We decided to do a quick count of all the food kits that are currently overflowing the food collection barrel in the show barn lounge.  Here are the current standings in the olympic food donation race:

• Team Friday – 23 Food Kits
• Team Thursday – 21 Food Kits
• Team Monday – 10 Food Kits
• Team Saturday – 10 Food Kits
• Team Sunday- 4 Food Kits
• Team Monday – 4 Food Kits
• Team Wednesday – 0 Food Kits

Just a reminder that teams can collect food kits and donations to the Waukesha County Food Pantry until the events this Saturday at 6.

Our crack accounting team will be making the final calculations of food and $ donations during the contests.

If you follow us but can’t make it with a food donation, you can support the cause by donating directly to the food pantry.  Please let them know that you’re supporting the Knollwood Knockouts!

Good luck to everyone!

Haley and Heather enjoying the IASPHA show at Fields and Fences

Wow!  What a weekend!

Scott, Carol, and Eric got home around midnight after a fabulous show at FASH!  Our first time riders at that level, Ainsley and Margaret, turned in convincing and winning performances their first time out, and our ‘veterans’ of the show ring shone as well.  For the second year in a row, Deb won her five gaited pleasure championship at FASH, and Kerri and Cliff and Ashley and Castle were champion and reserve in the adult show pleasure championship.  Hailey and Aida have been working hard all winter together, and are now a team to watch in the junior exhibitor gaited division.  Stephanie and Molly won the adult country pleasure championship, and the western ladies, Toni and Susan rocked their division, too. Lexie, Kellin, and Allison turned in some great equitation rides, and Eric had a blast showing Daisy in park pleasure.

Meanwhile, at the first IASHPA show in Gurnee,  the weekend started with Skeet and Dozer helping us rescue two baby ducks that their mother had left in the barn.  Dozer stalked the first one into a stall where we caught it and reunited it with its mother, and Skeet pointed to the location of the second one so we could grab it in towel and take it out to the pond, too. Great thanks to the mighty duck hunters!

Mary and Woody

The show was filled with good rides from everyone, and lots of fun along the way.  The ‘B’ horses shone, with Savannah and Chip winning their novice horse class, and Savannah and Zeus turned in some beautiful rides in both equitation and classic pleasure.  Zeus finished off  his show by winning the classic pleasure championship on Sunday!

Ashley and Chip

The schedule was revised this year so the afternoon performances finish up with the academy classes.  We switched gears, saddle pads  and bridles, and our academy riders took to the ring.  Heather, Jordan, Ashley all turned in nice performances, with Ashley winning the walk trot championship on Saturday.  We’re really proud of Sam, who was competing in her first show this weekend.  She started out strong, and got even better with every ride, looking like an experienced show rider by the end of the Sunday performance.

Now it’s time to shift out of horse show mode for a little bit and concentrate on the big event of the week, the second annual helper olympics!

Winning form in the Olympic garbage relay of 2011

For the last month, our helpers have been asking for donations of food or money for the Waukesha County Food Pantry.  They are still accepting donations through the event on Saturday night.

The helpers have been divided into teams by the day of the week that they work.  Each team is competing against the others to see which can collect the most food and money for the pantry.  We’ve added some fun events of  ’skill’  for the helpers to show their abilities they exhibit around the barn, too.

This year, the events are:

• Synchronized broom dancing
• Wheelbarrow racing with hay tossing target practice
• Find your shoes in the lower pasture
• Jumping on Forest
• Blanket race
• Marathon garbage relay

Alex and Forest

The event starts this Saturday at 6 PM with the parade of Olympians into the stadium, the indoor arena.  Please join us for this fun event!  Admission is a donation of non perishable food.

Olympic blanket race, 2011

If you haven’t already made a donation, we’d love to have your support.  The helpers get bonus points for every ‘Food Kit’ that is donated to their team.  A kit is comprised of:

• Instant Potatoes
•  Gravy
• Can of Soup
• Canned Fruit
• Canned Vegetable
• Box of Cereal
• Box of Gelatin
• Boxed Dessert

Don’t forget to mark your donation with the team you’d like to support!

If you can’t make a food donation, helpers are also accepting checks made out to the Waukesha County Food Pantry!

Thanks in advance for your contributions which will allow the Knockouts to help their neighbors in need.

Next weekend, both the ‘A’ horses and the academy riders are off to the Alliant Energy Center for the Madison Classic Show.  It’s a short drive, so please come and cheer on Team Knollwood!

Visitors were able to take tours from our instructors and friends, and watch lessons going on in the arena.  Because of  the rain last week, ALL the lessons were inside, so visitors had a chance to see the arena rocking with academy lessons, show lessons, and trainers working horses!

At 1:30 pm, guests were treated to exhibitions of academy riders Haley and Heather, followed by  show horses, including WGC Aphrodite’s Tears.  Scott rode an exciting demo on this beautiful and expressive representative of the breed!

Margaret, Forest, and a friend

For our younger visitors, the highlight of the event was the chance to paint Forest!  He spent the open house in the small barn with an army of friendly volunteers who helped our visitors with paint and art direction.

Thanks to some innovative parents, visitors could even take home a picture of themselves with Forest and a Knollwood sign to remember the event!

Forest and a new friend

Forest stood for hours enjoying all the attention and company before he finished off his day by working in the 3:30 group, and taking part in a birthday party at 5:30!

Felix watching tour groups

The other highlight of the tour was a chance to see Felix, our three week old colt, who was out with his mom.  Felix entertained our new friends while he played with his mother.

After a weekend at home, it’s off to horse shows this weekend!  

Twenty  show horses will be off on Tuesday to St Paul, Minnesota for the FASH show at the Minnesota state fairgrounds.  

Ainsley and Cartman

We’re really proud that two graduates of our lesson program will be making their debuts at this show!  Margaret is leasing Rocco and will be showing him in show pleasure, and Ainsley will be showing her new horse, Cartman, in 10 and under walk trot equitation

Mary and Hooper at Gurnee last year

Meanwhile, our academy and ‘B’ horses will be at Fields and Fences in Gurnee, Illinois for the first IASPHA show of the season.

Great thanks to everyone who volunteered last weekend to make our open house such a huge success.

 We couldn’t do it without you!!

Chip arriving at Roscoe

The ‘B’ and academy horses attended the UPHA Chapter 10 spring show in Roscoe, Illinois.  They arrived in their ‘rental car’ on Friday morning to get ready for the performance on Friday evening.

We had a busy and fun weekend creating plenty of memories.  Here are a few of our favorites!

Savannah and Chip at Roscoe

Savannah debuted our latest addition in the show pleasure and equitation division.  Chepengo  (Chip) and Savannah made quite a pretty picture, turning in some great rides in their first show together. Their show in the pleasure championship was really fun to watch!

Alex, Heather, and Jess at Roscoe

Our academy riders were fabulous this weekend!  On Saturday afternoon,  Alex, Heather, and Jess represented Knollwood in the walk trot and canter division of academy showing.  They all turned in great rides with nice ribbons.  In her first cantering show, Jess won the maiden division!   

Haley and Hooper

The walk trot academy team arrived Sunday afternoon, and took over where the cantering riders had left off! All the riders turned in nice performances in deep, deep competition.  At the end of the walk trot section, Haley was the champion and Emma was reserve!

Allie and her ribbons

Next up was the maiden division, represented by Kylie, Kaylee, Lauren, and Allie.  All four ‘rookies’ were showing for the first time away from home, and were a little nervous in the make up ring.  As soon as they entered the arena, these four were all business, working through traffic and making some really nice rides.  Three of them even advanced to the championship at their first show!  At the end of the performance, it was Kaylee champion and Lauren reserve.

While some horses were in Roscoe, the ‘A’ horses were in Des Moines Springfest.  They had a nice kickoff to their season with some great memories and stories of their own.

Hannah and Shelby

Hannah debuted on her horse Sky Bravo (Skylar) in the Junior Exhibitor 3 Gaited division.  Looking great in her tux, she was second in her qualifier, and second in her championship.  What a terrific performance her first time out!

Hannah was cheered on by all of Team Knollwood, but most passionately by Shelby who was showing there as well.  Shelby and Connor took second in the Challenge Cup, and in the 17 and under equitation class.

Debbie and Connie

Other highlights were Connie and Jasper with great ribbons as well as Deb and Jake turning in convincing rides in the 5 gaited pleasure division.

With everyone back at home, it’s time to get ready for the Knollwood Open House this Saturday.  Join us and bring a friend from 11 am to 3 pm for a chance to observe lessons, take tours, paint Forest, enter drawings for free lessons, and see demos of Saddlebreds at 1:30 pm.

The horses will be off again the weekend of May 12 and 13, as the ‘A’ horses travel to St Paul, Minnesota, and the academy and ‘B’ horses travel to Gurnee, Illinois for the first IASPHA show of the season.

My pesky little brother got to blog, so I think it’s my turn now.  Besides, my webbed Labrador feet are a lot easier on the keyboard than his pointy pointer paws.  AND,  I  don’t make a big deal about mother trimming my nails, unlike a mamby pamby pointer dog who shall remain nameless.

Here’s my energetic ‘little brother’ Skeet.  (He’s obviously not my REAL brother, because, among other things,  he has spots.)  We’ve become just like brothers, and we look out for each other.  I suggested a formal portrait for his appearance on my first blog, and even suggested he pose in MY barn bed. In typical Skeet fashion, here he is mugging for the camera in his patented boneless pose.

When I’m not in in bed in the lounge, the driveway, the truck, or the house, I like to spend a lot of time in the arena.  There’s always so much to watch that it makes me tired, so I like to nap there too! The horses and riders respect my space, so they go around me as to not disturb my rest time.

Here are Ellie, Connie  and Melissa watching me nap.  Have they never seen a Lab at rest before?

Champ!!!!

This is my friend Champ, who lives with Scott and Carol.

Don’t tell anyone, but I’m training him for the world championships of dog sleeping.  I don’t think anyone has noticed yet!

Here he is, waking me up and asking for  tips on increasing his rest time.  He’s almost mastered the advanced technique of napping while standing.  I modified that trick from a couple of the lesson horses! 

Here’s Debbie and Batman, being respectful of their distance to the “Dozer Zone”.  They must have known I was doing my blog photo shoot because they’re wearing black, just like me!

Let’s get out of that loud arena!  People are always talking, hooves are always pounding, and what’s with the fireworks????

Sometimes the school barn is too quiet, but I really love horse show days!!!!

No matter how busy people are, they ALWAYS make time to pay homage to me.

They always know where to find me, and I’m always appreciative of pets, massages, or just a kind word.

Too many people in the lounge, so it’s time to head outside…

Nothing like a nice sunny day, no matter what the temperature!

Looks like Alex is here!  I think that’s her vehicle!! It has LOTS of ‘I Ride at Knollwood Farm’ window clings! 

Wow, that was a long walk!

It’s time for a nap in the sun. 

What a beautiful day!  I can’t imagine a better way to spend a few hours!

Well, I have a busy evening ahead of me, and I think I hear mother calling me home for dinner.

 I hope you enjoyed a  little time in my world.

My secrets to happiness?

Wag your tail, not your tongue.

Enjoy the great outdoors whenever you can,  and

never underestimate the power of a good nap.

What was going on besides a full slate of lessons and horse training???

Felix after his first outdoor recess!

Felix enjoyed his first sunny day with his Mom in the little outdoor ring!

Larry digging and Dean helping

With a little help from friends, we created a memorial to our friend, Marylynne Kasch.

Thanks to Larry for the hard work, and to Dean for lending his moral support!

The completed memorial area

We now have a beautiful maple tree and sitting area where we can rest and chat!

Wendy and Tina taking notes while Skeet and Maria listen

The Knockouts performed their semi-annual street clean up followed by a spirited club meeting at 3:30.

We finished regular group lessons, and Scott took over the arena for a clinic with our ‘B’ circuit riders.

Next weekend, we’re off to Des Moines and Roscoe, and our open house follows on Saturday, May 5.  Come join us from 11-3 for tours, drawings, a chance to paint Forest, and show horse demonstrations at 1:30!

It's hard to keep up!

Springtime at Knollwood means a calendar full of horse shows, fund raisers, community projects and fun activities.  Further details will be highlighted as the events get closer, so be ready to work hard and have fun, because this spring at Knollwood is going to be a blast!!

Here’s what we have to look forward to in the month ahead:

The food drive has started!

 Our food barrel for the Waukesha County Food Pantry is ready for donations in the lounge.  Knollwood helpers are sponsoring a food drive through May 19 for the pantry.  There are seven teams, one for each day of the week, competing to collect the most food and money donations.  Helpers are all prepared with pledge sheets and a list of items included in a ‘food kit’ that will earn their team many points. For those of you who haven’t been approached by one of our helpers, here’s what you need to make a kit:

• canned fruit
• canned vegetable
• instant potato
• packaged gravy
• can of soup
• box of Jell-o
• boxed dessert
• box of cereal

These items can be placed in a bag and labeled with the team you wish to support. With a little generosity from all of our friends, we hope to fill, empty and fill again our food barrel in the lounge many times before the 19th of May!

Getting ready!

Entries for the Knollwood Summer Show begin Monday, April 16

Yes, it’s hard to believe, but the Summer show is only ten weeks away (June 23-24)! Entry forms will be available starting Monday, April 16.  Classes are still $30 for qualifiers, and $35 for championships.  We’re looking forward to another big show  with plenty of  fun classes.

Our June show offers a ‘Time and Talent Auction’, so start thinking what you could offer to do as a contribution to this entertaining fundraiser!

Knockouts will be cleaning up Oakwood and Nagawicka Roads on Saturday, April 21

Cleaning up Oakwood Road

Please join the Knockouts on Saturday, April 21 as they perform their semi-annual cleaning of the neighborhood.  They’ll head out at 1:00 PM and work in teams to spruce up the streets. Stay after the clean up for the Knockout meeting at 3:30!

Just a reminder that all participants must have a signed permission slip per the City of Delafield.  These are available in the school barn.

This is a great way to get your annual service hours in and help make the world around us more beautiful!

Team Knollwood is off to two separate shows in two different states the following weekend!  

Our ‘A’ show horses will be at Des Moines Springfest in Iowa, while the academy and ‘B’ horses will participate in the UPHA Chapter 10 Spring Show in Roscoe, Illinois.

Forest will be waiting.

Knollwood Spring Open House is coming up on Saturday, May 5

From 11 am-3 pm, visitors will be able to take a tour, enter drawings for lessons, paint Forest, and watch lessons in progress.  At 1:30, Scott and Carol will host some demonstrations of saddlebred show horses.  For those of you who attended ‘Journeys with the American Saddlebred’ last month, you know how much your friends would appreciate this.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in lessons at Knollwood or would simply like to see all that happens at Knollwood, invite them to see our beautiful farm, and meet your favorite lesson horse.

Horses and riders will be off to two different states again for the weekend of May 11-12

 ‘A’ horses and riders will be in St. Paul, Minnesota at the FASH show, while academy and ‘B’ riders will be in Gurnee, Illinois for the first IASPHA Show of the season.

Team Friday

Opening Ceremonies for the Helper Olympics II begin at 6 PM on Saturday, May 19

This is a really fun event for a great cause.  Helpers are preparing for this event already, when they will compete in games of ‘skill’ against fellow helpers from other days of the week.  Big hits at last year’s games were Muck bucket dancing,  garbage obstacle course, and trying to jump on Forest and then Dudley!  Roughly 50 helpers will take part in the games which promise to be entertaining for all.  Everyone is welcome to enjoy the festivities, and admission is a donation to the helpers food drive.

The real winners of the evening are the teams that collect the most food, and the most donations.

The Knollwood calendar is certainly full and we hope you can join in on all the fun!

Home

We who are currently enjoying all the grass we can eat and all the sun we can enjoy wish you all a Happy Easter and spring break.  It’s a vacation day for us, and we’re taking full advantage of the day with lots of games and naps.  

The fancy box stall horses are also enjoying a vacation day with lots of napping and talking amongst themselves with no humans around most of the day!

Speaking of vacations, I have a great story to share…

Name game at camp...This came after the 'Know your horse' game!

Several summers ago, a group of campers were sitting around the picnic tables at lunch, and decided to play a little game of “Know Your Horse”.  Ann provided them with a category, and the riders had to answer for each of the lesson horses.  (Dozer and Skeet were added to this illustrious group because they enjoy many fans as well!)

Before you see their answers, keep in mind that the group included a current world champion equitation rider, a national forensics competitor, and lots of girls who can ride the hair off their horses!

The first question asked was  ’Where would the school horses go on vacation?’

I thought you’d enjoy hearing some of the vacation getaway places the campers came up with for me and my fellow school horse buddies.  Their responses are accompanied by some of our wonderful vacation pics taken by Rachel:

Tony, Willy, and Skipper

The campers decided Tony would go to Mackinac Island, because he has such good manners, 

Willy would go to Mount Rushmore, because they think he’s a history enthusiast,

and Skipper would go to Miami to pick up pretty mares on the beach.

Bumper and Brinkley

Brinkley would go to a Greek island, because his registered name is ‘Sun of Achilles,’

while Bumper would hitch a train to California.

Dudley and Jackson discussing travel plans

Jackson would go to Greenland,

Looks like they couldn't quite agree!

while Dudley would go to Iceland.

Shamrock resting before the Boston Marathon

Shamrock would go to Boston to run the marathon

Forest working on his 'tuck' position while preparing to buck at Dudley!

Forest would go cliff diving in Acapulco wearing a tight Speedo

I'm enjoying a nap on my day off!

They decided I would go to New York City, because I am so sophisticated.  I can’t argue with their assessment of my sophistication, but New York is known as “the city that never sleeps” and, well…I MUST have my  beauty sleep!

Wherever your vacation takes you, we hope you have a great time.  We’re looking forward to seeing you soon with lots of pictures to share from your travels!  

All the boys wish you a Happy Easter and spring break!

Great thanks to Rachel for the fabulous  pictures of us in our pasture!!

Ribbons at Mid America Spring

Show season 2012 started out with a bang for Team Knollwood last weekend!

The Mid America spring show in Roscoe was positive for all our riders.  Knollwood’s academy riders had aggressive as well as pretty rides and finished the day with ten blue ribbons in ten classes.  Alex, Heather, Margaret, Lizzy, and Ainsley each brought home two first place finishes.

The newest addition to Knollwood’s fabulous string of academy show horses made his debut at this show, and seemed to have as much fun as the riders!  Chepango looked like a seasoned campaigner as he teamed with Alex and Margaret in four classes, and made four victory passes!

This show also marked a transition for two of Knollwood’s academy riders.  Ainsley and Margaret  will now move on to the ‘A’ circuit!  Ainsley will be competing in 10 and under walk trot equitation on her new horse, Cartman.  You may remember that Cartman was formerly Ainsley’s sister’s horse.  Sydney is now looking forward to new adventures as the proud owner of Sophie!  

Margaret is also moving on to the next level while weighing her options as to which way to go.  We’ll keep  you posted!

Our ‘A’ riders had a great show as well with Toni and Pinto winning the Shatner western class on Saturday, and their championship on Sunday.

Syd and Allison had some beautiful equitation rides this weekend, and qualified for some finals this Fall!  Both riders are now qualified for the Good Hands final at Mane Event  in October, and for the USEF Medal final at the Royal in November.

We’re also proud to announce that two Knollwood riders are members of the United States Saddleseat World Cup teams that will compete in South Africa in December!  

Nick winning the Good Hands final

Nick will compete on the three gaited team, while Angela will be a member of the five gaited team.  Both riders will have quite a break from college this December as they travel halfway around the world to represent the United States!  Both of these accomplished riders came up through Knollwood’s academy program, and we couldn’t be happier for them!

The switch trunk is ready for 2012!

Our next shows are the weekend of April 28.  The academy and ‘B’ horses will be back in Roscoe for the UPHA Chapter 10 show while the ‘A’ horses will be in Iowa for the Des Moines Springfest show.  We have some first time academy show riders at Roscoe, and some new horse and rider combinations at Des Moines.  

Looks like it will be quite a weekend!

Starts the 2012 Season!

Aaaaaaand…..they’re off!!!!  Horses and equipment departed Knollwood Thursday headed for the Mid America Spring Show in Roscoe, Illinois – the first out of barn show of the 2012 show season.  ’A’ horses will compete Friday through Sunday, while academy horses and riders will show on Saturday afternoon.

While horses and riders are competing in Roscoe, Scott will be at William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri supporting  Nick, Ashley, and Angela as they try out for the United States Saddle Seat World Cup teams.  All three Knollwood riders are trying for a chance to represent the US in South Africa in December.

Eric, Mary and Jeni will be holding down the fort at home, while we kick off the season in Roscoe.

Good luck to all members of Team Knollwood this weekend, wherever they may be!