UPDATE: Leap of Faith aka Mia has been recovering from a tendon injury incurred at the 2007 Morven Park Advanced horse trials. She has been doing fantastic, but a recent ultrasound revealed she still has alot of healing to do, sooo she is going to be BRED this year to a fantastic stallion Cor Magnific by Boc--(Nancy Gosh's stallion). Not only is he sired by Boc, a great sire of many upper level event horses, but Cor Magnific goes back to the famous Cormac--who has sired Bally Cor, Core Buff and many other successful upper level and olympic event horses. Check him out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TtWTl5UmDU. We are very excited to see what this great combination will produce!
Leap of Faith (aka Mia) is a strikingly gorgeous 1993 16.2 HolxTBmare by Maulthus, and probably the most talented horse I have ever come across. I met her as an 8yo, when my father took over her training. He competed her up to the Preliminary level, and then she was on a two-year break. A very quirky mare and sometimes hard to understand, I was given the opportunity to purchase her in May 2005 through a deal my father made with his former boss. Thus, the journey together continued, but with me sitting in the saddle.
As soon as I got her, I worked on her manners and ground work which allowed us to bond together. Although this year has been long, and I have had my doubts about her at times -- she has made a 180 degree turn around. Mia has the ability to melt your heart with her funny faces. When she pins her ears in her mighty bluff -- she is really just saying “love me.”
I found that she had a very low confidence in just herself -- let alone trusting me. So, our first couple of competitions were rough. After every competition, I would go back to the drawing board and work on trusting exercises. Mia’s main issues were she was in a lot of pain from unbalanced shoeing (resulting in a sore back), and she is prone to stomach ulcers. Now, she is a completely different horse; although she still is quirky, her back is not sore and she LOVES food which she wouldn’t always eat before(due to the ulcers).
No one would believe that I ride her without a bridle and saddle as I do with Jack, and she loves it. It helps her relax in her canter, and she has to trust me as I do her. The one thing I know about this mare is that she has so much more to give and many great things are to come.
I noticed the break through with her when we were competing at the Florida CCI*. At the water complex, she jumped in bold (not normal for her) then when she landed, her knees buckled and I thought we were going down. But somehow she tried her heart out and got us out of that sticky situation. That is when I knew she was a real event horse -- the only thing she had been missing was the heart because she has all of the talent in the world. If an event horse does not have heart then they will not make it as an event horse.
Ever since then she has been the gamiest horse on cross country and stadium -- trying her heart out. It has been the best feeling to taking a horse that no one but my Dad had faith in and literally taking a “leap of faith". And recently, she just won the CIC** at Poplar Place Farm, and she was so happy cantering first in the victory gallop (she normally wants to run!).
She finally was able to show her full potential at the 3-Star level in 2007 and will be on her way for the 2010 WEG games and 2012 Olympic games.
Check out Mia's Video's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdL-6ZQlF0 2006 Maui Jim CIC** finished 7th
