Happy New Year! We have a blog!

No seriously, we do. And I'm going to keep it updated. That's my resolution!

This is meant to serve in conjunction with the new TWF website as a public space where we can update the awesomeness that is us at horse shows for the people that aren't there, the goings on at TWF North for those that have traveled south for the winter and to post those random funny things that happen to save for posterity. While the website is being built I figured that today was the perfect day to hit the ground running.

2009 was an interesting year for us. Billy's babies, Tess and Annie, did a lot of growing up in and out of the show ring. Both horses pinned at HITS Ocala and Vermont and Annie was the CDH/JC Low Jumper Year End Champion. Fortunately for those of us that have stayed behind in NY, Tess is in Florida now and none of us have to be horrified by her stall until she comes home in May. From what I've been told, Annie marked her return to Florida with the athleticism and spirit that she is known for... I look forward to the stories of her rediscovering the joy of fireants and will post them when they get passed along to me.

Stacey and Jack had another great year spending part of the winter at HITs and competing in the Adult Olympics in Vermont jumping the equivalent of small buildings. Umm, yeah.. the adult highs are HIGH!

Jaime had a good time at Vermont, both in and out of the ring. Highlights for her, if I may put words in her mouth, were 1) not vomiting in the ring 2) not vomiting anywhere else and 3) that feeling, however fleeting, that everything at that particular moment is going right. Other personal horsey highlights include working at home with Charleyhorse, future local hunter star.

Ahh Glory-Anne and Jen... the bright stars in the puddle jumper ring at the annual horse show. Even with the insane thunderstorm, mutant wasps, and fist sized horse flies, this ranks as one of the best away shows all year because you guys were there. Ollie being all proud and spiffed up, Otis being the little engine that could, and Smushie remembering she can step up to the plate and knock it out of the park... love it. If there isn't more of this in 2010 you're both out of the will.

Then there was Roz and I. Who would have thought this would have worked? Who would have thought I'd ever jump a real 3'6 course?? I have so many great moments from 2009 that I could put down: my first classic, that first ride when it was "official", High Jump 2.0... It all still blows my mind. Three cheers for big, red, itchy, idiosyncratic humpbacks. Also- vodkapops. Three cheers for them. Not really related to Roz, but yeah. Go vodkapops.

2009 wasn't all wine and roses, though. We lost Channy B, Racoon kitty and Johnny Cat. Fuzzy Lumpies was lost, found and is currently chugging away on 3 engines and it appears Rafter kitty has gone on to the big sleep as well. We'll all miss his deaf howls and how he used to poop solely on Jaime from the rafters.

My predictions for 2010 are pretty, well... predictable. We'll continue to be awesome, funny and a generally attractive bunch. The horses that end up coming home from Florida will look like rockstars, Mudseason (aka Spring in the Northeast) will make us wish for the days when the ground was frozen, and the trend towards little dogs at the barn will culminate with Betsy purchasing a miniGolden she names Lola (Jimmy will call her #*%$!!!!).

So here's to us in 2010! Follow along, comment and enjoy.