Bonnie Mosser

2010-04-23T13:35:00.002-04:00

Hello from Rolex! It's been an exciting couple of days! Great weather (up until today, at least) and tough competition. Thought I share a quote from Jimmy Wofford in The Chronicle:

"Murry is one of my personal favorites. He has a wonderful eye on him and a cheerful interest in whatever humans ask him to do. This pair will be well placed after dressage and cross-country. If Bonnie can leave the rails up, you'll probably see them here in this stadium at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games."

This is from The Chronicle of the Horse, Vol. LXXIII, No. 16, Friday, April 16, 2010- the Rolex Kentucky Preview Issue. No pressure, right?! I'm currently in 12th place among the American riders and 18th overall with several more very good riders to go.

My x-country ride is early tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!!

2010-04-14T18:07:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

After checking out the Rolex site, I found out that I am #7 in the lineup. Just seven days till Rolex!

Some think riding on the first day is not helpful, but my attitude is to give it my best and leave it up to the judges to place me fairly within the competition.

In other news, I'm excited to announce that I was just recently signed as a sponsored rider for HAYGAIN Hay Steamers. Please check out their website at www.haygain.us.

Haygain has asked me to do a course walk for them at Rolex, so if you are there, keep your eyes and ears open for the start time and place. If you are not attending Rolex, please check their site, as well as mine, for other updates.

Merloch is looking well and feeling fresh with this cool weather we have been having.

I am heading up to Fair Hill International tomorrow to coach a few of my students. Wish us luck and a safe weekend for all.

See you at the start box!

Bonnie

You are invited!!

2009-11-19T13:37:00.002-05:00

Please Join us on December 9th in Scottsville, VA at a special event sponsored by Pennfield Feeds. Bonnie and fellow competitor Kim Severson will be present to answer your questions and share their experiences with the Pennfield products. There will be food and prizes so don't miss out! Please RSVP as soon as possible:

Lynnley Coleman

434-286-2650

lcoleman@augustacoop.com

Bonnie Announces 2010 winter training dates!

2009-11-18T19:08:00.004-05:00

Are you thinking about a trip south this winter for you and/or your horse? Consider spending a month, week, weekend or day with Bonnie at her winter home in St. Matthews, SC. Her home away from home is George and Ethel Gibbes' farm, known to all who know it as THE eventing field of dreams. With 2 full water complexes and over 100 x-c jumps, you simply will not find a better facility on which to train. The farm also features a standard size dressage arena and a full set of show jumps.

Stabling is limited so if you are interested in boarding with the Point Above Farm team for any length of time please contact us ASAP. Otherwise, Bonnie is available for lessons most weekdays in February and March and on weekends when she is not competing.

If you are looking for something a little earlier in the year consider participating in our 6 day long winter clinic held January 12-17, 2010.

More info about the clinic can be found here: http://www.bonniemossersblogspot.blogspot.com/2009/11/winter-training.html or here: http://www.bonniemosser.com/pages/clinics.html

Please email Rebecca@bonniemosser.com for more information about training and lesson opportunities in February and March.

Straight from the working students mouth!

2009-11-12T20:14:00.003-05:00

Many of you dream of picking up your life and moving somewhere to indulge your equestrian passion. Becoming a working student is one of the best ways to make this dream a reality! Working students are an integral part of Bonnie's business. We couldn't make it through the day without them! They participate in every aspect of the business... from riding to assisting the veterinarian to prepping horses for sale... But don't just take my word for it! Here is a little glimpse into the daily life of Annie Jones- an invaluable member of Team Point Above Farm and our 2009-2010 working student.

Annie joined us in June 2009. She travelled all the way from Iowa to spend a year working for Bonnie.

*****

I have been with Bonnie as a working student now for six months (and intend on six more!). My riding, training, and teaching have improved beyond what I had imagined.

The program is fulfilling—it involves many aspects of horses— not just improving as a competitor, but mostly improving one’s overall horsemanship. I have had the opportunity to sit on everything from an off the track baby to Merloch, Bonnie’s four-star wonder horse and Vaunted, Ashley’s four-star superman. The program also involves the daily routine of barn duties, and there are many skills important to running an equine operation. Another aspect of the program is buying/selling horses. This is helpful to me because I enjoy taking on project horses, training them to their potential, and eventually selling them. It even applies some of my college education of business classes!

Bonnie and Ashley are a great team to work for. The combined experience and education of Bonnie and Ashley provides an amazing opportunity for any student (a novice or upper-level competitor)! I highly recommend taking the opportunity of being in this program if at all possible!!!

January Clinic 2010

2009-11-02T21:04:00.005-05:00

Don't get caught in the cold! Winter is coming, or maybe, depending on where you live, its already here!

Join us for a week of training in eventing heaven, otherwise known as The Gibbes Farm in St. Matthews, SC.

Please e-mail Rebecca with your questions: rebecca@bonniemosser.com

We are hiring!!

2009-11-02T20:22:00.001-05:00

The end of the season

2009-11-02T20:13:00.002-05:00

Greeting everyone!

The end of the season is upon us... Unfortunately, things didn't wrap up as well as we had planned. The weather gods were not on our side Fair Hill weekend and after a great dressage test Bonnie made the tough decision to scratch. Actually, as we stood in the rain, looked down at the mud up to our calves and knew that it might be tough but it was the *only* right thing to do!

So... on to the next great adventure! Bonnie will be teaching and clinicing all winter and is looking forward to catching up with old students and meeting new ones! Please contact me asap to schedule a clinic at your farm or a lesson at ours.

Bonnie will be in Gordonsville, VA until the end of January. February and March will be spent at our friends George and Ethel Gibbes farm in St. Matthews, SC.

This is a great time of year to assess the past season and work on those holes that need to be filled to move on to the next level! Take advantage of our mild Virginia winter and come on down!

~Rebecca
rebecca@bonniemosser.com

Winning Big at 5-Points!

2009-09-14T14:19:00.012-04:00

Bonnie and Murry have always loved Southern Pines and this fall was no different. After winning their Advanced division this past spring at the Carolina Horse Park they came back for more and did it again! Contenders for the win from the beginning, they earned a 29.6 to tie for second place, jumped around x-c clean and fast with only 6.8 time faults! Their double clean show jumping round put just a little too much pressure on Holly Hepp who dropped 2 rails and handed Bonnie the win!

Next up? Fair Hill CCI***!!

**Many thanks to our friend Jason Spears who kindly and generously sent us the attached pictures!** You can see more of his work here: http://www.jason-spears.com/

Essay Winner!

2009-09-03T08:07:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Jennifer Smith from Chesapeake, VA. Her essay has earned her 4 FREE lessons with Bonnie to help her prepare for her first long format 3 Day Event. Here is what she had to say:

Taking the Next Step

Being a spectator at the larger events with the long format has driven the passion and desire of becoming a competitor. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching from the sidelines and cheering on fellow riders as they accomplish their dreams through our rigorous sport of eventing while testing each athlete, the horse and the rider, in the long format of competition. I dreamt of navigating my way through roads and tracks and the steeplechase phase, which has lead me to pursue that goal this year by riding in the Training Level 3 Day held at Waredaca. I know it is not Badminton or Rolex, and honestly I will probably never see those competitions as a rider only a spectator, so the next best thing is riding in a ½ star! The sense of self- worth and accomplishment from galloping through the finish flags would validate all triumphs and setbacks I have acquired throughout my years of riding. Everyone knows you win some and lose some… but you always gain an experience and learn something from each competition- something about you or your horse. I want a shot at that feeling on endurance day… I want to feel like I am competing in the biggest event of my life, my mini Rolex. It will be a bonding of horse and rider and also a sense of what great riders go through when they tackle the upper levels with the long format. I want to have the ride of my life and something I will always remember.

I became hooked or maybe even obsessed as my family and friends put it, during my first real cross country experience at an Old Dominion Pony Club Eventing Rally. No rider can forget those last minute butterflies you get as you enter the start box and your count down begins. 5,4,3,2,1 Have a nice ride! I remember my horse’s mane blowing in the wind and the tears that streamed down my face as we galloped a round our course and cleared the finish flags. For those five or six minutes my horse and I were completely in synch and could have tackled anything. We crossed the finish line with a few seconds to spare and proceeded to the vet box to have our TPR checked and began the cooling out process. It was my first real eventing experience and far from my last. I could not even make it home before I called all my friends, coaches etc. and gushed like I had a school girl crush on some boy and rambled on about my wonderful weekend and every obstacle we faced. Even though nerves gave me temporary amnesia and I blew my dressage test… I still finished the event and finished well- with a second place finish and receiving the Frank Bierman award for fitness and pace. Who would have thought my aged gelding from the flat lands with his novice eventer could do so well? As I continued to event and take lessons gaining new insight and objectives for the sport I soon realized to take the bad with the good. As every rider, I have faced my fair share of setbacks including ankle injuries and rib injuries… yet I still have not lost track of my goals in the sport; which are to compete successfully in a 3 Day and to complete a Preliminary run on my mare. Notice I say complete…. Not win! I want to have a successful, safe and learning experience at Prelim… not expecting to win a ribbon but I am hoping to gain confidence and experience at the new level.

I know I have a harder time getting the lessons and experience as I live in Southeastern Virginia, Chesapeake to be exact which is near Virginia Beach. For anyone who knows the area, they know it is far from rolling hills with cross country jumps. The closest cross country course is 3.5 hours away, which adds to the financial difficulty of getting the help and coaching needed to make the 3 day a successful debut. Yet my love and determination for the sport has allowed my partnership with my mare to be fairly successful at the training level while we have aspirations for more, I would like to use this opportunity as a stepping stone for greater things to come. These lessons would aid me in my final preparations for the Training Level 3 Day and answer all of those wonderful questions and concerns any new rider has when he/she riders competes in their first 3 day. I look forward to continuing my love and passion for the sport while striving to get closer to my final goals. I am so close my mouth is starting to water as I think about filing out the paperwork for the ½ star, I just hope I get an opportunity to put the final polishing on from a professional rider with years at a level I can only dream about. Seriously, what other sport can an amateur ride next to a professional? This is something that sets our sport away from others and makes it truly unique.

Millbrook

2009-08-10T13:13:00.002-04:00

Only days after teaching Young Kyle (Bonnie's nephew, see below) the finer points of eventing, Merloch ran around the Millbrook Horse Trials advanced course like it was a piece of cake. Only .8 seconds off the time, he and Bonnie moved up to a second place tie after dressage. Not bad for his first Advanced run since May! An unlucky rail left them in 5th place for the weekend but Bonnie is thrilled with his performance and feels like she has her horse in great form to tackle 5 Points and then the CCI*** at Fair Hill.

Look for Bonnie at Waredaca next Sunday. If anyone needs coaching in the Novice or Preliminary please let us know.

~Rebecca

How to train a Four Star Horse

2009-08-03T20:24:00.005-04:00

This summer Point Above Farm was fortunate enough to employ "Young Kyle" Bonnie's 17 year old nephew aka A Man with Serious Skills. Kyle roadtripped to Point Above Farm all the way from Arizona. We kinda thought he was crazy but it didn't take us long to start trying to convince him to move to Virginia permanently! Kyle quickly became the go to man for every task on the farm, from painting our jumps to tacking up our horses, mucking the trailers, cleaning the tack and finally, on the very last day, training Merloch. Kyle was probably one of the best working students we've ever had and he's only ridden a horse twice. You can view this ride here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zDlCk-2deI

In Support of the Full Format 3 Day

2009-07-31T16:27:00.002-04:00

Are you an amateur rider hoping to enter for your first full format 3 Day Event this fall, either a 1/2 * or *?

You can win 4 FREE lesson with Bonnie to help you prepare!

To win this please submit a 500-1,000 word essay describing why you have decided to pursue the "ultimate" pinnacle of our sport: the full format 3-Day. Essays must be submitted to Rebecca (rebecca@bonniemosser.com) by August 15, 12pm. The winner will be notified by August 22. Please also include a summary of your qualifications (either already achieved or planned) and something that proves you are an amateur. Bonnie will choose the winner based on the essay and your qualifications for the proposed competition (ie. we are not going to choose someone who has not yet competed at Training level because August 22nd is too close to the competitions). Please e-mail us with your questions. The winning essay will be posted on our website and anywhere else I can pawn it off...

FREE YRAP Clinic in September

2009-07-31T16:25:00.002-04:00

Calling all Area II YRAP participants!

You are being offered a free weekend clinic with Bonnie September 19-20. Please contact Rebecca (rebecca@bonniemosser.com) for an entry. The clinic will be first come, first serve for the first 15 people who sign up. There is a $25/night stabling fee.

2009-07-31T16:10:00.001-04:00

Dressage at Badminton. This is the only angle that doesn't show a huge crowd in the background! Check out my facebook page for more (to be posted on my website soon...).

Mid Summer update

2009-07-31T14:07:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!

Its been a while since the blog was last updated. Its been a busy summer!

A few months home from Badminton and I've taken some valuable time to reflect on my spring trip to England with Merloch...I never thought in my life that I would have a horse that could go to Badminton. This year I decided it might be now or never so I packed Merloch up on a plane and away we went.

He ran around Rolex 2008 with a silly run out 4 fences from home. I have beaten myself up for a year over this run out. I gave him a whack to cover the distance in the last water jump, lost a rein and ended up on the short list for the Olympics, and an alternate yet again! I came home and regrouped with with my new dressage instructor Gerd Reuter (http://www.europerformancehorses.com/). He has helped me tremendously, not only with my dressage but also with my confidence. That is a hard coach to find. He really helped me believe in myself and my horse and encouraged me to take the plunge and move forward to Badminton.

Our trip was a dream come true (almost :) ). The atmosphere is like nothing I can describe. Eventers are rock stars in England. The crowds were beyond belief. Murry had a fan club at 6am on x-c morning! I think that I really surprised the world with my dressage test. I will never forget my minutes in that world famous arena! Cross country was incredible. It was a daunting but doable course and Merloch and I were truly having the ride of a lifetime when I was forced to unexpectedly pull up. Merloch jammed his stifle out of place and was temporarily very very lame. I say temporarily because by the time we returned to the stabling he was a little touchy sore to the area but completely sound. This is one of those disappointing lessons of horses... He continues to display no ill effect from those few seconds that went wrong and he recently flew me around the CIC** course at Stuart with no apparent problem. We will move forward to the CCI*** at Fair Hill in the fall and then on to Rolex in the spring. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to my annual trip to Millbrook. We leave on Wednesday...

Keep cheering and I'll see you all at the start box!

Bonnie

Raffle Winners!

2009-06-24T12:02:00.004-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS!! to our raffle winners Carla Mcleod and Bobby Costello!

Carla's daughter Alex will be reaping the rewards of her mother's raffle purchase later this fall.

Many of you may be surprised to read that we had two winners. Our first winner was international eventing competitor Bobby Costello. While he was thrilled to win he encouraged us to draw a second winner, someone who might have a little more free time!

To honor Bobby's generosity we have decided to offer 4 free lessons to a non-pro preparing for their first full "classic" format Three Day Event this fall (either 1/2* or 1*). The catch? To win this please submit a 500-1,000 word essay describing why you have decided to pursue the "ultimate" pinnacle of our sport: the full format 3-Day. Essays must be submitted to Rebecca (rebecca@bonniemosser.com) by August 15, 12pm. The winner will be notified by August 22. Please also include a summary of your qualifications (either already achieved or planned). Bonnie and Bobby will choose the winner. Please e-mail us with your questions. The winning essay will be posted on our website.

Raffle Tickets

2009-05-06T22:03:00.000-04:00

Off to a good start!

2009-05-06T20:57:00.002-04:00

Badminton 2009 is off to a great start with Bonnie and Merloch passing the jog today with flying colors!

They are number 88 and will be cantering down the centerline on Friday afternoon. You can watch the event live and for FREE here:

http://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/live_video.html

Stay tuned...

Facebook!

2009-05-01T12:04:00.003-04:00

Bonnie is on Facebook! If you are too and I haven't already "friended" you please look her up! I'll be forwarding all of your messages to her this coming week. Your support really keeps her going!

Bonnie Mosser's Profile

Create Your Badge

Also, I was just coerced into "twittering" look me up and I'll give lots of ringside updates. (rpolan)

Have a great weekend!
Rebecca

Ashley and Vaughn at Rolex!

2009-04-28T09:21:00.005-04:00

Ashley and her self made horse Vaunted made us all proud every step of the way through her first CCI****. It was an amazing week and Congratulations don't even seem like enough. But Congratulation!

And some links to check out!

http://equestrian.org/videos/watch/1104082272.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ciSX03pagM

http://www.equestrianlife.com/rolex/381/

http://eventingradio.horseradionetwork.com/2009/03/26/eventing-radio-episode-11-the-rolex-rookies-4-weeks-and-counting/

http://www.behindthebitblog.com/2009/04/live-from-rolex-day-1-dressage-short.html

What an inspiration!

2009-04-28T08:53:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I just had the most amazing week. I was the Rolex 4 star with Ashley Adams and her horse Vaunted coaching them through their first 4 star. Ashley is the first student that I have coached through a CCI****. Yes, she is now a 4 star rider! Ashley rode every phase as we planned which meant so much to me. We had a plan and she executed it perfectly. Ashley has an amazing fan base that she probably has no idea about. The roar of the crowd when she came off cross country was deafening. It brought tears to my eyes. Do you all know that Ashley made that little horse named Vaughn from scratch? She taught him how to do half pass and all that dressage stuff. I believe he came with his character to be brave when asked and that is why this partnership has developed into the 4 star level.

I have a funny story to tell, I have been 21st two times at Rolex and so having Ashley finish in my same placing at 21st is slightly ironic. That is a song! Ashley's week has given me inspiration for my trip own upcoming trip to Badminton. Murry and I had a great opportunity to do the test ride at Rolex. It gave me insight to a few things about my test and I know what I need to work on these last few days. We leave for JFK on Thursday. I only have about 5 days to improve my dressage, but I also need a few more jumps under my belt!

I have an amazing group of people coming over to help at Badminton. In my past I was thankful I was not a downhill racer because the grand daddy of downhill racing was the Hannikahm race. Crazy!! But as this trip comes closer I realize that I am about to ride at the grand daddy of three day eventing. Crazy? Hell no. I have an amazzing horse and as I always say when I walk into a venue-- this party is for my horse. The people are here to see my horse jump these incredible fences. Next time you will hear from me, I will be in Amsterdam with my Murry. If you own a cow bell ring it for me on Saturday. I am # 88 so I believe this means I will do my dressage on Friday afternoon. What a great number. I love double numbers.

Ok everyone this is your last week to buy a raffle ticket. The ticket purchase helps Merloch and I to get to Badminton, but you win a week of lessons with me including one lesson on my buddy Merloch. Stabling and housing are included. Stay here on my website and purchase tickets.

Touch back with me for updates,

Cross every thing you got and believe,

Bonnie and Murry

Getting to Badminton...

2009-03-27T11:35:00.002-04:00

It's Official! Bonnie's entry to Badminton has been accepted! Visit their website to see the sights www.badminton-horse.co.uk/. After Merloch's spot on clean run at Southern Pines the pair is well on their way to Badminton success!

As many of you know we are offering a raffle to help fund the trip (go to http://www.bonniemosser.com/pages/Raffle.html for more info). Bonnie's estimated budget for this venture is $25,000 (horse flights, human flights, housing, veterinary expenses, etc). If we sell every raffle ticket we will raise approximately $10,000. If you are interested in becoming a Four Star supporter please consider making a tax deductible donation to the American Horse Trials Foundation. Please contact rebecca@bonniemosser for more information about the AHTF and instructions for making your gift. If you wish to make an anonymous gift you may contact the AHTF directly:

The American Horse Trials Foundation
221 Grove Cove Road
Centreville, MD 21617
Phone: (443) 262-9555
Fax: (443) 262-9666
Email: ahtf@worldnet.att.net

Everyone who contributes (including raffle ticket purchasers!) and provides me (rebecca@bonniemosser.com) with their e-mail address will receive daily updates from Badminton (as long as technology cooperates!).

If you contribute $500+ we will send you a "Point Above Farm Four Star" shirt and an autographed photo of Bonnie and Merloch at Badminton.

If your business is interested in helping to fund this trip we will add your logo to our website (www.bonniemosser.com) for 1 year for all donations of $1,000+.

Whether you are behind this exciting next step in Bonnie's career with donations or simple well wishes, you all are what make these trips possible!

Thank you all for your support.

SUMMER CAMP!!

2009-03-27T10:50:00.002-04:00

What will it take to make 2009 your best eventing season ever?

Summer camp 2009!

Get a "jump" on the competition! This unique 7 day training opportunity with Bonnie will provide you with the training tools you need to reach your next eventing goal. Whether its Fair Hill in the fall or your first beginner novice horse trial this summer, Bonnie will work with you to develop a customized training regimine to get you where you want to go.

Campers of all skill levels are welcome.

The week will end with the CDCTA HT. (Note: CDCTA entry fees are not included in your camp fee, please enter by the opening date. From our farm you will not need stabling). Campers who wish to stay on for an extra week to prepare for Surefire are eligible for a discounted weekly training rate ($250 for 5 lessons, stabling $20/night).

Camp begins on June 14 and ends on the 21st. Day 1 is a move in and hacking day. Arrive by 1pm to take a horseback tour of the farm and join us for a welcome to camp cook out!

The rest of camp will consist of private and small group dressage, show jumping and x-c lessons. Groups will never exceed four people so you will be guaranteed lots of individualized attention. Bonnie will work with each camper to help design a fitness program appropriate for each horse over the rest of the season.

Every camper will participate in 7 mounted lessons, daily unmounted instructional seminars, course walks at CDCTA and fun evening activities!

Camp fee includes all of the above plus:

Stabling and bedding
Lunch Monday-Friday

$825

Please inquire about housing options available on the farm (first come/first serve!)

E-mail rebecca@bonniemosser.com for an entry or for more information/questions, etc.

Southern Pines Success!

2009-03-25T12:46:00.010-04:00

Congratulations to Bonnie and Ashley for both of their spectacular performances at Southern Pines II! Bonnie and Merloch won their Advanced division and Ashley and Vaunted finished second in their own Advanced division! Next up... The Fork.

Pennfield is the "Official" USEF Feed

2009-02-25T13:08:00.003-05:00

Point Above Farm would like to congratulate our newest sponsor, Pennfield Feeds, on recently being named the official feed of the USEF.

Our favorite Pennfield products include Cool "n" Lite and Fibergized. Contact Bonnie if you'd like to learn more about her feeding program.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information please contact
Susan Page 610-824-6215 spage@horseflycreative.com
Press passes and high resolution photos available for journalists

Hundred-Year-Old Promise to Always Put the Horse First Nets Small PA Company “Official Feed of the USEF” Title

LANCASTER, Pennsylvania, February 18, 2009 — “Official Feed of the United States Equestrian Federation.” It was a label and announcement that spoke volumes for the quality of a regionally produced product and small, family owned Pennsylvania company that since 1919 has lived by the promise of putting the horse first. Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies of Lancaster, PA couldn’t be more proud of their new partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) as the Official Feed of the USEF.

“Earning the respect of a partner like USEF speaks volumes on what Pennfield Feed is all about,” explains Jeff Katelan, national sales and marketing manager of Pennfield Country Life Products. "Our competition in the industry is with some huge conglomerates, so this is an enormous honor for us and says a tremendous amount about the quality of our product and company. From day one, Pennfield has been a company that prides itself on its promise to always put the horse first and to care about the well-being of the horse as much as the riders do. It was our founding partner's mission almost a hundred years ago and it's still our mission today. So it's a great honor to be recognized as the ‘Official Horse Feed’ of an organization that values, protects and promotes the well-being of the national riding community the way USEF has proven itself to do."

A family owned, strictly regional feed company (Pennfield is distributed up and down the east coast), Pennfield is best known for using only the finest, most consistent feed ingredients and precise, manufacturing techniques that ensure top quality "fixed formula" feeds, meaning each lot is identical to the one that came before it. For over a decade they’ve partnered with Kentucky Equine Research (KER) to bring state-of-the-art nutritional expertise to their feed products, and give Pennfield customers advanced equine nutrition and uncontested technical support. “Our partnership with KER gives us the advantage of having the best equine nutritionists in the country involved with the formulation of every bag of Pennfield Feed that leaves our mill,” explains Katelan. “That, combined with our proprietary, state of the art milling techniques that we’ve developed, and our absolute vow to stand by our fixed-formula promise by buying only the best ingredients, and buying them consistently from the same folks regardless of pricing fluctuations, allows us as a regional family-owned company, to compete so successfully in the big leagues.”

Their quality and consistency has not only earned Pennfield the trust of the USEF, but also of world-class trainers and competitors throughout the equine industry who rely on Pennfield feed to fuel their horses, such as Pennfield’s Promise Partners: Olympians and super-stars Karen and David O’Connor, Phillip Dutton, Bruce Davidson, John Williams, Kim Severson and Michael Barisone; Four-In-Hand Driving Champion Chester Weber; and top Irish show jumper Jonathon McCrea and his wife, U.S. show jumper Christine McCrea.

These riders will be showing their dedication to Pennfield by helping to host the eight-city “That’s a Promise Tour”, presented by Pennfield, KER and USEF. Designed to help fulfill the promise of the Olympians of tomorrow by supporting the USEF Young Riders Program through ticket sales and high-end silent auctions, its premise is to bring riders together with some of the best horsemen and women in the country to explore the two meanings of "promise"...one of potential and one of principal...and how they relate to themselves as riders and to their horse. Hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, mingling with stars and other amazing company from the riding world, and a silent auction will be the base format for each stop, and Dr. Joe Pagen, world-renown KER nutritionist, will provide cutting-edge nutritional insight. Plus, at each Tour stop attendees will have the opportunity to win a private lesson in their sport with one of Pennfield’s Promise Partners, and can bid on items donated by riders, the U.S. Equestrian Team, and other industry companies in a silent auction to benefit the USEF Young Rider fund. Many items promise to be unique – think Karen O’Connor preparing a gourmet style meal for you and five of your friends at her farm, or a crystal horse sculpture presented to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team by the Mayor of Hong Kong.

The tour kicked off with a huge party on the WEF show grounds in Wellington, FL on Sunday, February 8th, and was followed by the first educational tour stop in Ocala, FL on Monday night, February 9th. From there the tour will head north, following the competitive season, with monthly stops in Aiken on March 10th, then Lexington, Middleburg, Unionville, the Hudson Valley and Gladstone. For more information on the tour, or to get tickets for the tour stop in your area, visit www.thatsapromisetour.com.

About PennfieldPennfield is a widely respected, family-owned feed company headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that has been serving the Mid-Atlantic since 1919, and was named in 2008 as the “Official Feed of the U.S. Equestrian Federation”. Pennfield is known for using only the finest, most consistent feed ingredients and precise manufacturing techniques that ensure top quality "fixed formula" feeds. In 1996, Pennfield joined forces with Kentucky Equine Research and consequently merged tradition and technology. Pennfield's quality manufacturing and personal service combined with KER's state-of-the-art nutritional expertise gives Pennfield customers advanced equine nutrition and uncontested technical support. For more information, please visit pennfield.com or call 800-995-0333.

Welcome Kelly!

2009-02-16T17:24:00.003-05:00

Point Above Farm would like to welcome Kelly McDowell, the newest addition to our team. Kelly will be assisting Ashley and the rest of the gang around the farm learning the ropes and perfecting her riding and grooming skills.

Kelly lives nearby in Orange, and has been riding for 11 years. She is very excited about the opportunity to improve her riding skills and learn from Bonnie and the other students. When she's not working with horses, she enjoys reading, going to concerts and watching films.

2009 Season off to a great start!

2009-02-16T16:41:00.006-05:00

The season is underway!

Point Above Farm is enjoying training and warming up at their winter home in St. Matthew's, SC at George and Ethel Gibbes beautiful facility. Our old friend Otis (see pig below) is still up to his old antics eating acorns and spooking the horses. One horse on the farm who is particularly scared of Otis, Ashley Adams gelding Vaunted, didn't let his jitters get the best of him this past weekend when he jumped cleanly into 4th place in the OI division at Pine Top. Ashley's season opener is particularly exciting as it was a fast and confident build up to her first CCI**** at Rolex in April.

Working student Lucy Drinkwater got her feet wet in the Novice division at last Wednesday's Full Gallop Horse Trials and is excitedly looking forward to the Training division at this coming week's Paradise Farm horse trials.

Bonnie and Merloch will be making their competition debut at Southern Pines II in the middle of March. Until then look for her at Paradise with White Out in the Training division and at Pine Top with Bounce Back in the Preliminary division.

New students and old are welcome and encouraged to get in touch to schedule a lesson. The farm will move back to Virginia in early March.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-03T17:21:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone & Happy New Year!

It doesn't really feel like winter yet but its almost time for Bonnie and crew to head down to South Carolina to get a jump start on the spring season. Bonnie will be in St. Matthews, SC (about 1 hour from Aiken) from ~ February 3-March 3. She will be coaching at Sporting Days, Full Gallop, Pine Top and Paradise. If anyone would like to spend a week or part of a week and go to a horse trial please let me know as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you'd like to get a few lessons in before Bonnie leaves please e-mail Bonnie at info@bonniemosser.com. Until May Bonnie's lesson rates at her farm are $75 or $55 if you take two lessons within a 7 day period.

Thanks and I'm looking forward to seeing you all as the days start to get a little longer!

All the best-

Rebecca
304-633-4281

Exciting New Staff Announcements!

2008-12-17T15:37:00.007-05:00

Point Above Farm is pleased to announce the addition of a brand new full time staff! You will all be getting to know our new team soon enough at competitions, clinics and out around town! Please don't hesitate to come into the barn to say hi the next time you are over for a lesson!

Farm Manager
Cindy Levin was born in Bergen County, New Jersey but spent much of her childhood riding horses and ponies in Virginia. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey, Cindy returned to Virginia to apply her degree in Environmental Studies working on a federally funded research project with the Virginia Department of Forestry. During this time she was also employeed in the private sector sampling and monitoring groundwater. Next, Cindy spent 8 years working as an apprentice to professional land surveyors. With th eend of the latest construction boom, Condy returned to work with horses full time, combining her life long experience with and love for all things equine with her strong business management skills. She is very enthiuasistic about her now position as barn manager with Point Above Farm and hopes the opportunity to train wiht Bonnie will strengthen her riding while she is "waiting for her next horse to find her." Cindy is looking forward to being a member of Bonnie's team and supporting her to international success. She currently resides in Orange, VA with her Jack Russell, Annie, and her beagle, Wiggly.

Assistant Trainer
Ashley Adams will join Point Above Farm following the Christmas holiday and is looking forward to her responsibilities which include helping Bonnie re-train several OTTB and several other young horses as well as teaching the working students the finer points of grooming for a top level event rider.

Ashley has a busy spring awaiting her as she will be preparing the young horses for their first competitions while preparing herself for her first CCI**** at Rolex Kentucky! Ashley comes from an impressive background of top notch trainers including Kim Severson and, most recently, Holly Hepp. Her experience and positive attitude are going to be a valuable assett to Point Above Farm. Look for Ashley competing many of our young horses this spring and in the warm up arena assisting Bonnie when her own ride times prevent her from helping all her students get "into the box."

Ashley and her 1998 OTTB, Vaunted, have an impressive resume including:

10th place finish in 2005 Foxhall CCI**
3 time CCI** NAYRC Team Member 2005-Area 2, 2006 Area 2-team silver, 2007 Area 8 - team silver
Finishers at Fair Hill CCI*** 2007
9th place finish 2008 Jersey Fresh CCI***
16th finish 2008 Fair Hill CCI***

She has owned Vaunted for almost 8 years and is excitidely preparing for her CCI**** debut, the culmination how many trot sets, jump schools and dressage lessons?

In her downtime Ashely loves relaxing with a good book and hot cup of coffee.

Working Student
Lucy Drinkwater, 16, is spending the winter trimester of her Junior year in high school as Point Above Farm's winter working student. So far Lucy's hard work and dedication have impressed everyone at the farm. She spends her days working with the horses and her evenings taking high school courses and doing homework on-line!

Lucy and her horse Blue Suede Shoes, aka Suede, moved to Point Above Farm from Michigan and will be with us until March. Lucy has competed successfully at Training level and hopes that her time with Bonnie will allow her to safely move up to Preliminary and be competitive enough this spring to try out for the Area VIII NAYJRC CCI* team.

At home and away from the barn Lucy spends her "free" time swimming, reading and hanging out with her friends.

Pennfield Announces "That's a Promise" Tour

2008-12-17T15:16:00.003-05:00

Bonnie will be participating in Pennfield Feed's "That's a Promise" East Coast Tour (see below) on the dates highlighted in bold. If you are in the area please stop by to say hi to her and see what Pennfield has to offer. I don't know much about the tour but after talking to them this morning it sounds like its going to be a lot of fun! And... Bonnie will be donating lessons as door prizes so you might even win one! If anyone is interested in hosting a clinic on the day before any of these dates please let me know ASAP.

~Rebecca
rebecca@bonniemosser.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information please contact
Susan Page 610-824-6215 spage@horseflycreative.com
Holly Davis 352-270-8030 holly@horseflycreative.com
Press passes and high resolution photos available for journalists
Pennfield Announces “That’s a Promise” East Coast Tour
Public to meet Olympic stars, win training packages and bid on auction items
Presented by Pennfield, Kentucky Equine Research, and the United States Equestrian Federation.

LANCASTER, Pennsylvania, November 30, 2008 — Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies is proud to announce an eight-city East Coast tour to bring equestrian fans together with Olympic riders to celebrate and explore the meaning of “promise.” Each evening will include hors d’oeuvres, wine, a presentation and discussion led by a world-renowned equine nutritionist, a silent auction with unique sport horse items and collectibles, and the chance to win training with a top rider in your chosen sport.

“The idea of ‘promise’ was sown several years ago as I was walking through our equine feed mill in Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania,” said Jeff Katelan, national sales and marketing manager for Pennfield’s Country Life Products. “I was fortunate to be able to spend time with Ernie Horn, Sr., one of the original founders of Pennfield, before he passed away. That day he said to me, ‘Jeff, you must promise me to always put the horse first. If you do that, you have then put the customer first, because that’s what they want more than anything… for someone to care about the wellbeing and performance of their horses as much as they do.’ Greatly affected by this wisdom, I answered, ‘Mr. Horn, that’s a promise.’” Mr. Katelan went on to explain, “With this tour, we now have a way for horse people to gather, and discuss getting back to a simpler, more effective way of progressing in their training, and caring for their partners. In honor of Mr. Horn’s simple yet powerful creed, we have named it the That’s a Promise tour.” Within the discussion of ‘promise’ are two meanings: developing the full promise (potential) of yourself and your horses and secondly, living up to the promise (principle) that you make to your horses to care for them to the best of your ability. The tour brings these two meanings of promise together with three partners:

1. Formulating the Promise: A presentation titled “Performance Horse Nutrition: Challenges and Practical Solutions,” a discussion of problem/solution-based cutting-edge equine nutritional science by Dr. Joe Pagan, founder and president of Kentucky Equine Research.

2. Feeding the Promise: Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies, state-of-the-art miller of KER formulas, is awarding one attendee at each event the opportunity to train with a top rider in the discipline of their choice.

3. Funding the Promise: $10 admission fee and all silent auction bids will go to fund the United States Equestrian Federation’s Young Riders Program. The That’s a Promise tour will kick off in Florida in February, and follow the competitive season northward up the coast. The 2009 schedule is as follows:

• February 8th in Wellington show grounds, Florida — Grand Gala Kickoff — 6:30 pm
• February 9th in Ocala, Florida
• March 10th in Aiken, South Carolina
• April 24th in Lexington, Kentucky
• June 2nd in Middleburg, Virginia
• July 14th in Unionville, Pennsylvania
• September 2nd in Hudson Valley, New York
• October 7th in Gladstone, New Jersey

Each That’s a Promise gala will feature the attendance of one or more top riders who rely on Pennfield to fuel their horses top efforts, including, at this time, multi-Olympic medalists Phillip Dutton, Karen and David O’Connor, and Bruce Davidson; and the 2008 U.S. dressage team alternate, Michael Barisone. Additional top riders, including some from show jumping and other sports, are expected to make commitments to the tour within the next few weeks. Attendees will be able to mingle with these riders in a relaxed setting, and obtain autographs. All are welcome to attend, though seating will be limited to approximately 200, depending on venue. So don’t delay!

Reservations may be made by calling Beth Ann Parise at 717-295-8735, and more information may be found at www.thatsapromisetour.com. A $10 donation is requested per attendee, with 100% forwarded to the Young Riders program of the USEF.

About Pennfield

Pennfield is a widely respected, family-owned feed company headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that has been serving the Mid-Atlantic since 1919. Known for using only the finest feed ingredients and precision, state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, Pennfield has earned the trust of world-class trainers and competitors throughout the equine industry by guaranteeing 100% of its equine feeds are “fixed formulas,” meaning each lot is identical to the one that came before it. In 1996, Pennfield joined forces with Kentucky Equine Research and consequently merged tradition and technology. Pennfield's quality manufacturing and personal service combined with KER's state-of-the-art nutritional expertise gives Pennfield customers
advanced equine nutrition and uncontested technical support. For more information, please visit pennfield.com or call 800-995-0333.

About Kentucky Equine Research

Headquartered in Versailles, Kentucky, Kentucky Equine Research (KER) is a world-renowned equine nutrition and exercise physiology research and consultation company. KER works with feed manufacturers around the world to develop horse feeds and supplements that are suited for the particular region in which they are to be fed. Research is the cornerstone of KER’s mission, and conclusions drawn from studies are used in the formulation of scientifically advanced feeds and feeding practices. In addition to its research endeavors, KER has a rich tradition of providing
premium feeds to the greatest equine athletes in the world. In 2000, the company was tapped to be the “Official Equine Nutritionist” of the United States Equestrian Federation, a relationship and affiliation that continues today.

For more information, please visit ker.com, or call 859-873-1988.

About the United States Equestrian Federation

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation® is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its human and equine athletes. For more information, please visit usef.org, or call 859-258-2472.

Pennfield Feeds signs on for a new 3 year sponsorship!

2008-12-17T14:47:00.005-05:00

We are excited to announce that today Bonnie and Pennfield Feeds formed a new 3 year partnership that promises to reap numerous rewards for both over the coming years!

Bonnie has been feeding Pennfield feeds for over 10 years and has never doubted that her horses are probably eating better than she is! In her experience, the quality of the product is unsurpassed. She has worked closely with Pennfield Equine Nutritionist Bob Wagner for the past two years to develop customized feeding programs for all of her horses and the results are reflected in her competition success. No two horses in Bonnie's barn eat the same combination of feed and this is made possible by the fabulous variety of products available.

Point Above Farm Favorites?

Cool 'n' Light for the hotter horses who hold their weight well.

Fibergized for the competition horses who need high fat without the extra zing of corn

Enduro for that extra edge with the horses who tend to feel a little sorry for themselves at the end of cross country

Senior because Merloch and Queen Bee eat it when they are fit and lose their appetites

For those of you who know the Pennfield product you know that this is only a small list of the feeds available. They have something for everyone and are always a phone call or e-mail away if you need help deciding what to feed your horse (trust me, I use them all the time). If anyone would like to get in touch with Bob please let me know and I will forward you his contact information.

~Rebecca

rebecca@bonniemosser.com

Its getting chilly out there!

2008-11-30T21:08:00.002-05:00

Greetings everyone! Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Point Above Farm has had a quiet fall but we are looking forward to the start of next years competition season. Below is our tentative 2009 competition and travel schedule. If you are planning on travelling with us or hoping to get coaching at any of these events please double check with us before opening dates to make sure we are still going. In addition, our 2009 board and lesson rates are now posted.

As always, Bonnie is available for lessons on the farm or away at clinics. Please contact Rebecca to schedule. If you are interested in travelling to South Carolina with us for either of the weeks listed below please contact Rebecca.

Tentative 2009 Schedule

1. December 27 TWA Jumper Show
2. January 10 TWA Jumper Show
3. January 16 Stonewall Jumper Show
4. January 24-February 2 Trip to SC
5. February 20-March 2 Trip to SC
6. February 20-22 Paradise HT
7. February 27 Intermont Classic Jumpers
8. March 20-22 Southern Pines HT
9. March 28-29 Morven Park HT
10. April 2-5 The Fork
11. April 22-26 Rolex CCI****
12. May 7-10 Badminton CCI****
13. May 23-24 Virginia HT
14. June 6-7 Rubicon HT
15. June 20-21 CDCTA HT
16. June 27-28 Surefire HT
17. July 11-12 Maryland HT
18. July 28-August 2 GMHA
19. August 29-30 Loudoun HT
20. September 9-13 Five Points HT
21. September 18-20 Plantation HT
22. October 1-4 Morven Park HT
23. October 10-11 Maryland HT
24. October 14-18 Fair Hill CCI***
25. October 31-November 1 Virginia HT

2009 Board Rate~ $600/month
Overnight Stabling~ $25/night

Lesson Rates (January-May 2009)

At our farm:

$75

or

$50 if you take two lesson in any 7 day period.

Bonnie will travel to your farm within a 40 mile radius of Gordonsville, VA to teach 2+ lessons
$85/lesson

2+ lessons within a 70 mile radius
$100/lesson

Please contact Rebecca to discuss setting up a full or mini clinic at your farm more than 70 miles from Gordonsville, VA

Cross Country Schooling Saturday August 9!

2008-08-04T17:11:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone!

Bonnie is going to be teaching a x-c school this coming Saturday at Locust Hill (home of CDCTA x-c). If anyone is interested please let me know!

Groups will be no larger than 4. All levels welcome although I believe that course is run through Preliminary. Please check out their website for all the info (www.cdcta.com).

Cost is $85 plus whatever CDCTA is charging (*note* please bring 2 seperate checks!!).

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks!
Rebecca
304-633-4281

Working Student Position Available!

2008-07-30T12:05:00.002-04:00

Last post of the day!

We have an immediate opening for a new working student!

Briefly, Bonnie's working students work ~6 days/week. They do everything from mucking stalls to travelling to competitions to groom. All working students are given ample opportunity to compete and Bonnie works with them closely to develop a plan and a program to help them reach their goals. Everybody works hard but the barn atmosphere is fun and laid back. This is an unpaid position. Working students pay a reduced board rate and work off all their lessons. We accept students at all levels but prefer for them to have had some barn work experience in the past.

The farm spends ~April-December in Gordonsville, VA and the rest of the year in St. Matthews, SC. We will give preference to those who can make a minimum of a 6 month commitment and we prefer 1 year.

This is a very unique opportunity and spaces only open up once or twice a year, sometimes even less often! Please e-mail me for all the details. rebecca@bonniemosser.com

Thanks!
Rebecca

And moving forward...

2008-07-30T11:27:00.007-04:00

Hi Everybody-

Rebecca here. First, please accept my apology for the technical difficulties we experienced the other day with this blog. I know that many of you saw Bonnie's post and then saw it virtually disappear. I tried to edit it, deleted it and then just didn't have time to get it back up...

So to give you a very quick update... Murry is doing very well and is scheduled to fly back to the States next wednesday. I'll be picking him up at the airport and he'll hang out with me and Abby at Millbrook for the weekend. I'm going to stable him next to Garyowen so that they can talk, catch up on their summers and perhaps Murry will be so kind as to give Gary and Bear a quick pep talk so that they are both very good over the weekend!

Everybody, including Bonnie, should be home in Virginia by Monday August 11.

The next horse trial that we will be attending as a group is Five Points at the Carolina Horse Park. http://www.useventing.com/competitions.php?section=calendar&event=13865. It just opened the other day but there are several competitions going on that weekend, including the AEC's, so I'm sure you'll still be able to get your entry in if you would like to join us. Write "Mosser" on your stabling form if you want to be close!

More immediately, Bonnie will be teaching two clinics in the coming weeks. The first at Ledyard Farm in Wenham, MA Aug. 30-31st. The very next weekend she will be at Triple Combination Farm in Ferrisburg, VT. Please help us spread the word and get these clinics filled up! I know that Bonnie has very fun weekends planned for both!

Finally, April Raine, Art Director for "Professional Farrier" Magazine was kind enough to share with me a bunch of her photos from Rolex. I've attached my favorite. This was taken Sunday morning literally minutes before the final horse inspection. Yes, eventing is basically an individual sport but this picture perfectly illustrates the actual team work that goes into every one of the horses at that level... Krissy Collett, Bonnie's recently retired head groom of 5 years is coaxing Murry into munching on his breakfast, I am braiding, Dave, our farrier for the weekend, was fixing up his shoes and you can't see her but Bonnie is in the back fussing with his tail. It was a really intense moment!

See you all soon!

Rebecca

Coming Home...

2008-07-30T11:19:00.001-04:00

Hi All,

Sad news as of today.

Murry and I are coming home.It's nothing too serious but Murry has sustained a minor injury and is going to need a short break to heal properly. I am very lucky because I caught this early enough that the vets agree it is nothing he can't come back from. I've been able to consult with some really amazing veterinarians while here and I feel confidant that we've formulated a strong plan to get him well and back in the game.

It is hard to start thinking of what to do next. All of my horses at home are going well so I'm going to take a little bit of time to figure out a new game plan before I carry on. I am looking into flights for Murry ASAP and hope to have him home in the next several days. For myself though I am going to stay for a little bit, visit some friends and maybe even go to the beach for a few days! Its been a long summer so far and I could really use a quick vacation. I have to say this process can be draining and it takes some very determined people to live this dream.

As for our Team, they are all looking very strong and fit. I believe they are sitting in a perfect place to really surprise the world. I have no doubts that their training and experience is going to send them to the top of the podium.

Coren's sister lives in Paris so Coren is going to take a few days to go visit her before she returns home. She has been such great help throughout this trip. I believe she has learned quite a lot and is looking forward to getting back to her own horses, family, friends and school.

I am looking forward to returning and finally moving into my house! I guess I need to look at the fall schedule for the rest of the ponies.I am hoping to get more photos from Dr. Gold for the web site so keep your eyes out!I want to thank all of you for all your support during this journey.

We will have our day, I do believe.

Cheers,Bonnie and Murry

Remember mention of grazing in Bonnie's last post?

2008-07-25T11:39:00.002-04:00

The grass sure does look tasty!

Our Day Off...

2008-07-24T19:15:00.001-04:00

Yes, we finally had a day of rest. Its been pretty non stop since we first arrived at The Fork.
Murry, Coren and I have really loved the break. I woke up early and went to the barn at 7:45 am. Hung out for a while, we are doing lots of hand grazing due to no paddocks to put the horses in. Poor Coren and all the grooms. These horses are used to being out for how many hours a day? Yes, the grooms have to hand graze them nearly non stop. Poor, Emma, Phillips groom, two horses... She is out there 24/7!

After all the grazing Buck, Kathleen, Coren and I drove to Stroud to do our laundry and have lunch. It was such a good day to get our laundry done. It *really* needed to be done, the horse stuff and our own! Stroud is a very hilly town. When we walked around it was either up or down hill. Buns of steel I said every time we walked up the street. It is fun to get off the farm and see a little bit of our surroundings.

Of course, it didn't last long and we were too soon heading back to the farm for more grazing.
Buck and I are now officiall entered at Gatcombe Horse Trials which happen August 1-3.
This trip is forcing me to plan beyond the plan!

The most amazing part of the day was getting invited to watch Allen Kings race horses train this morning. Nigel Bunter, who owns the property, took us out to watch the horses. Very, very cool. Not sure if I could do that- ride a race horse. They have some seriously good horses! And then we were invited to Nigel's for a BBQ. What a place!

I have an early ride tomorrow-7 am, because we are going over to watch the show jumping at Hickstead. What a treat thanks to Sara Ikes connections!

Talk soon,
Bonnie

Bonnie update 7/23

2008-07-23T16:04:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone!

Hello! Its been a few days... let me see where I can catch you up.

Since I last wrote I have had two dressage lessons with the Captain. The first day was not as good as the second. Murry and I are still mastering the 2008 Olympic Dressage Test. If we end up being placed on the team we will luckily have a few more days to perfect it once we get to Hong Kong.

I think that as Coren mentiond Laura Kraut showed up to help us all jump yesterday. Thank goodness!!! She is amazing and really helped me understand the next level that I need to work towards with Mr. Murry. Unfortunately I had food poisoning the night before my second lesson so I was not in my best form but as always Murry took care of me. He is such a good jumper and as honest as the day is long. Thank God!

Today we went for our second gallop. What a test! Everyone was really questioning how and what to do but I woke up with a plan. Murry and I went for a 20 minute jog and then we cantered slowly up the hill once and sprinted up a second time. Murry never tired and is always ready to please. Afterwards we returned to the barn for icing and bathing.

While Murry was chilling I took off to the jump arena for a workout of my own, exercise ball included! Just ask about the ball! I've been lugging this thing around with me everywhere and its done wonders for helping to build up my core strength.

Then off to do the laundry which was, sadly, a failed attempt. I loaded the machine, put the money in and no go. Now what? I tried two other machines and no good. Put the laundry back in the sack and went back to the barn. I did call a friend to see where I could do my laundry...

This afternoon the team vet that is based here had a good look at all the horses. Everything seemed to go very well.

And now it is time for dinner...We all have an easy day tomorrow thank goodness. The horses may need a day of rest soon.

I have begun my plan B plans which include going to Gatcombe for the Advanced Open Class and then staying on for Burghley : ) This is that win win situation I mentioned a few e-mails ago. Burghley is always a dream and to have the opportunity to compete in it on two different horses is really exciting.

I will have to say this group has been so good. I wish Stephen and Jen could be here. Kim is here coaching Heidi and helping us all out. Its been really nice having her around.

And of course Coren who has been so good working with me and Mr. Murry.

Talk soon,
Bonnie and Merloch in the UK

From Murry's point of view...

2008-07-22T13:12:00.002-04:00

7/22 update from Coren!

2008-07-22T09:41:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! Things are great here in England. Today has been the warmest day yet. And you know what that means? MURRY GOT A BATH! That is a big deal. At least to me (and probably Rebecca). His tail is white. His fur is white. I feel like that is worth ten points.

Not too much has happened around here. Yes, I made it to the pub. But on a different night. A big group of us went out together the following night. Started at a pub and kept working our way up. Finally we all ended up dancing at a "night club" (I use this term lightly). It was pretty fun though. I met a nice looking group of steeplechase jockeys from Ireland. These were some good looking guys! Because of the loud music and their accents there was a lack of "talking". Dancing was fine by me! When you bring a group of 8 or 9 girls into a town as small as this, you make an impact. I think we all had a very good time!

The horses are all looking fantastic. They have done some more dressage and jumping. Laura Kraut flew over yesterday to help everyone with their jumping.She focused a lot on a simple exercise that really helped the horses to be more careful. I found it very interesting and can't wait to try it on my own horse! Murry is doing great. His jumping is looking awesome and I have never seen him point his toes so much on the flat. I think it is safe to say that Bonnie is VERY pleased with where he is at.

The other U.S. team members arrived here on Monday. Karen O'Connor and Mandiba, Amy Tryon with Poggio and Gina Miles and McKinley. Everyone seems to get along great!

The quarantine is now official. It does not all make sense to me but I'm trying to follow the rules.

Tomorrow the horses will gallop. Should be a good one as the footing is still just as perfect as it was before! Man this country is amazing.As I said before, I do not want to leave England. The horses are awesome. The countryside is amazing. Footing is perfect. And its not hot! So again, I make my request, someone PLEASE send me Ollie.

Hope all is well in the states,

Coren

More news from Bonnie!

2008-07-19T17:50:00.000-04:00

Hi,

At my first peak at daylight today I saw the sun. What a pleasant surprise! I arrived at the barn at 7:20 am to do some flat work on Murry and give him a quiet canter which ended up being a nice set of 3 three minute canters on the most amazing turf gallop you could ever imagine. Murry and I had some words during our flat warm up but we both came to the conclusion that we need to be serious. We are, by the way, in England as an alternate for the Olympics. Our canter up the gallop felt like a fun run in the park. The cool weather has put some friskiness into Murry.

Coren has started working on getting Murry's tail white again. By the time some photos come home you will see it will be as white as it was at Rolex. Coren's little home is a perfect little hide out away from the wind and we have wireless here. She and I went to the grocery store to stock the fridge with her favorite food. She seems to be a grazer.

Coren, Kathleen(Buck's groom) and I drove up to watch Aston le Walls Horse Trials. We were so lucky because as we walked out to the cross country course Clark Montgomery had just started on his gray horse. We ran into his wife Jess and she said things were going well.

People don't cheer here at all.

What a different sport over here. 4+ Advanced divisions with 30+ horses.

I am now heading back to town to go for a run before the gang meets for dinner.

Still smiling!
Bonnie

From Bonnie!!

2008-07-18T17:30:00.001-04:00

Hi All, Here in England with the best horses and riders in the USA. Not a bad place to be. Pinch me! So, being an alternate has taught me to be a very patient and positive person.While standing in the barn yard at The Fork when the 2008 USA Three Day Olympic Team was named, I looked back at all the moments that brought me to this place. Listening to Sara Ike name the Team was not as heart wrenching as my last Team experience. Take a second to understand the selection process,which means that a 4 star horse with experience is what they need. The wants come from the riders and the soundness of the horses. I now get it. I will never doubt what they need or want. Just GOOD HORSES.So, since my arrival here in England I now remember why I like it here. Horse country, small towns, friendly accents,and a chance to be more tan than any other person here.Murry and Coren Morgan have bonded like no other. I had a simple ride on him today around Barbury Castle Horse Trials site. Yes, that is where we are stabled. The girls that are grooming for all of us are put up in simple little two person campers. A nice place to go, since it is so cold. The grass here is green and the ground is perfectly soft. We have a busy schedule ahead of us. As you and I realize I am in a win win situation, Olympics or Burghley? Not a bad moment in life. I am cheering for all and wishing for GOLD!Talk soon,Bonnie and Merloch here in the UK

Greetings from England!

2008-07-18T11:33:00.001-04:00

Hello everybody! Coren sent me this e-mail a little bit ago and I though I would share with you all...

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Hello all-Well here is the first update from this already exciting trip. The horses and all riders are now here safely. I figure the best way to share all of this is to start from the beginning.So.... quarantine.. Oh quarantine. It was ... um BORING. We arrived from NC to a nice farm in ATL. Got the horses off the van, set up stalls, hand walked and then sat. And when I say we sat, I am talking like from 2 pm till 3 am. We did get to get up to do I.V. fluids on some horses and tube the rest of them. Otherwise we sat. I slept for one hour on the concrete aisle wrapped up in Murry's sheet. Emma (Philip Duttons head groom) sleep in the corner of Woodburns stall for the same amount of time. At 3 am the vet arrived, identified all horses and put them on the van to the airport. Well due to the delay in the horses flight, Emma and I went straight to our terminal to pick up our tickets. Here is where the first "problem" was.Emma is British with a green card. Therefore her one way ticket to England was not of worry. However, an american trying to go to England on a one way ticket it is. I was immediately a "threat". Well after a large argument between me, Emma, and the ticket counter they gave up. They handed me a ticket to Washington DC and said word for word "Let DC figure this one out". Well that sounds smart. Go ahead, send the threat to DC. Anyways, in DC Emma frantically tried to explain my problem to them. However her heavy accent prevented them from understanding. They got confused, and gave me a ticket. Now the threat was headed over seas. SCORE.The flight was short (6 hr 30 min) and we arrived early. Well much to our surprise, we found Phillip Dutton on our flight. This was excellent because Emma and I had no way from London to the farm. After getting a rental car, Philip drove at extreme speed to get us to the farm. I had many moments of panic. An Australian driving on the wrong side of the road in a stick shift muttering many words I could not understand. A brit in the front seat telling him to go faster so we could meet the horses to unload. And me in the back seat so crammed, holding luggage and freaking out. 60 MPH down single lane streets with tall hedge brushes. Sounds like my idea of a good time.Horses arrived an hour late. No need for the previous speeding. We unloaded and walked and un packed and walked more and unpacked more. Then at 3 am went to sleep. I was exhausted. Keep in mind no one had slept in a bed for well over 50 hours.I got up in a panic this morning thinking that I had overslept. Well it was 8:30. Pretty late for starting chores in this world. I was the only one up. Guess everyone was still too tired! I did chores in my PJ's and went back to bed. Then after I got up, Bonnie arrived. Boy was this exciting. She brought coke, chocolate and another polar fleece for me! She knows me all too well :)The weather is cold. 50 and raining. Murry is warm. I am not. I live in a camper which is actually pretty nice. I have a shower. The hot water lasted about 37 seconds. GREAT. I slept well though..Bonnie and I went to the store in town. Driving there was exciting. My turn is next. After battling traffic in the grocery store, I think I am ready. Those people are crazy with carts and always on the wrong side of the aisle when passing!Leaving the store was my first encounter with the opposite sex in this country. And by that I mean flirting with them (sorry mom and dad). I was left waiting on the corner for Bonnie while she tried to figure which way to go to get the car out of the lot. I must have looked crazy or something because 3 very good looking 20 something year old guys approached me. I must have screamed american all bundled up in my winter coat and multiple polar fleeces. Anyway, we chatted for a good while (it took bonnie a while) and what not. It was successful. I got the "we hope we see you at the pub tonight". Well, I'm thinking Im going to the pub tonight.Bonnie and Murry are out hacking now. He was VERY frisky and she was very cold. Sounds like a good combination. The rest of the day we will just hang out. Tomorrow the horses have a gallop on the amazing hill. The BEST footing I have ever scene. Then Monday US Olympic Show jumper Laura Kraut is coming to give jump lessons. I guess I better bathe Murry for that. BURR.The scenery here is amazing. If someone would please ship me Ollie, I think I will just stay. Plus Im just a short train ride from my sister.Hope all is well in the states. Excuse my horrible grammar and spelling (again, sorry mom and dad.) I am just too tired to correct it all!Coren

Bon Voyage!

2008-07-17T14:53:00.004-04:00

If you looked up in the sky at about 4am this morning you may have seen Murry and the rest of the horses flying overhead. With only a little scrambling, Coren reported to me earlier today that all the horses made it onto the truck and into the plane with no problem. According to Coren, Murry was "perfect" and seemed to be enjoying the adventure. Does he realize he is amazingly close to travelling around the entire world? The picture above is of Murry waiting to get on the plane this morning...

Bonnie leaves for England this evening and will be reunited with Murry and Coren by tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, Coren is, hopefully, getting some much needed sleep on her own flight and Bonnie is on her way to the airport...

We have posted more pictures from the Mandatory Outing so be sure to check them out on the Media page of our main site. Or click here: http://www.bonniemosser.com/images/Photogallery%20Manditory%20Outing%20by%20Mike/index.htm

Last night we celebrated this new adventure in style. Keith Cuthrell, Bonnie's land owner, was kind enough to loan us his beautiful B&B (www.thewolftrapfarm.com) for our going away party. Thank you Keith!! We were joined by old friends and new. Doug (farrier extraordinaire), Holly and Alex (wouldn't be here without you!), Barbara and Marley, you guys are the best and totally made the night. It felt so good to have you all in one place again. To all of our new friends and students... we are so lucky to have met you all. Thank you for celebrating with us last night! Here's to many many more such nights!

Cross fingers as we wait to see how the cards will fall...

talk soon!
Rebecca

And finally, more videos as promised!

2008-07-14T22:30:00.001-04:00

Bonnie and Merloch's Dressage test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIEQ8jzadwk

And Show Jumping...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEPaFrmsndo

Photos from the mandatory outing at The Fork

2008-07-14T10:53:00.007-04:00

Bonnie named an alternate to the 2008 Olympic Eventing Team!

2008-07-13T22:59:00.002-04:00

Bonnie and Merloch have been named as an alternate to the 2008 Olympic Eventing Team! CONGRATULATIONS! This exciting development was announced to the athletes on the short list earlier this afternoon pending approval by the USEF High Performance Committee. This means Bonnie will travel with the rest of the team to London for the final two weeks of training sessions.

I'll post more about the weekend tomorrow. Some videos for now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dz0valqCMQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PUrlga1yhw

Cheer Loudly!

2008-07-10T16:22:00.002-04:00

Well folks... The final Mandatory Outing begins tomorrow morning (Friday 7/10) with an informal jog at 6:15am. (Note to Murry: Stay clean in your stall tonight!!)

Dressage and Cross Country are on Friday and Show Jumping is on Saturday.

Please think hard about Bonnie and Murry this weekend! I am sure that they will both be able to hear you!

Check back here for updates... I'll try to post at the end of each day.

~Rebecca

Exciting News!

2008-06-29T19:31:00.002-04:00

Bonnie is named to the short list!

Check out the official Press Release here:

http://www.useventing.com/competitions.php?id=1556

This is such exciting news for Bonnie and Murry and it is only made better by the fact that Bonnie and Murry have never looked better. Murry is sound, eating well and seemingly enjoying his job every day.

The selection process will continue with a gallop at the training sessions in The Plains, VA tomorrow morning (Monday at 5:45am!!). The riders and horses will then all go home for a week and gather again at The Fork for the final Mandatory Outing July 8-13. This week will consist of lessons Tuesday-Thursday and then a mini competition for the short listed riders on Friday and Saturday. The selectors and vet's will then conduct one final veterinary examination. On either Sunday night or Monday morning the riders will find out which 8 combinations will travel to England for final preparations. In the end, 5 horse/rider combinations will be named to the team that will travel to Hong Kong for the 2008 Olympic games.

If/when Bonnie travels to England and then on to Hong Kong, she will be away until approximately August 16th. If you would like to get a lesson with her before she heads out of town please join us this week! We are specifically putting groups together for Wednesday (although you are more than welcome to join us any day, just contact us for availability!)

Hope to see you all soon!

Wow its hot!

2008-06-10T13:41:00.003-04:00

We are all happy to announce that we survived a truly wild trip this past saturday white water rafting the New River in someplace West Virginia. Bonnie, Rebecca, Abby, Coren, Bridget and Megan braved the rapids and have the sunburn to prove it! Our poor virgin legs saw more sun then they will probably see for the rest of the summer! Rebecca suffered the only casualty of the day, nearly drowning even though the guide swears she was only under water for about 3 seconds (impossible!). This last major hurrah was a much needed escape from the heat and horses. Our stuff will probably need to dry out for a few more days but we are back on the horses and gearing up for a busy few weeks.

Our first clinic at home will be held June 21-22 and we are looking forward to a fun weekend at the farm and to welcoming our first big group of visitors! There are a few more spots available! Please e-mail Rebecca if you'd like to join in! r_polan99@yahoo.com.

Our new summer working student also arrived this past weekend. Lee French joined us after winning her Preliminary division at Rubicon. Congratulations Lee and welcome to the farm! We are expecting a few more summer residents and visitors over the next few weeks. There is always room for more so please let us know if you'd like to come down for a few days or a few weeks!

On June 24th Bonnie will head to Middleburg, VA where she will spend a few weeks training with the rest of the US Eventing Team short list. She and Murry are looking great and are ready to show the selectors their stuff!

Check back here to keep an eye on their progress.

In the meantime, ride your horses early, try to stay cool and enjoy the beginning of summer!

Open for Business!

2008-05-21T23:21:00.001-04:00

5/21/08

The jumps have arrived! Our jumping ring is finally set up and Bonnie is open for business! Please e-mail her to set up your lessons at info@bonniemosser.com.

Working Student Position Available!

2008-05-21T23:15:00.005-04:00

5/21/08

Hi everyone!

We are currently searching for a new working student or groom for the 2008 summer/fall/winter. The position is flexible and we will work with you whether you wish to bring a horse or simply learn the tricks of the grooming trade! There may even be a horse for you to compete if you want to ride but do not have a horse of your own!

Our working students do all the usual horse chores (muck, feed, turn out, basic first aid, etc.). In exchange you get several lesson per week and coaching at your horse trials.

Please e-mail or call Rebecca for more information: 304-633-4281 or r_polan99@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Spring Competition Updates

2008-05-08T14:51:00.000-04:00

4/6/08—
Bonnie and Merloch are back in full form easily earning their second win of the season. The advanced division at The Fork Outdoor Heritage Days in Norwood, NC was no match for this dynamic duo! Watch for Merloch and Bonnie at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** at the end of April.

3/24/08—
Merloch wins his first competition of the year! Bonnie and Merloch easily won their Intermediate division at Southern Pines II in Raeford, NC March 21-24. On to the Advanced division at The Fork in two weeks…

Bonnie Moves to Va.!

2008-05-08T14:38:00.001-04:00

4/9/08—
A major move! Bonnie and all the rest of Point Above Farm will be relocating for the summer to Gordonsville, VA. We are so excited to move into our new farm after Rolex! The facility includes over 300 acres for hacking and fitness, a 20 stall barn, training arena and an on grounds B & B for our out of town guests. Bonnie will be available for lessons after May 4. Please e-mail Rebecca (Rebecca@BonnieMosser.com) for more info, directions, etc.

Test

2008-04-29T10:19:00.001-04:00

This is our first test blog!