New Heights cont.
California Ladies Turn On the Heat (cont.) by Kathy Hobstetter
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paid off and now there were two to long or in these tight indoor arenas. Lou
jump off. And those would be the Bega is so new to me I am still
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only two to return. not sure what he actually is yet, but I can

Coming back for the jump off first, tell you he feels like the most fantastic horse
Francie simply ran into the ring in a ever. I am not usually the fastest so I had to
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big open gallop and never took the do something different and I tried the inside
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foot off the pedal the entire time. turn. It worked and I learned a lot about him.
Going very forward and pressing to He makes the job feel so much easier than it
I each jump, Ness-Go was obviously really is.”
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having a great time and each jump got “I bought this horse in Europe very
more spectacular than the last. Flying recently,” said Rudy Leone. “He is obviously
H around the ring it seemed he was very talented and possibly the best I have
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saying, “Watch this, it’s MINE!” Clear ever had. He is extremely difficult, right
in a very fast 44.18 seconds. down to the warm up ring but he just loves
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Jill appeared to choose the ride Jill! That will go along way with a horse like
that best suited her on this new ride, this one, that bond matters to this kind. We
Lou Bega. Very fast but taking the don’t really know what we have yet and we
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time to be quite careful and give this certainly don’t know what to expect each time
magnificent animal a chance to be we go in the ring. He had some difficulty in
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successful and secure. Very smooth, Europe but this seems to suit him well. All I
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efficient and careful. Quick in a time can say is ‘we will see’ as time goes along but
of 46.07, all the jumps stayed in place I think there is no limit to him at all.”
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and she would be second to Francie. All and all, a great start to our travels to the
“When I walked the course I said World Cup. This show has turned the corner
to myself ‘These are really big jumps’ on our efforts to make our mark across the
and I decided I better pay attention,” world. No longer is this coast going to be one
said Francie after the class. “I felt that of those “hopeful” mentality areas for riders
Ness-Go would either be fantastic and owners. It has changed to a “watch this,
or scared. I really weighed whether we will make it happen” sort of mind set.
I would go or not. He had a bad
experience in a class at Thermal and I
gave him a vacation for awhile. He is j
My Wife and her Horse
really sensitive and I wasn’t sure how
My wife she has a quarter horse, with flaxen mane and tail.
he would come back.”
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She thinks he is the finest thing that ever jogged a rail.
“Then the other day I realized that She calls him Dandy Darling, and if the truth I tell,
he is a horse that LOVES to watch
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that fancy pampered quarter horse has made my life pure hell.
and be around this. He sort of stood
My wife she used to cook for ME and serve it with champagne.
up and took a deep breath and his eye
changed. I know that sounds weird
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Now she’d rather feed that horse and fix his special grain.
but I tell you all of a sudden he was
watching everyone and everything. He

She rides him every morning, and grooms him half the night.
The last time that she kissed ME it was just to be polite.
would stand at the ring and follow the
course designer as he walked the jumps, f
He dresses better than I do, with matching wraps and ties,
my wardrobe’s so neglected now that I attract the flies.
he would watch the grooms raking the
aisle. He is just an observant horse
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One day my wife was shopping, she was down at the mall,
and fancy pampered DANDY was just standing in his stall.
and when I saw the change I knew, all
of a sudden, that he was back. Before
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He looked so smug and sassy, that I began to grin,
I’d saddle that fat sucker, and take him for a spin.
that epiphany he would have worried
about the stumble and fell apart, but
not tonight!” Francie ended.

I’ve wondered since if cues I gave, he might have misconstrued,
for when I climbed aboard that horse, he rightly came UNGLUED.
Jill Humphrey weighed in “The
course was long and we went up and
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He bucked and spun, and snorted fire, and threw me through a fence.
I saw big stars and there are teeth that I ain’t heard from since.
down the arena several times. We
don’t usually see a course this big, this
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My wife came home and saw me, just a lying in the dirt,
she rushed up to her HORSE and asked him, “Sweetheart are you HURT?”
Top to Bottm: Jill Humphrey enjoys the victory
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He’d scratched his nose a little bit, and the memory galls me yet,
gallop. Morley Abby and Megan Edrick
she left me lying in the mud, and ran to call the VET!!!
Photos copyright Kathy Hobstetter
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