This is a big newsletter!  I have been a little behind so there will be a lot of new information on events such as the Heike Kemmer Clinic and some catching up from the end of the show season. 

The clinic with German Gold and individual Bronze medalist Heike Kemmer will be on January 22-25 and will be held at Startgate Sporthorses.  We really appreciate all of the hard work and cooperation we have had with Roslyn from Stargate and we really look forward to hosting the clinic at this exceptional facility.  I am sure that it will add a lot to the experience for everyone involved.  We are completing our list of riders for this event and it boasts some of the best and most interesting riders of the region.  I will have a tentative list online soon along with registration forms for auditors.  Please check back if you are interested in auditing as we will offer substantial discounts to anyone who registers early.  I am also excited to announce that we will be having a dinner for Heike at the Embassy Suites in Grapevine on Saturday evening.  Tickets will be available for purchase to any interested parties.  The Embassy Suites will be the host hotel and will have special rates available. Check back to this site often as details are confirmed on a daily basis now and we will be continually updating with new information and instructions.  

Vote for King!  King is now a celebrity of sorts as he is entered in a freestyle competition on YouTube.  The grand prize for the entrant with the most votes is $1,000.00 and this money will be donated to the Equest therapeutic riding program.  To vote for King go to this YouTube link.  You have to sign up to vote but it is for a worthy cause!  Vote by entering a comment in the box below the video.  The contest is only on to the end of the month so don’t wait!   

The 2008 season is over!   Take a minute to catch up on some of the results from our year end competitions.

• Teodoro’s Hechizo, or King, had a great and busy end to the year!  He competed at the Andalusian National Championships where he earned the Second Level Open and First-Fourth level Freestyle National Championships.  Later that week he traveled to Oklahoma for the GAIG USDF Region 9 Championships.  He won the Second Level Freestyle Championship and was third in very large and competitive Second Level Open Championship.  At the SWDC Championships he won the huge First-Fourth Level Freestyle Championship, was the Second Level Open Reserve Champion, and won both of his open classes with scores of 70%.  His owner, Linda Blake, and I are both very proud of him.
   

• Willkommen and Lyndon contested a competition at Lamplight Equestrian Center at the end of the season where he won the Fourth Level Open Championship with three wins.  He competed in the Open Prix St George at the SWDC Championship competition and earned the Overall FEI High Score Championship with a 68.875%.
   

• Alison MacDonald traveled from Missouri to join us in Oklahoma for the championships with her youngster RC and her veteran partner London.  Alison won numerous first and training level classes on RC and earned the USDF Region 9 Reserve Championship at Third level Junior over some serious competition. It is always fun to go the shows with the MacDonald's—they always find a way to win!
   

• Susan Peacock and her remarkable Hanoverian gelding Drosselmeyer went undefeated in her four classes at the USDF Regional Championships by winning both the First and Second Level Amateur Championships!
   

• Congratulations to Anna Burtell who had a great SWDC Championships!  We were very proud of her as she won the Second Level Open Championship on Winnergirl, the Third Level open on Reata, and earned third places in the Prix St George and Intermediare I Freestyle on Olevier and Cappuccino Cheval, respectively. 
   

• Lisa Parker with Walkon 2 and Kathy Campbell with Prestige went head to head in the Third Level Amateur classes.  Lisa Parker jumped ahead of Kathy in Oklahoma with a 64.7% in the championship but Kathy took her turn by earning a 63.3% and the Third Level Amateur Reserve Championship in the SWDC Championships.  They both did a great job.           

2009 will bring new challenges and new dressage tests.  These tests are already showing up online so be sure to check them out.  We look forward to watching a lot of you progress next season and some of you make your debut. 

Lyndon on Willkommen at Lamplight Equestrian Center.

Photo courtesy of Reitsport Photo