TINKATOO WINS USEF CCI* NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! (2006)

What an amazing season we have had here at Suwannee Farms!

Tinkatoo placed in every event he was entered this season including a CIC**, the American Eventing Championships and finished the season by winning the CCI* Championship in Kentucky. I had hoped to compete him at Radnor CCI** but after a VERY disappointing dressage score left him way down in the pack we decided to save him for another day. Since our less experienced horse was headed to Kentucky the next weekend for the CCI* I decided to enter Tinks instead of leaving him three day fit and sitting in the stall. I expected that he would do well but it was a true thrill to have my first big win. He is truly incredible and I am so lucky to have him. He has done two Intermediates, 1 CIC**, 1 Preliminary Championships, and a CCI* this season with zero cross-country jump penalties and one rail down the whole season. What a star!!!! He will be having a rest for a bit and then we will have our first advanced run in February. I cannot wait!

Dutch Twist (Oliver) has been a star as well. He also placed in all his events including his first Intermediate run and a great fourth place Finish in the Debroke Championship in the AEC's. He did well at the CCI* in KY despite having a hard slip off the Lexington Bank which caused us to have an unfortunate 20 penalties there. He recovered fine and jumped around in great form with a good qualifying score for the CCI** next year.

My superstar young horse Sylvester Z was sold to my good friend Jill Henneberg this fall. She is having a great time producing him and they should be a force to reckon with in 2007.

Our tireless working student Ammanda Allain has also had a very good season. She has been upgraded to assistant barn manager and besides doing a fabulous job running the barn while we have been on the road she has been working hard on building a good relationship with her new ride Class Charmer. She has had some learning to do on him at Preliminary Level and despite some bumps in the road has had some good placings. She finished her season with a win at Training level on him and I expect with two more months to train they will be ready to clean up in the JYOP in the spring. Her hard work is definitely starting to be rewarded!

I am putting together a year recap with results from horses sold as well as results from our students. It will be a long one as there is a huge list of former SFI horses out there winning and doing well. I am hoping to get pictures as well so if anyone out there has pictures of a horse they bought from us they would like to post we would love to have them.

Keep checking back. Now that the season is done I will be doing some major updates on the website and there is lots of news!!!

Kick ON!

~ Ruthie