Classic style three day Event, November 18-23, 2024
About Amira and Kristi
Amira
The Partnership
Kristi
Amira, or formally registered as Worthwhile One, is by Arabian stallion Aur Mystique, out of my Friesian Mare, Wiesje Fan Abbyview. I had tried breeding Wiesje twice to a Friesian stud but the shipments failed coming across the border - while I was still living in Canada. I wanted to know whether my mare was viable or not, so I chose one of my Vet's stallions that I liked and we tried live cover. Thankfully Wiesje caught on the first try and 11 months later along came Amira in April 2015. The hope was that she was born a small colt so that I would sell the foal and recoup some of my costs. However, after a rough labor, this stunning, large, dark bay filly came out. The rest is kind of history!
Amira grew up in mixed herds over the years, in a variety of settings, and with the help of my coach I started her under saddle. She had a slow start due to hock surgery as a 2yo to remove bone chips, and then moving from Western Canada to Florida. It wasn't really until her 6th year that she started to feel like a riding horse.
Kristi
The Partnership
Kristi
Kristi didn't actually try the sport of eventing until 2014 when her mare Wiesje was pregnant with Amira. She went to her first cross country schooling with her coach and was hooked. Sadly it would be another two years before she was able to try eventing again. Wiesje was a very thick, baroque style Friesian who shouldn't have been well suited to jumping, but had the heart for it. For three years they competed together in a variety of disciplines, but exceled in jumping and cross country.
When Amira started to work under saddle, Kristi took her to some low key eventing camps and clinics. Amira took to it easily and has since been the best cross country horse she has ridden. While Amira tends to have to work harder for a reasonable dressage score, and may drop a rail in stadium jumping, cross country tends to be a double clear for her!
Kristi firmly believes that fitness is the heart of a strong equine partner and uses cross training to improve this. While the Arabian side of Amira makes fitness easier, the Friesian side makes fitness an ongoing focus. Kristi takes all of her horses trail riding, out to play with obstacles, and focuses on proper body biomechanics. She also uses the nervous system to improve the horse, and is working through a nerve release course as well.
The Partnership
The Partnership
The Partnership
Amira and Kristi have been together since the day Amira was born in 2015, aside from an eight month span in 2020 due to covid travel restrictions.
Kristi has been the primary rider and trainer for Amira, but allows other riders to ride her at times. The sign of a well rounded horse is one who can competently navigate a three day event and then safely carry a beginner rider. During competition season, Kristi limits outside rides so that the partnership and communication can be at it's best.
Amira gets routine bodywork and vet work, as well as assistance from Kristi with nerve release. Kristi has found that routine chiropractic work and acupuncture for herself, as well as yoga, keeps her in top form.
It is not uncommon to see the pair riding in a neck rope as it has been clear that is Amira's preference. It is a great way to improve their communication and trust.
During competition season, especially leading up to a classic style three day event, fitness is achieved in the form of trot sets. Trot sets are one of the best ways to improve fitness in a horse and Kristi hauls out to a local spot with a kilometer stretch of maintained grass. Riding this stretch allows them to see how their fitness improves over a specific distance. This then applies to a cross country course, the longest phase of eventing.
01/14
The results from the 2024 Educational 3 Day
It was a busy week for the Educational 3 Day held at Florida Horse Park, and it was a chilly one! Leading up to the event, I wasn't sure if Amira would be able to compete as she came up with an unknown intermittent lameness in her hind end. With rounds of bodywork with two different practitioners, two weeks off, and some stretching she managed to be sound enough to compete!
Throughout the week there are practice rounds for the steeplechase and the dressage phases. Amira nailed the steeplechase as usual but was exceptionally frisky for dressage practice. Between the 2 weeks off leading up to the event and the frosty start to the morning, I had my hands full.
Through the week, when we competed in the dressage phase, we finished 13th with a score of 32.2. I was pleased with the score knowing it was not one of our best tests! In all the cross country phases of the long format, we went clear and moved up to 7th place in the Beginner Novice division. Unfortunately one rail down in Stadium Jumping pushed us back to 8th place overall.
I was so pleased overall that we managed to ride all the phases when I wasn't sure she would stay sound through the week! We finished the same placing as the year before so we knew where to improve going forward.
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