PrintWith a CIC*** win on her resume, she moves on to a new rider.
The thing about Lady Calido is, if she doesn’t like you, she’ll let you know.
She’s had a fruitful career with her fond owner and rider Robyn Fisher, who has won numerous events with her, including the Twin Rivers CIC*** in Paso Robles, Calif., Sept. 25-27.
But that was probably the last ride Fisher will have on the mare for a while, since Amy Tryon will be taking over the reins, aiming for a CCI*** next spring.
“She’s a quirky mare, and she picks people she likes. If she doesn’t like you as a rider, she won’t do anything. She actually gets offended,” said Fisher, 29, of Calabasas, Calif. “The mare was fantastic for Amy, and I knew then and there that it would work.”
Tryon has been helping Fisher with the bay Holsteiner, now 13, but has only ridden the horse herself twice.
“I have a lot of respect for Amy,” said Fisher. “She’s a brilliant horsewoman, and I’d send any one of my horses to her.”
Fisher discovered “Cali” as a broodmare five years ago and produced her to the advanced level in two years. But an injury at the end of 2006 required surgery and a long lay up. She was ready to compete a year later, but Fisher decided to try her in the jumpers instead of eventing her again.
“In 2008, there were so many accidents [in eventing], and I don’t want to say I got spooked, but I said, ‘I love this horse so much, and why would I do that?’ I wanted the sport to make some changes, and there are fewer accidents now,” said Fisher. “The organizers now make conscious efforts to make the tracks safer, and nothing is too tricky or trappy [on cross-country courses].”
While Cali competed to the 1.45-meter level in show jumping, Fisher didn’t think her mare’s heart was in the jumper ring. So she brought her back to eventing, winning the Galway Downs CCI* (Calif.) at the end of 2008.
“I said, ‘This is where she needs to be,’ ” recalled Fisher.
By April of 2009, Fisher was ready to compete Cali in a CCI** at Twin Rivers. But since her FEI qualifications had expired, she wasn’t eligible and was told she could run the advanced horse trials instead. She finished that event in fourth place and was back in business.
Since then, they’ve won the CIC** at Rebecca Farm (Mont.) before coming to Twin Rivers for the CIC***.
“I came back with no real expectations, just to get her back and enjoy it, because this is what she loves to do,” said Fisher.
Now she’s looking forward to enjoying Cali as an owner.
