The support team of Phoenix Farm was on display at the Galway Downs Internationals Horse Trials on March 28-30 in Temecula, CA. Associate Trainer John Michael Durr came home with two ribbons. He finished third on Phoenix Farm homebred Phoenix Secret in the competitive Open Intermediate division, and he was 5th in the Open Preliminary division on his own Ballingowan Miller.
"Both of the boys were fantastic this weekend," he said. "They are both really coming in to their own, and I feel like my relationship with both of them is getting stronger and stronger."
Barn manager Alandra Halem contested the Senior Novice division for the first time, and finished 6th on her own Breakfast of Champions. She was thrilled with her strong cross-country performance on "Wheaties," a Connemara cross purchased from Phoenix Farms.
Ram Tap Yields Top Ribbons For Phoenix Farm Horses
Seeker, a 4-year-old Thoroughbred-cross, was the star of the Phoenix Farm contingent at the Ram Tap Horse Trials in Fresno on Feb. 15-17. The bay gelding won the dressage phase (36.0) and added no additional penalties to win the open beginner novice division by 9 points.
Ram Tap was Seeker’s first start in a USEA-recognized event. His only prior competitive experience was the Twin Rivers Farm Combined Test in mid-January, where he placed second in the dressage and finished fourth overall after lowering one show jumping rail.
John Strassburger, co-owner and co-trainer at Phoenix Farm, rode Seeker in both events. His sister, Karin Strassburger, bred Seeker at her Duck Hollow Farm in Vershire, Vt. He’s by the late Anglo-Arab sire Quartermaster and out of the Canadian draft-cross Calypso. His yearling half-sister, Sparrow (by the Thoroughbred stallion Reputed Testamony), is still in Vermont and will arrive at Phoenix Farm in April.
“It was a tremendously rewarding moment, especially since I was the first person to sit on him,” said John. “I was especially pleased that he was ready and eager to go to work on all three days and that he felt as if he was really understanding the competition. He’s going to be a fabulous horse for someone—you really can do anything with him.”
John noted that he felt a similar sense of accomplishment last year with Winter’s Fable, a Thoroughbred gelding his sister also bred. John was the first person to ride “Fable” and rode him in all four of the events he ran in 2007 at age 4, jumping faultless cross-country rounds in each. Phoenix Farm sold Fable to Claire O’Connell in November, and she’s now successfully competing him at novice level. (Update: Claire and Fable took 5th place in their first recognized event at Twin Rivers in the Junior Novice.)
Phoenix Farm co-owner and co–trainer Heather Bailey, barn manager Alandra Halem and associate trainer John Michael Durr have all worked with Seeker too. “What we do with the horses here is very much a team effort,” said John.
To prove it, John Michael earned third place in the open intermediate division on Phoenix Secret, 10, a Phoenix Farm homebred (by Class Secret, a son of the legendary Secretariat, and out of Native Monarch). It was the pair’s first intermediate start together and “Shawn’s” first intermediate start since April 2006. Shawn won the dressage phase, jumped clean on cross-country (with 1.2 time penalties) to hold on to the lead, and then lowered two show jumping rails to fall to third place.
John Michael, 20, is aiming Shawn for the Twin Rivers CCI** in April and then for a spot on the Area VI team at the North American Young Riders Championships at the Colorado Horse Park in late July.
“We had a fantastic cross-country trip!” said John Michael, “and next time I hope we’ll leave all the rails up.”
John Michael also rode the 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare Allegra [link] to third place in the extremely competitive open novice division. Like Seeker, Allegra, bred by owner Marsha Hayden, was also competing in her first USEA-recognized competition.
“Man, did she feel fabulous! I wish I could keep her for myself!” said John Michael.
Update: On the strength of their performances at Ram Tap, both Seeker and Allegra found new homes. See our Sale Page for more information.
(Below) Seeker, Allegra, and Phoenix Secret Strut Their
Stuff at Ram Tap.
Three
Phoenix Farm Horses Earn Ribbons In Woodside
Event
Associate
trainer John Michael Durr and trainer John Strassburger
rode Phoenix Farm horses to two second-placed ribbons and a
third-placed ribbon at the Woodside Summer Horse Trials on
Aug. 10-13.
John Michael claimed his prizes in two different open
preliminary divisions, riding his own Ballingowan Miller to
the red ribbon in division A and Phoenix Secret to the red
ribbon in division B. John Michael has now scored two
victories and a second in his first three starts with
“Miller,” having won at Shepherd Ranch in June and Galway
Downs in July. But Woodside was “Shawn’s” first start in a
horse trial since April 2006. Sharon White, John and
Heather’s former trainer, had competed Shawn, a Phoenix
Farm homebred, through the intermediate level, but when
Shawn was injured just before they moved from Virginia to
California in June 2006, they brought him with them. John
Michael began riding Shawn in April, following a 12-month
break.
“We’re so glad John Michael and Shawn get along well, and
it was so much fun to see him going cross-country again,”
said Heather. “Shawn was a little surprised by the size of
the first couple of fences, but then you could see how
happy he was to be doing it again.”
John Michael is aiming Miller for the CCI** at Galway Downs
in November and Shawn for the long-format CCI* there.
Winter’s Fable
proved his credentials as a rising star in eventing by
claiming third in open novice A. Fable, 4, was bred by
John’s sister, Karin, in Vermont, and John and Heather
started him last summer. This was Fable’s third horse
trial—and he now has a perfect record on cross-country,
with a clear round in his first beginner novice (Ram Tap in
April) and two clear rounds at novice (the first was at the
Woodside May event). Fable’s dressage score has improved by
13 points since the Woodside May event, which started him
in sixth place (scoring 36.6) this time. His fabulous
jumping rounds moved him up three places in the extremely
competitive division.
“Riding Fable is especially rewarding since I was the first
person to sit on him and the only person to compete him,”
said John. “He’s just a joy to ride around a cross-country
course or just across the countryside, because he just
loves it. And I’m ecstatic at how much his dressage has
improved as he’s gotten stronger and more mature.”
In addition to their ribbons, the Phoenix Farm horses came
home with a saddlebag’s worth of prizes. Miller and Shawn
each collected $300 in prize money, plus a banana-flavored
Lick-It and a $75 gift certificate from Toklat. Fable won a
lovely leather halter.
Master
Merlin And Flyboy Freddy Earn Good Scores In Woodside
Dressage
PF
trainers Heather Bailey and John Strassburger competed two
horses in the Dressage At Woodside show on July 12-14.
Heather rode Rosanne Johnson’s Flyboy Freddy, who’s been
competing at novice level in eventing, to one second, one
third and one fourth in training level classes, and John
rode Master Merlin, who’s competed at the intermediate
level for the last two years, to two seconds and two thirds
at second level.
“Freddy,” who’s been in training at Phoenix Farm since late
February, earned his best score (67.60%) in a highly
competitive test 3 class, placing fourth. Freddy, a
6-year-old U.S.-bred Hanoverian gelding, also earned 66.7
percent in test 2, placing second. The highlight of each of
his performances was his relaxed, fluid and steady way of
going, highlighting his powerful trot. Judge Jacqueline
Oldham gave him an 8 for his gaits in test 3.
“I was ecstatic with how well Freddy went, especially since
this was his first dressage show and only the fourth
competition he’s ever done in his entire life,” said
Heather. “He’s such a steady, honest and generous horse,
and that’s exactly how he went in all four tests. He went
just as well at the show as he does at home, and—especially
with a young horse—you can’t ask for more than that.”
John also thought “Merlin,” his 13-year-old Thoroughbred
gelding, had performed with the professional attitude
that’s always been the horse’s hallmark. “He did everything
he knows how to do, even though by the last class he’d had
about enough of dressage for awhile. I even walked him
around the cross-country field to refresh him mentally
before the last class!
“I certainly agreed with the judges’ comments that we need
more collection and engagement to improve our scores,”
added John. “I went to Woodside to get more practice doing
the test movements in competition, and it was very good
experience.”
Merlin received his best score in test 1, where he reached
64.21 percent, but he also scored 62.70 percent in test 2
and 62.32 percent in test 3. Judge Jacqueline Oldham
commented on one test sheet, “This horse glows with
condition—he’s beautiful!”
Congratulations
on double victory for PF Associate Trainer John Michael
Durr!
Phoenix
Farm would like to congratulate John Michael Durr and new
mount Ballingowan Miller on their back to back victories in
the Open Preliminary divisions at Shepherd Ranch by an
impressive 19 points, and Galway Downs Summer Horse Trials!
These are the first competitive outings for JM and "Miller"
and we look forward to their future successes.
Congratulations to PF client Ambar Arabians!
Phoenix
Farm would like to extend congratulations to Ambar Arabians
and Jean Marie Diaz. Her 2-year-old filly ADA Intuition
(aka"Poppy")was brought to PF farm for training on the
triangle in late April, and in May she took first in the
Arabian Sport Horse Mares in Hand (2 year olds), and
Reserve Junior Champion, Arabian Sport Horse Mares in Hand
at the Pacific Coast Arabian SPort Horse Classic. She
followed up this impressive performance by placing 4th in
the Arabian Sport Horse Mares in Hand (all ages) class at
the Pacific Slope Championships on Father's Day (handled by
PF trainer John Strassburger). These impressive showings
have qualified Poppy for the Arabian Sport Horse national
Championships. Yay for Ambar and Poppy!
More babies for Phoenix Farm!
All
of our babies for 2007 have arrived please check our
Breeding Program page
and our
Nigerian Dwarf Goat page
to view the new arrivals.
John Michael Durr Joins the PF Team.
Top
Area VI Young Rider John Michael Durr has joined Phoenix
Farm as an Associate Trainer. Heather was JM's first riding
instructor 15 years ago, and they are thrilled to be
working together again. We look forward to JM's expertise
in not just the eventing, but also hunter-jumper worlds. He
will bring a new level of excellence to PF operations.
It's a boy! First PF Farm foal of 2007 arrives.
At
2:00am on March 11, 2007, PF farm welcomed Phoenix Bongo to
the world. Our maiden mare Lizzie's Hero had a textbook
delivery of her Carlow Clover son, however, it became clear
the foal had contracted tendons in front. He spent five
days under the care of the excellent staff at Pioneer
Equine Hospital, and is now home and is expected to make a
100% recovery. Thanks to Dr. Scoggins, and Dr. Armentrout
at Pioneer for their care of Bongo and Lizzie!
First babies of 2007 arrive!
Our
Nigerian Dwarf Goat doe Cloudy gave birth to a beautiful,
healthy pair of twins on 2/28/07. The black and white buck
kid has been named Alvin. The fawn and white doe kid has
been named Corona. Congratulations to Kim Hatcher on the
purchase of Corona. Congratulations to Linda Schaap on the
purchase of Alvin. We have additional goats kids expected
in April!
John Strassburger wins USEA award
Phoenix
Farm trainer John Strassburger was 3rd in the country in
the Intermediate Master Amateur category for the United
States Eventing Association's yeard end awards.
Congratualtions!
Native Monarch 1986-2006
Phoenix
Farm is sad to report the passing of our flagship
broodmare, Native Monarch at the age of 20. "Ariel" (aka
the Queen Bee) came in to John's life 14 years ago, after
winning her final start at the race track on a fractured
cannon bone. John rehabbed her, and then raced her over
timber and hurdles, before eventing her through the
training level and foxhunting her. She is the mother of our
first homebred, Phoenix Secret, who has become a top ribbon
winner at the Intermediate level. We know Ariel is proud of
her son, and his heart and talent and keen expression will
remind us every day of our grand old lady. She has lived
for the past six years at Duck Hollow Farm, with John's
sister Karen and Kathy Marshall. Kathy has been competing
Ariel these last eventing seasons in Area I, and we thank
them for their excellent care, love and stewardship of her.
RIP Quartermaster
Photo
Courtesy of Starstruck Farms
Phoenix Farm is sad to report the passing of the stallion
Quartermaster on September 11, 2006 at the age of 22. This
handsome Anglo-Arab stallion is the sire out countless
performers in the eventing,hunter-jumper, endurance and
Arab worlds, and is the sire of two of Phoenix Farm's
youngsters--Cruiser and Seeker. He competed through the
intermediate level of eventing, and was still competing at
the preliminary level with a young rider at the age of 19.
His sire, Yankee Lad, was the sire of the 1984 Olympic Show
Jumping gold medalist, Touch Of Class. His world class
pedigree, temperament, and ability will be sorely missed.
Our condolences to his long-time companion Terry on the
loss of his very special friend. To learn more about
Quartermaster, click
here.