For her last semester at Michigan State University, Ellen
spent six months in Northern Ireland taking courses at an Enniskillen college, including equitation, equine sports medi- cine and equine nutrition. Returning to the U.S. in 2006, she took a job in Fort Worth, Texas, at Curragh Equestrian Center as the head trainer/instructor.
Sir Oberon – Great Beginnings In October 2008, Ellen decided to strike out on her own
and started Pegasus Eventing, a teaching and training busi- ness. Only a month later she discovered Sir Oberon in an online classified ad; she went to see him the following day and knew as soon as she saw him that he was oozing with potential. Taking things slow, Ellen spent 2009 giving “Obie” lots of
mileage at Training Level, finishing the year with an eighth- place finish at the American Eventing Championships in Wadsworth, Illinois and also finishing the year as first place Adult Training Level Rider in the USEA National Standings. She moved him up to Preliminary for a season, then moved him right up to Intermediate. Obie con- tinued to develop in his training and fitness, and they competed in several two-stars in the spring of 2011, finishing eighth at Pop- lar CIC2* and sixth at the Ocala CCI2*. “Obie is a puppy dog,” Ellen
says of her special partner as she ascends to the upper levels of eventing. “He is one of the sweet- est horses you will ever meet and an absolute dream to ride. He goes in a French link snaffle in all three phases; he’s very steady and relaxed on the flat, is super ad- justable jumping and doesn’t like to touch rails, and he is a machine cross-country!” Like many talented cross-country horses, Ellen says Obie is
While his trot work is his weakest link in the dressage
phase, Ellen says, “I think he just needs to continue to get stronger and straighter. I am hoping to be able to afford some mirrors in our indoor arena, as I think they will really help us improve the straightness and technical aspects of the dressage in preparation for Rolex.”
Sidelined by Injury Their plan to move up to Advanced in May of 2011 was cut
short when Obie suffered an injury that required time off to recuperate. “I was winning the CIC** at Greenwood in May 2011 when he slipped on the grass coming into the third fence on course,” says Ellen. “He jumped it with his front legs, but his hind end never left the ground. We plowed through the oxer, me being catapulted over his head bridle and all! I was em- barrassed and disappointed, especially since we were in the lead! I took him to the vet after that show because I knew something wasn’t right, and we found a mild strain in a hind suspen- sory ligament.” He was cleared to go back to
work after six weeks, but Ellen ended up giving him six months off during which she consolidated her finances to make sure Obie had all the latest therapeutic treatments, including Til- dren (an injectable drug developed in France) and shock wave therapy. She started him back on the Aqua- Tred, an underwater treadmill for horses, then began riding him again in the spring of 2012. The pair was competing again by the fall of 2012 and moved up to Advanced in the spring of 2013. While his leg healed nicely, Obie started the unusual condition of
Ellen and Sir Oberon win sixth place at their first 3 star CCI competition at Fair Hill International, October 2013.
not brave walking or trotting around the field. “He spooks at butterflies, cross-country jumps, trash cans, but if you point him at something to jump, he will jump it!” she says with a laugh. “I remember years ago when I was out with a bunch of my kids on a trail ride and we came up to a big black trash bag filled with leaves. Obie wouldn’t come within 30 feet of the bag, no way! I told my kids, ‘watch this,’ and I picked up a canter, pointed him at the ’skinny‘ and he popped over it with ease. When I brought him back to a walk he still wouldn’t go anywhere near it!” Ellen says one of Obie’s strengths is his canter work. “He has beautiful flying changes and a really super canter,” she says. “His adjustability and speed on the cross-country is in- credible, and he has a really great overall temperament.”
“headshaking” in January 2011 and Ellen has not been able to discern the cause. Unlike a normal head shaking
reaction to a fly or other disturbance, headshaking syndrome is more severe and persistent, similar to trigeminal neuralgia in humans, an issue with one of the cranial nerves. “It isn’t really shaking the head, it’s more like head flipping,”
she explains. “He acts like something is stinging his nose and suddenly flips it vertically.” Naturally, this is a hindrance to their training, not to mention uncomfortable to ride. “It is very frustrating, as I think it really affects our con-
centration in the dressage, but I have been working hard on being able to ride through it,” she says. From the judges, she says, “I usually get comments such as ‘unsteady in head’ or ‘unsteady in contact.’ I think it definitely affects our scores and our concentration. I’ve tried to train myself to be as quiet and soft as I can when it is going on and use my seat to main- tain the rhythm and tempo.”
Warmbloods Today 33
Mike McNally
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