Thanks, Barbie for your post.
Whew! Our heads are still in the clouds! As I post, Dan is still enroute home with Ricky Wardlaw of Cygnet Farms and his father, Dick Wardlaw. They left soon after Bull's stakes class finished.
First, I would like to thank Ricky Wardlaw for the awesome job he did training Bull. After Nationals last year, Dan and I decided to have Bull trained to drive by Ricky. He spent four months at Cygnet Farm and then came home in February of this year. Dan worked so hard and was so determined to achieve this goal, even after some discouraging placings at the Perry and Fletcher shows, and then again at Nationals in the open and amateur classes. Here's where all the encouragement and pep talks from Gayle Ray of Silver Meadows kept our chins up and we did not give up..... she and Ricky told us Bull would do fine in a class in his height group, as he was getting lost in the crowd with the taller horses in the open and amateur classes.
Boy, were they right! After being trained to drive LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, Bull placed 3rd in the 30" and Under Open Country Pleasure class and then last night he was crowned the RESERVE NATIONAL CHAMPION of the 30" and Under Country Pleasure Driving Stakes. He was exhibited by the beautiful and talented Amanda Ray O'Cull, daughter of Gayle and Richard Ray of Silver Meadows Training Center in Florida. I was able to watch the class here at the office right after DJ's football game, which went into overtime and got finished (DJ's team won!!!) just minutes before the class started. I think Barbie must be deaf because of my scream when he got Reserve! Dan and I cried tears of joy over the phone when he called me right after the class.
Below are pictures of Dan driving Bull in versatility and of Amanda driving him in the 30" and under open class. Thank you everyone for all your encouragement and faith with Bull! We are overwhelmed with happiness, as our dream came true last night!
