The $75,000 Footing Authority World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix in Thermal, Calif., served as a great reassurance to Jill Henselwood and her ongoing faith in Callisto. The road has been a bit rocky for the pair, but on Feb. 11 at the HITS Desert Circuit, the 14-year-old Thoroughbred once again showed the speed and scope Henselwood saw in her three years ago.

Henselwood, Oxford Mills, Ont., had Olympic hopes for Callisto even though she admitted the mare wasn’t quite grand prix status when she first picked up her reins. But with the help of Ian Millar, Callisto’s talent began to blossom and the grand prix ribbons flowed. Alas, an unan-ticipated anomaly stopped the pair in their tracks.

“It was like a little black cloud followed her. Nothing serious, just little things,” explained Henselwood. First, Callisto developed an infection in her uterus. After Henselwood realized her horse’s discomfort and tried various approaches to quell the stress, it was decided to remove Callisto’s ovaries.

And it saved her. The infection disappeared and her flair eventually sparked again. “But this took months and months, and meanwhile, I’m sitting it out and rehabbing her,” Henselwood said. “Then we’d get cooking again, and another little thing would happen. I thought I was cursed!”

Progress halted again last spring when Henselwood gave Callisto to one of her top students, Kim Farlinger, whose horse was injured right after the HITS Desert Circuit (Calif.). “Otherwise, she was sitting on the bench,” said Henselwood. “I just couldn’t bear to see one of our top up-and-coming riders in Canada sit out.”

When Farlinger’s next up-and-comer turned 9 in the fall, Henselwood retrieved Callisto and showed her at the Pennsylvania National and Royal Winter Fair (Ont.). “So, this is my first grand prix win on her in maybe two years,” Henselwood said.

Though Henselwood said Callisto feels like an Olympic horse again, the course at Thermal was no walk in the park for anyone. In fact, no one left Anthony D’Ambrosio’s course truly faultless. The pair was among the 14 entries that missed the first round’s target time of 86 seconds. Those who did beat the clock dropped rails.

Still, Henselwood said D’Ambrosio is a brilliant course designer. “By evidence, it looked like [the time] was too tight, but he still got the right result. So maybe he’s practicing us toward [world competition], which is not a bad thing,” she noted.

So, a spirited three-way jump-off ensued between the one-faulters: Henselwood versus top West Coast World Cup-ranked Jill Humphrey versus second-seated Richard Spooner.

The second round did produce clean trips, but neither Spooner’s signature speed aboard Cristallo nor Humphrey’s precision on Kaskaya caught Henselwood aboard her speedy Thoroughbred. The pair clocked in at 37.86 seconds, while Spooner and Humphrey finished 1 and 1.5 seconds shy, respectively.

Henselwood and Callisto’s seamless cooperation in the ring belied a less than sociable start. She described her mare as “a character.” “But I’ve always liked her,” she added. “The trick was to get her to like me from the very beginning.

“I used to take a basket of carrots with me to her stall because she wouldn’t let me in. She’s very much like a tiger in her stall. I’ve never bribed a horse in my life until her,” added Henselwood with a laugh.

Henselwood recognizes the mare’s talents yet knows that at age 14 she’s limited in time. “She’s an Olympic horse with Olympic scope and she’s like lightning. I’m thrilled to have that kind of depth. Whatever she would like to give me I’ll be thrilled to have in terms of career. As for the rest, I’ve learned a lot of horsemanship by having her,” she said.

Despite Callisto’s blue ribbon, Henselwood didn’t gain much ground in the race for the World Cup. She named Special Ed as her World Cup mount, and he placed seventh. Henselwood is currently ranked 10th on Canada’s World Cup roster.

Spooner picked up some valuable points for his second-placed finish aboard Cristallo, especially since Humphrey’s third-placed finish wasn’t aboard her World Cup horse either. As of Feb. 13, Spooner overtook the top-rank with 98 points while Humphrey sat second with 94.

A Special Win For Spooner
On Friday, Feb. 9, Spooner threw his fist in the air and reached down to give his distinguished long-time partner, Robinson, some much-deserved scratches after winning the $30,000 Ariat Challenge. It was his 93rd career grand prix victory and Robinson’s 37th. But this one struck an emotional chord for Spooner and Robinson’s legion of fans.

The pair’s popularity, especially on the West Coast, is undeniable. They kindled a steadfast fan base 12 years ago when Spooner won his third grand prix at Pebble Beach (Calif.) aboard the now 19-year-old Hanoverian. As the striking gray nears a momentous benchmark, competitions have become more selective in his ripe age.

“I limit the grand prix [classes] that he does. I let him tell me when he wants to show and when he doesn’t want to show,” Spooner said. “But to leave him at home or to not compete is the last thing he wants. The happiest that horse ever is, is in the show ring.”

Spooner suspects Robinson’s official retirement will be at the end of this year. “Although, he looks so good I can’t say that for sure. He’s as happy as a pig in mud,” he added.

Robinson was all show and all go in the 53-entry class. With his signature hanging tongue, Robinson flew through a clean first round on a typically testing D’Ambrosio course.

“I think Tony did a good job,” Spooner said. “The time was just right where you had to push your horse but you didn’t need to race them off their feet.”

Of six jump-off returnees, only two left each fence intact. Amateur rider Laura Linback piloted Sampras through the deciding round in 43.55 seconds. Though her 10-year-old gelding lofted over every fence with room to spare, that may have cost her the precious seconds she needed to keep up with Robinson’s notorious speed.

“Laura is a great rider, and that horse is a phenomenal jumper,” said Spooner. But he knew Robinson could pull off 41 seconds at least. With a stadium full of audible support, Spooner gave Robinson an extra kick over the last oxer, and they soared in at 41.94 seconds.

“You know, he’s always there to give me a clear round, but, more importantly, he’s always there just to cheer you up. It just makes me happy to ride him,” said Spooner. “For him to be winning grand prix [classes] at 19, it’s just a testament to his strength. He loves what he does.”

A Perfect Match
There’s no question that Lesley Bulechek, 25, loves Vida Blue, and nobody could argue against pinning her as the amateur-owner hunter, 18-35, mid-circuit champion. And this honor set the week of Feb. 6-11 apart from the rest of the HITS Winter Circuit as it marked their one-year anniversary.

Trainer John French and Bulechek set out on a mission during the off week of last year’s Desert Circuit. “I had a horse I bought just before Indio last year who got hurt on the way down, so I had nothing to ride,” Bulechek remembered. “So we flew to Florida and looked at about 60 horses, but nothing really grabbed us. John heard about [Vida Blue] with a guy named Tony Font in Texas, so we changed our flight and stopped there coming home.”

Bulechek and French knew instantly after watching Vida Blue that she would be a perfect fit. “She’s been a dream. She’s the kind of horse anyone would die to ride, but I’m never going to sell her,” Bulechek said laughing.

They returned to Indio in time for Bulechek to win every adult amateur class she entered during week 5 and earn the championship in the second year green division with French in week 6. The elegant gray even took her show on the road, earning the amateur-owner, 18-35, reserve championship at Capital Challenge (Md.) and the grand amateur-owner championship at the Pennsylvania National.

Vida Blue also topped last year’s U.S. Equestrian Federation Zone 10 standings in the second year green and amateur owner, 18-35, divisions.

“John’s done an incredible job with her; he really knows how to pick a horse,” Bulechek concluded. “It was just such a quick desperate scramble and to come up with something like her–she ended up being more than anything we imagined.”

Earlier that week, French hopped off Vida Blue after piloting her to several regular conformation hunter ribbons at the Desert Circuit, handed the reins back to Bulechek and saddled another young stunner, Andiamo.

The flashy, 7-year-old Westphalian, owned by Gordon and Karen Leak of Sovereign Farms, earned the second year green hunter mid-circuit championship and regular working hunter championship for week 3. French started riding him a week before the circuit.

He found the gelding at the Lake St. Louis Horse Show (Mo.) just before Christmas and was instantly impressed. He convinced the Leaks to buy the horse sight unseen. “If you had to put your trust in anyone, John’s the one to trust,” said Gordon.

French explained, “It seems like everyone’s going to Europe now, and I thought maybe I could find some nice horses in the States somewhere.”

Gordon, who also shows Andiamo in the amateur divisions, described him as a genuine show horse. “He’s so soft and quiet he doesn’t even need to be longed much. He’s been a real pleasure to have in the family,” he said.

San Morino, 8, showed owner Ann Lindwall and rider Jack Hammond his true colors again this year with the first year green tricolor.

Those are familiar colors for this lively gelding who earned pre-green circuit honors with Hammond and the reserve circuit championship in the adult amateur, 36-45, division with Lindwall at last year’s Desert Circuit. Both seemed certain that San Morino’s style in the air keeps ribbons coming.

He can still be slightly spooky, Hammond said, “but once he settles into the ring it actually works to your advantage as he gives that little extra spark at the jump. He jumps with beautiful form, but also jumps with a lot of height–even at three-foot he did.”

Trainer Norah Ross remembered her words to Lindwall after seeing San Morino in Germany two years ago, “I told her he’s the best horse I’ve ever seen,” she recalled.

Friends Play And Win Together
One might say it was a walk in the park for Lynn Walsh’s 7-year-old Hanoverian, Mac-Arthur Park, to gallop away with the mid-circuit championship in the amateur-owner, 36 and over, division, while her 13-year-old warmblood, Ocean Park, earned reserve honors.

The two horses compete against each other in the show ring, but back at Walsh’s barn in Magnolia, Texas, it’s quite different. “They get turned out together and are really good friends,” she said. “They like to scratch each other’s backs.”

Trainer Peter Pletcher helped import MacArthur Park from Europe as a 4-year-old and rode him as a first year green hunter last year. The past two years MacArthur Park has impressed Walsh and judges with his quiet kindness and smooth movement. “He tries really hard and really enjoys what he does,” said Walsh.

Pletcher also helped train Ocean Park and developed him into the USEF Second Year Green Hunter Horse of the Year during the gelding’s sophomore show year. But that talent needed further development after Jimmy Torano first imported Ocean Park from Sweden five years ago.

“He actually didn’t jump fences that well when I first got him because he didn’t do a lot of jumping. He knew how to jump but didn’t know how to jump like a hunter. He was a dressage horse,” said Walsh. “But with time he just started getting better and better. Now we know each other really well.”

Walsh enjoys each horse for his uniqueness. “They’re so different, it’s like having two kids; you love them both for different reasons,” Walsh assured.

Lucy Davis also enjoyed her own two mounts at this year’s Desert Circuit, and one might say winning both younger junior hunter mid-circuit championships was like clockwork for the 2006 USEF West Coast Junior Hunter Finals winner. Indeed, her 9-year-old gelding Clockwork collected the small junior hunter, 15 and under, honors while her 13-year-old mare, Harmony, cleaned up in the large junior division.

Davis, 14, won the circuit championship for her performances aboard Macy Grey in medium pony division last year. This year, at a new venue and aboard much bigger “ponies,” Davis still felt right at home.

“I know my horses pretty well, and we’ve worked a lot since last year,” said Davis who trains with Archie Cox at Old Oak Farm. “Since Clockwork is a little bit younger, we’ve been working on getting him more experience and jumping. Harmony is pretty experienced already so we’ve really been working more on me connecting better with her.

“There’s a lot more to learn with horses,” she added. “There’s only so much you can do with a pony.”

One of Davis’ fellow Old Oak Farm riders, Lauren Fields, ended up snagging the week 3 tricolor in the small junior, 15 and under, division aboard Petrus.

She described the 13-year-old, warmblood gelding as “fun and smooth” now, but admitted some initial acclimation was needed. “When I first started riding him, I just had to be really calm with him and take my time,” said Fields, who started showing junior hunters last August. She picked up Petrus’ reins last May from Chelsea Wilkinson, another Old Oak Farm rider.

Subsequently, 13-year-old Hannah Goodson-Cutt swooped in with her new gray mare, Ceillia, to decisively earn the week’s large junior, 15 and under, championship. The pair wowed judges in three over fences classes and the under saddle, collecting four blue ribbons out of five.

She got the 10-year-old Hanoverian three months before the Desert Circuit started. “Her jump was amazing, and although she was slightly difficult, we knew we could fix her up a little bit,” said Goodson-Cutt who’s trained with Kate Considine for four years. “But she has such a sweet heart and really tries over every jump.”

And now, Goodson-Cutt said she’s easier to ride and very graceful. “She moves well and jumps well–everything that judges look for,” said Goodson-Cutt. “Obviously, there are always peaks and valleys, as my trainer says, but I think we’re going to be a very good match.”

A Quick Comeback
Watching the adult amateur, 18-35, mid-circuit champion Glenda Morris flow stylishly through the HITS Desert Circuit’s hunter rings in Thermal, Calif., you would never know that the 29-year-old rider, suffered a broken pelvis only four months ago; nor would one guess it to be her fifth time showing the 8-year-old Hanoverian, Balboa.

It was the first round of her first class at Capital Challenge (Md.) when Morris’ horse MacTier uncharacteristically bucked her off. The awkward landing fractured her pelvis and condemned her to bed for six weeks.

From her bed, Morris watched Balboa’s sale video and saw something special about the horse. So her trainer, Archie Cox, hopped the next flight to Atlanta, Ga., to confirm what she saw on the screen. “He called me and said, ‘You’re getting a new horse,’ ” Morris recalled.

Six weeks later, Morris laid her crutches aside and hobbled into Balboa’s saddle at the Los Angeles National Horse Show (Calif.) opener in November. “I just got on him and walked around a bit,” Morris said.

Her husband, Gary Morris, an orthopedic surgeon, was none too thrilled. “But it didn’t hurt and I felt really safe on him,” Morris added.

Sure enough, “Rocky” was everything she’d expected. “He’s an incredible mover, he’s very charming and kind, very enthusiastic and you can guarantee he enjoys doing his job,” said Morris who lives in Las Vegas, Nev.

Once a week, she flies from Vegas to Los Angeles to train with Cox. She commutes this distance because “Archie is so dedicated to what he does. You’ll find him up at 5 a.m. with a smile on his face, happy to be there and do his job,” Morris explained. “I think that reflects in the horses.”

It’s A Family Thing
Kels Bonham’s journey from Claremore, Okla., paid off as she found the right rhythm with her small junior hunter, Urlala, to claim HITS Desert Circuit (Calif.) mid-circuit honors in the 16-17 division.

Bonham, 16, trains her 6-year-old, Dutch Warmblood mare with her dad, Michael Bonham. “It’s kind of an advantage because I get to ride all the time. Sometimes it’s hard taking criticism from my parents, but I do learn a lot,” said Kels, whose family brought seven horses to the circuit this year. “It’s kind of a whole family thing, really. My mom [Heather] and dad train and my brother [Chester] helps out at the barn. We’re kind of doing this on our own.”

Urlala started two years ago in the baby green hunters and progressed through the pre-green hunters before she found her niche as a junior hunter.

“She’s really quiet and tries really hard,” said Bonham. Even when she first tried her in Europe, “she was actually the only one there I tried that I actually loved.”