Ashley Sager of Massachussetts
Ashley arrived to Team CEO with her young TB gelding Paddy, having recently moved up to the novice level. Ashley is an incredibly hard worker (with a great bit of northern whit) :) and very dedicated to everything she does. This has really paid off for her, as she and Paddy have shown dramatic improvements since their arrival in March 2008. Their hard work has earned them a moveup to Training in May, then a moveup to Preliminary in August, as this pair is becoming incredibly unstoppable. Ashley also had the opportunity to ride Team CEO's The Sandpiper at Novice and Training. In her first HT with Team CEO, she finished 6th on Paddy at Novice, finishing on her dressage score! She finished 7th on The Sandpiper in the same event at Novice, just 4 faults off of her dressage score. What an impressive weekend! Next, Ashley and Paddy moved up to Training Level, scoring a hugely improved 39 in dressage and finishing on their dressage score!! They finished in 3rd place in their first ever Training Level HT!!!! On August 1, 2008, Ashley and Paddy successfully moved up to the Preliminary Level by WINNING their first time in the upper levels! They scored a win at Pennyoaks HT in the Preliminary Rider division, winning by a 5 point lead!! They continued their success with an excellent Preliminary run at Kentucky Classic HT, where they show jumped double clean and finished xc with only 2.4 time faults, one of the fastest rounds of the day, ribboning in 8th! Ashley returned hom in September 2008 to her finance job in Boston, and we will miss her dearly, but she will always be a part of Team CEO! And since her return home, she scored in the 30's again at UNH HT at Preliminary, double clean in show jumping to finish an impressive 4th place! This is a very impressive pair for the future.
Jacquie Cunningham of Michigan
Jacquie arrived at Team CEO Eventing on July 4, 2008, and has jumped in headfirst into her working student position... Jacquie admitted to us that she’s been struggling with her novices at home with her horse BJ. Jacquie is a hard worker with a great attitude, and my favorite attribute for her is that she will try anything I ask of her... Upon her arrival, we had only two weeks to prepare her for Novice at Champagne Run HT, a notoriously challenging event. Jacquie did a brilliant job of diving into the task and working on everything I could ever ask of her, and being a wonderful student. After only 2 weeks of lessons, Jacquie conquered Champagne Run with style and poise.... And did a bit more than just her goal of "completing"!! Her dressage test was GORGEOUS and scored a 33!!! Then she jumped a beautiful, forward clear round in show jumping… Now the pressure was really on! Just 3 points out of the lead, Jacquie held it together to tackle the very challenging XC course and jumped clean! She finished on her dressage score of 33 in a very impressive result in a division of 23 horses… WITH A 4th PLACE FINISH! We are thrilled for Jacquie's excellent result at one of the biggest HT's in the country by number of starters, and continue to look forward to great things for she and BJ.
Jane Papke of Illinois
We are honored to have had Jane join us for Summer 2008, and hope to have her back for Summer 2009 in between her semesters of college. Jane comes to us from a background in Jumpers, having never evented. Surprise! She took the experienced Team CEO horse The Aristocrat out at Novice at May Daze HT for her first event, and had a terrific weekend! She jumped clean on XC and double clean in Show Jumping! Jane is a talented, empathetic rider who brings out the best in the horses she rides with her excellent patience and logic. She debuted the Team CEO stallion Nightfall in his first horse trial, as well as our trakehner gelding Sommolier. Everyone loves Jane for her quick-witted jokes and good horse sense. On June 7, Jane got the opportunity to jump 4' for the first time with The Sandpiper, and they were amazing! Jane has been a very special addition this summer... With hard work and dedication and a great interest in learning what we have to teach her, she made quite an impact on the eventing world.... While competing at her very first HT in May, she skipped Beg Novice and went right to Novice, where she and The Aristocrat were very successful!! At her second event, she successfully moved up to Training! Champagne Run was her 2nd training, and they were absolute stars here... Their dressage test left me crying from pride for all of her hard work, and her XC round was the prettiest hunter round you could ever imagine. They jumped brilliantly in SJ with just one single rail to finish 9th in a big division and I couldn't have been more proud. For those who know her, Jane will always be known as "Little Spoon." Jane has been an enthusiastic, positive, giddy addition to our team, and we absolutely adored every minute she spent with us.
Samantha Musante of Pennsylvania
Samantha arrived with her palomino Lucky competing at the Beginner Novice Level. Just 6 weeks after their arrival, Sam moved up to the Novice leve on one of our Team CEO horses, The Aristocrat. She also successfully developed and produced Probable Cause, a 5yo Oldenburg gelding, from greenbroke to the Beginner Novice Level as her project horse. Sam is more than just a very talented young rider... She is the life of the party, and always the first one to giggle and enjoy life. Her hard work during her 10 week program with Team CEO paid off, as she scored a 2nd place finish in Lucky's first novice upon their return home!!!! Sam wrote on 6/7/08: "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!! Words cannot describe the improvement of Lucky's dressage and overall natureunder tack since my WS position with you. We were rewarded today with a 37 in dressage with 8 "7's" and main comments being "Beautiful changes of bend, and very well balanced, great pair!" Quite a difference from the stiff and unwilling to bend horse that I started with. He also loped around SJ and XC with just 1.6 time penalties for a 2nd place finish out of 17 starts in the Jr./YR Open Novice Division, earning a full qualifacation for AEC's in September. Wow, I could not have done this without you, Thanks soooomuch for a once in a life time oppurtunity to work with you and everyone at Team CEO. A price cannot be put on the knowledge I have gained while in KY. =) Thanks again! Sam" Sam was an incredibly upbeat, positive, enthusiastic addition to our team, and we absolutely adore her. (UPDATE: Sam and Lucky are now eventing at the Training Level!)
Belinda McCredie of Australia
Belinda comes to us all the way from Australia, where she was developed as a dressage rider. We are thrilled that she has decided to try her hand in eventing with us! She began with Team CEO on 3/14/08, and rode in her very first Horse Trial on 4/12/08... She and Team CEO's Mood Indigo had a stellar weekend, finishing on their dressage score of 41 to finish a fabulous 5th place! Belinda has been a wonderful addition to CEO, and we especially enjoy her enthusiasm and Aussie humor! She is delightfully laid back and easy going. She and Jiminey Cricket (her project horse) jumped double clean in their first BN CT together at Paul Frazier in April, and he promptly sold to a fabulous home. Belinda has taken to eventing incredibly quickly, and was all beaming smiles at her first horse trial... I think it is fair to say that she is now hooked on eventing!!! She successfully competed Au Contraire at the Novice Level!!! Belinda has now returned to her homeplace of Australia, but is hooked on eventing!!
Kathleen Landwehr of Ohio
Kathleen and Monty arrived with a very respectable goal of completing a BN horse trial. Kathleen is always noted for being upbeat and positive and enthusiastic, and we love her cheerfullness and zest for life. Kathleen's project horse was Missed a Spot, whom she evented BN & Novice CT. This little pony quickly learned to adore eventing under Kathleen's loving watch, and the pair developed a great bond! Missed a Spot was sold to Hannah Goodwin as her first eventing pony, and the pair has been very successful together! Kathleen continued her success with Monty as they moved up and up the levels. Her working student program was earmarked by her WIN in her first ever Training HT on her dressage score in the 30's. Congratulations to Kathleen and Monty on an amazing summer and a job well done!
Stephanie James of Alabama
Stephanie and Jelly are an awesome pair... Stephanie is a true southern girl, and an absolutely sunny young lady. Stephanie will always be known as "The Sockmaster" to all who loved her! She was the first to tame Nemo's big stockings, and she was there at Nemo's second horse trial ever when he was much more of a gangly fish than the Advanced level horse he is today! Stephanie and Jelly completed their summer goals with a ribbon at Novice at Lost Hounds HT in Pennsylvania. Stephanie continued to graduate from Auburn University and today is a successful professional groom for several Advanced level event riders in the south. She will always be an icon at Team CEO, and we have very fond memories.
