...fun!

P is for Peanut

twinkle toes.

I love my friends!  They came up SO early to watch our rides.

Are you going to behave yourself when I go inside?

 The Gala was nice, but my last ride on Saturday was shortly after 5pm and after cooling out and feeding Peanut and attempting to freshen up most everyone else was seated.  I was lucky to grab a seat with some wonderful people that I know.  I missed the talk with Nicole Uphoff though and I was certainly looking forward to that. 

Barbara Strawson and Socrates


A tribute.

Chris Hickey and Regent

Jane Hannigan and Mak

Katie Gieschen and Janyck


Dr. Cesar Parra and Ecu 8



I have many more to go through, when I'm done I'll post a link up. :)  They made some announcements about the selection trials while the show was going on, it was exciting to hear the placings and scores!

Great report. Thanks so much. I love the photos especially "are you going to behave". That's a great one. I love Peanut. There are many more people riding draft and draft crosses these days. Don't pay attention to odd judge remarks. Sometimes I think people lose sight of the idea of dressage as training for all horses.

I was sorry to miss the Ride for LIfe as I was in California. The selection trials were excellent. So many really good horses and riders. Aside from the usual great riders (Steffen, Debbie, Courtney, Leslie, Lisa, Kristina, etc.), I found a few new faces to do future training articles with. We'll have photos and a report in Dressage Today in our Sept. issue. ... better late than never. That's the problem with covering events, we can't be very timely. Big events like the WEG and Olympics must be covered anyway. I think readers expect this. What do you think?

Anyway, kudos to you and Peanut and thanks again for sharing your photos.

Patty

DTEditor:

Great report. Thanks so much. I love the photos especially "are you going to behave". That's a great one. I love Peanut. There are many more people riding draft and draft crosses these days. Don't pay attention to odd judge remarks. Sometimes I think people lose sight of the idea of dressage as training for all horses.

Thanks Patty! Also, while I do get miffed and a bit riled with comments like that I don't take them too personally.  I've ridden many horses of many breeds including OTTBs, QHs, and upper level WBs, Andies, and Friesians and I wouldn't trade my big galoot for any of them. :)

DTEditor:

I was sorry to miss the Ride for LIfe as I was in California. The selection trials were excellent. So many really good horses and riders. Aside from the usual great riders (Steffen, Debbie, Courtney, Leslie, Lisa, Kristina, etc.), I found a few new faces to do future training articles with. We'll have photos and a report in Dressage Today in our Sept. issue. ... better late than never. That's the problem with covering events, we can't be very timely. Big events like the WEG and Olympics must be covered anyway. I think readers expect this. What do you think?

I'm excited to read the training articles and see the report of the selection trials.  Will it be delayed because of the Olympics?  I'm not familiar with magazine deadlines, but I've done some newspaper work and timeliness was next to godliness. :)  Usually when I photograph a show or event I'm under lots of pressure to have the pictures press/print ready ASAP, with a "day job" on top of photography it can mean staying up until the wee hours of the morning to get things uploading.  So, while I'll still be happy to read about and look at the pictures two months later I do wonder about the wait.  Of course since I wasn't there I probably wouldn't have consciously noticed if you hadn't mentioned it. :) 

And as a quick shamless plug I'd like to mention that Dressage Today was a Bronze Sponsor for the 2008 Ride For Life!!!  And, that they are my favorite horsey publication. :)

Phyxius, Thanx for the pics!!!!!  I love attending these big shows vicariously thru your camera.  The "Are you going to behave..." pic is priceless.