The Winter Equestrian Festival concluded at the end of March, and Wellington, Fla., grew markedly quieter over the next month. Surprisingly, I didn’t pack a bag or a tack trunk in all of April.
For the first time in our personal history, Harris Hill has decided to make Florida our year-round base. Traditionally, we would have already relocated our operation to New York and would be showing at Old Salem this week, kicking off our spring and summer show schedule in the Northeast.
It feels a bit strange and bittersweet to still be in Florida, since my entire riding career, year after year, has pretty much followed the same schedule: after WEF it was always home to Old Salem, followed by other iconic shows like Fairfield (Conn.), Lake Placid (N.Y.), Vermont, and the Hampton Classic (N.Y.). Those shows and that part of the country in general will always remain dear to my heart, but we have challenged ourselves to try a totally new and different, yet exciting schedule.
Wellington has truly evolved into a destination for top hunter/jumper sport during the winter months. WEF feels like a barometer for the modern show horse; winning there gives you confidence that you can go on and be competitive pretty much anywhere in the country. Over the last few years in particular, our “Florida season” has gotten longer and longer. Last spring, we got home to New York just in time to prepare for Old Salem in May, and headed back south right after Harrisburg in mid October. This is completely different than the “Florida” I remember as a junior, when we would come down in January for an eight-week circuit.
Last fall, my fiancé and I bought our first home together in Wellington, thus embracing the lifestyle that Wellington offers and creating roots in the area. After weighing factors both practical and emotional all winter, we ultimately decided to officially call Wellington home full-time.
My main passion is developing special young hunters. Over the last year or so, I have worked to streamline my business toward this specialty. What gets me really excited is finding talented prospects, building a partnership with them, honing their skills in the show ring, and eventually marketing them for sale and sending them off to successful careers as junior and amateur horses.
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One positive aspect to this dynamic and set of goals is the flexibility we have created in terms of scheduling. We can kind of go anywhere, as long as the horses have the opportunity to progress and reach the year-end goals we have aimed them towards. We try to build a calendar of events that we, and our small group of like-minded clients, are excited to attend. We look for venues where the quality is high, and where the horses will both be challenged and gain valuable mileage.
Of course, we are mindful to factor in plenty of breaks at our home farm to keep the whole team fresh and happy. The decision to base permanently in Wellington necessitated totally re-working our show schedule for this year. It meant replacing the summertime shows that I have loved and felt comfortable at for basically my whole life with new choices in the south. We are looking forward to showing at Tryon (N.C.), Upperville (Va.), and Blowing Rock (N.C.) for the very first time, along with some of our perennial favorites like Devon (Pa.), Kentucky, and the indoor shows. Our barn is comprised of mostly native New Yorkers, and so we have merrily dubbed our upcoming adventure “the Southern Charm Tour.”
Life is all about seeking balance—remaining true to tradition and principles, while also being cognizant of realities that financially and logistically make the world go round and not fearing change. My love for the hunter world only grows each year, as does my desire to keep moving forward towards my dreams as a rider and trainer. Our recent address change is a tweak to the Harris Hill program that I hope will strengthen our foundation for many years to come.
I plan to share our experiences this summer as we embark on our “Southern Charm Tour!”
Jennifer Bliss had a very successful junior career, which included achievements such as earning USEF Pony Finals championships and national year-end championships in the pony and junior hunter divisions, as well as top 15 placings in all the major equitation finals. A professional rider and trainer whose focus is on the hunter ring, she began her own business, Harris Hill Farm, in 2008.
Last year Jennifer was the WCHR Developing Professional National Champion and earned a top-10 finish in the USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. She especially loves developing special young hunters, and teaching junior and amateur clients.
