Still Alive in the USA..AND...Cudo gets to meet and be trained by William Fox-Pitt soon!!!!

[BunnyDog]

Hi Everyone....

It's been a while.

For the VERY short version here you go:

My trainer since 1994 died of Pancreatic cancer in February of 2023. A few weeks before that my dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer at the same age that Jimmy (my trainer) was diagnosed.

As a result I took all of last year off to be there for my dad. Right around mid-August when all was very positive I started riding a little. On September 4th I tripped in my living room over my recliner part of my couch and did a partial tear of my rotator cuff and labrum.

So that took my riding all the way out of 99% of 2023.

In December I was one of a group of people trying to get William to come clinic with us in Pennsylvania when he comes across the pond to teach the bigger name folks in Aiken and Ocala. We were successful in getting him to agree to come, so I have a clinic over 2 days with him on March 5th and 6th.

I took Cudo back to Phillip Dutton's home barn (Where he lived when he first arrived in the USA 6 years ago) and we have been steadily getting ready and using the indoor each night to knock off as much rust and possible.

Just for a "proof of life" picture, see the attached for Cudo's overly typical reaction to being allowed to jump again after time off!!!



My shoulders are not 100% but not so bad off either. Cudo has been positively gleeful at jumping and belies his age every moment of every ride. (He'll be 17 this April!!! )

Freshly clipped after being allowed to grow all the Yak length hair this winter

So there you have it. We're alive... kicking on, and will be riding with WFP soon.

Hope you're all well!!

Em

 

[EventingMum]

Sorry to hear about your woes however Cudo looks fab!

 

[Meredith]

Sorry about your sad times but glad to hear from you and Cudo again

 

[BunnyDog]

@Meredith & @EventingMum Thank you very much. Cudo is a perpetual star and having the motivation and desire back to ride him is something that I am so thankful and appreciative of. It was some pretty depressing times last year and I would nip out to groom him or just watch him graze in the fields. He and Chad decided for about 5 months to create their own entertainment by having "Shenanigans" (aka leaping, bucking and playing) when I would turn them out or come spend time near their pasture. Very grateful for the equine sense of humor in those moments.

My dad is doing great, and will get CT scans every 3 months for the rest of his life, but so far, so good. He's 76 now and will be 77 in June. This is his 3rd cancer and the fact that he's still here is a huge blessing.

Em

It's not the greatest pic but us enjoying an (American) football game on New year's eve.

 

[j1ffy]

It's lovely to see you back on the forum Em! So sorry to hear you had a difficult year but equally very happy to see your Dad is going well.

Cudo looks very well and fit! I hope we can look forward to a full report from the WFP clinic..?

 

[BunnyDog]

It's lovely to see you back on the forum Em! So sorry to hear you had a difficult year but equally very happy to see your Dad is going well.

Cudo looks very well and fit! I hope we can look forward to a full report from the WFP clinic..?

Absolutely will get a clinic report with video. Fair warning, given his age and time off I have talked to a friend about possibly filling my second day spot. I just have an ounce of hesitation about jumping my coming 17 yr old superstar 2 days in a row, if William's style is to do quite a lot of jumps. I've got other reporting back that this isn't the norm for him, but just wanted a bit of a safety net since the goals for 2024 are to do many things... and being a good steward for my horse is important to me. So if only doing 1 day is best, I will still go watch day 2, but may elect to leave Cudo to just one day of the clinic. We'll see how he comes through day 1.

I will say I did a fitness check ride last night and that boy did a total (2 - 3' canters; 1 10' minute trot) and couldn't blow out a match. His fitness is in a solid place given the time off and more importantly, he is so happy every ride. No nappiness and moving very freely. He had a recent Chiro and PEMF session and got his teeth done and hind shoes back on and he feels amazing. I honestly can't wait.

Em

 

[splashgirl45]

Lovely to see you back on him after such a horrible year , your dad looks good and hope he stays well. I’m looking forward to your report on the clinic with WFP…

 

[Bernster]

Thx for the update. Sorry you had such a traumatic year though I really hope things improve.

 

[humblepie]

Lovely to see you back. Cudo looks very well. Sorry to hear you’ve had a difficult time. Lovely pic of you and your dad

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Great to see you back. Cudo looks fab. Hope your shoulder improves.

Can't wait to hear how you get on with WFP!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

So nice to see this update Em!

Cudo looks fantastic and I do hope you’ll update us again soon.

 

[Nicnac]

Good to see you back and both looking on fine form. Sorry to read you've had a tough time.

I love Big Willy. He is just amazing so have a fab time with him and looking forward to write up etc!

 

[Alibear]

Cudo is looking fantastic and it all sounds positive for the future. I really hope you enjoy the clinic, I do chuckle at you moving back to the USA only to do a clinic with a UK rider

 

[IrishMilo]

Great to see you back. Always enjoyed your reports and looking forward to the WFP update!

 

[onemoretime]

Hi Everyone....

It's been a while.

For the VERY short version here you go:

My trainer since 1994 died of Pancreatic cancer in February of 2023. A few weeks before that my dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer at the same age that Jimmy (my trainer) was diagnosed.

As a result I took all of last year off to be there for my dad. Right around mid-August when all was very positive I started riding a little. On September 4th I tripped in my living room over my recliner part of my couch and did a partial tear of my rotator cuff and labrum.

So that took my riding all the way out of 99% of 2023.

In December I was one of a group of people trying to get William to come clinic with us in Pennsylvania when he comes across the pond to teach the bigger name folks in Aiken and Ocala. We were successful in getting him to agree to come, so I have a clinic over 2 days with him on March 5th and 6th.

I took Cudo back to Phillip Dutton's home barn (Where he lived when he first arrived in the USA 6 years ago) and we have been steadily getting ready and using the indoor each night to knock off as much rust and possible.

Just for a "proof of life" picture, see the attached for Cudo's overly typical reaction to being allowed to jump again after time off!!!

View attachment 134548

My shoulders are not 100% but not so bad off either. Cudo has been positively gleeful at jumping and belies his age every moment of every ride. (He'll be 17 this April!!! )

Freshly clipped after being allowed to grow all the Yak length hair this winter

View attachment 134549So there you have it. We're alive... kicking on, and will be riding with WFP soon.

Hope you're all well!!

Em

Lovely pictures of your boy. Really very sorry to hear about your trainer and your dad. That is one hell of a lot to take on board. Hope you are healing well and can now kick on.

 

[BunnyDog]

Cudo is looking fantastic and it all sounds positive for the future. I really hope you enjoy the clinic, I do chuckle at you moving back to the USA only to do a clinic with a UK rider

No no. I have always lived in the USA. We relocated Cudo from the UK to here.

I think you're thinking of @SibeliusMB who moved from the USA to the UK.

Us Americans are easy to confuse with one another


Em

 

[Caski]

Penpals or an exchange programme I think @Michen is a key participant.

 

[BunnyDog]

Just as a quick add on, video from school today in the indoor where the clinic will be.

Spoiler alert: Cudo got fitter quicker than me!

Em

 

[Scoti1420]

He looks fantastic! Do you still have the big ginger lad and the OTTB?

 

[BunnyDog]

He looks fantastic! Do you still have the big ginger lad and the OTTB?

"Chad" my big ginger is alive and well and once we are MUCH warmer and less frozen will go back to work.

My OTTB, "English Lad" is alive and well but likely is a pasture puff. He's a neat horse but he's got some complications we have found in his body and ridden work, without investing 5 figures of vet work to try to solve a problem that might not be able to be fixed, seems unwise.

My palomino Max is also alive and mostly well. Though the Quarter Horse genes have shown up and his hind tendons are starting to fall, at age 19 this year. But he's still comfy at the moment.

Em

 

[EventingMum]

I don't know why but I hadn't realised you were in Pennsylvania! Is it quite horsey? Mr EM and I are over in April visiting my cousins in PA and NJ but sadly they aren't interested in horses at all.

 

[BunnyDog]

@EventingMum I live in Eventing Mecca. You can see all the local eventing barns in this area. I live where the Blue Star is.

Now.... I do not live in show jumping mecca. Which is what it is.

In my zip code are 2 current and many other Olympians:

Phillip Dutton - Current
Boyd Martin - Current
Bruce Davidson (Sr and Jr) - Current and Past (70's-90's for Sr)
Jane Sleeper - '88
Jessica & Missy Ransenhousen (Dressage and Eventing, Jessica is now an international Judge)

That's just in sport horse world. We also have quite a number of steeplechasing bases and race meetings in this area as well.

Em

 

[EventingMum]

What a great place to live!

 

[j1ffy]

I wasn't far from you on a work trip in December! In fact I left my laptop charger in Newark - maybe you could pick it up for me

 

[BunnyDog]

I wasn't far from you on a work trip in December! In fact I left my laptop charger in Newark - maybe you could pick it up for me

Newark, NJ or Newark, DE?

Em

 

[j1ffy]

Newark, NJ or Newark, DE?

Em

DE

 

[BunnyDog]

DE

Ooo that is very close.... WHY DIDN"T YOU CALL?? LOL

And sure I can get your charger back if someone has it.

Em

 

[j1ffy]

Ooo that is very close.... WHY DIDN"T YOU CALL?? LOL

And sure I can get your charger back if someone has it.

Em

If only I’d known! I could have done with a horsey fix…and without the Covid I came home with…!

(And no, I don’t need the charger back now but thanks for the offer!)

 

[silv]

How nice to see you back, I always enjoyed your posts from when you first started horse shopping and following your show reports etc. Good news for your dad too.

 

[BunnyDog]

Recap video from a couple moments from our lesson with our regular trainer today.

He did a great job and got a solid reminder about waiting and listening. Also nice to have him paying attention and not just deciding for himself. Not a bad thing at a show, but letting me have a say for a second was great.

Clinic starts for us Tuesday morning at 8:30am.

Em