Part 2--November 24, 2008
HGF is now operating in both locations. Our winter staff in Michigan have weaned the 2008 foals and have prepared the barns for the horses being in at night--there has been snow already in Fruitport! All the young horses (up to 3) are stabled at night in their herds. Round pens have been built inside the indoor arena to accommodate the weanlings, yearlings and two year olds.
In Florida, the stallions are in regular work with trainers Maria and Ana. Lendon Gray visited the Wellington farm last week for her first of a series of clinics, and we enjoyed visiting riders Cherri Reiber on Kabilleno (along with owners Tom and Megan Reed and Mary Adams), Janne Rumbough and JR, and HGF's former breeding stallion Huelvano, now owned by Carol Ehrlich. Lendon returns on December 15-16 and auditors are welcome.
The Wellington dressage winter season will get started early this year with the upcoming Holiday and Horses CDI and later the Wellington Classic Holiday Challenge, both in December. In spite of economic concerns, it seems that the season will be another blockbuster in Wellington. In addition to a national show almost every weekend, this year there will be an additional 3 CDIs for a total of 6, including the five-star CDI Dressage of the Masters at the end of January featuring Anky Van Grunsven and other world-ranked riders. PBIEC Executive Director Michael Stone promised a committee of dressage riders and professionals last spring that he would bring at least one more CDI to Wellington, and that future dressage shows at PBIEC would be held in the main rings, with CDI classes in the International Arena under the lights. He has more than made good on those promises, and the result is a season of show offerings like no other location in the world for international and championship qualifying competition.
As the horse trailers start to make their way back into town, we at HGF are reminded of the friends we have made both here in Wellington and in Michigan. We are thankful for the circumstances that brought us into each other's lives and for the years that we have all enjoyed together.
We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Hampton Green farm - Sponsored Program
