Jurjen's Webpage

JURJEN'S WEBPAGE

Jurjen is a Dutch Warmblood gelding born February 2,1991 (hence the "j" name). His sire is Wolfgang and his dame is Felita out of Dutch keur stallion Ulft

Jurjen's and my History

My name is Ursula, I'm 26 and live in Toronto, Canada. I ride basic level dressage. My life with horses began in January 1989. Jurjen is the third horse I've owned. The first was a fiesty young thouroughbred mare Megan ( not exactly what I needed as a beginner). After Megan I decided to get an older schooled horse that I could learn on in confidence. Cassie, my next horse, was also a thouroughbred but much older (13)and wiser (shown to medium2). In the August 1993 I sold Cassie( but I still see her, after her having been down to the U.S. and back, Cassie, at the ripe old age of 19, is now in the same barn as Jurjen). November of that same year I began the search for 'my new horse'. A classified ad in a horse magazine led me to Dorita Kozak. The horse I original went to see at her place wasn't the one, but from that point on Dorita was pivotal in my search. Over the following months I inquired about and went to see a number of horses. None were what I had in mind. Most were way too expensive, considering poor confirmation and or lack of training. Ideally I wanted a horse between the age of 6 and 8 with strong basics, nice movement, athletic conformation and of course a good attitude. When by March of 1994 I still hadn't found anything I was getting antsy. Dorita, a great fan of and source of information about Dutch horses suggested we go strait to the source. By early April we were in Holland. We didn't see an enormous number of horses, but that didn't matter I only needed to see one. Our contact in Holland told me about a 3 year old stallion she thought we should see, my first reaction was "no way". However she was adament that we go see him; we did. The first time I set eyes on him I was taken. He was beautiful, shiny and muscular. He'd only had a month or two of training so I was a little reluctant to ride him. To my supprise he was calm and easy going, I was sold, Jurjen was the horse of my dreams. Two months later (on June 18,1994), and after having been gelded, he was with me in Toronto. The following summer and fall were spent getting him strong and improving his balance. He was sweet and at times even lazy. However he 'woke up' one day in December,1994 and from that point on he has always had some sort of trick up his sleeve.

Jurjen: A Typical Week

Monday: longe and light ride
Tuesday: Gillian works him
Wednesday: lesson
Thursday: Lucky Gillian gets to ride him again!
Friday: Ride and pray for soft and light
Saturday: Hack or depending on how things are going lesson

(I'm not following the above schedule at all right now)

Jurjen is good, I was pretty fed up with him in January and decided to lay off of him a bit. I only rode him when I felt like it, and only for as long as a wanted, basically relaxed and didn't make him work very hard. However after having attended a Cindy Ishoy clinic with him a few weeks ago, I am inspired, and have been working his (and my) butt off. This week it has been canter, canter, canter. We are riding in the smaller arena (so I don't have to worry about his cruising around like a maniac). I'm having a ball with him, which is a pleasant change. I think he and I have finally turned the corner in our relationship, something I'll truely know when I get him outside, and can feel confident that he isn't going to try and leave the ring. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Things are going well and I think ( I hope) they will stay at atleast this level.

My coach, Gillian, is due to have her baby in three and a half weeks (April 10). She is hoping he/she will come early, as she has been unable to ride for over two months now, and is anxious to get back on her horses. Keep your fingers crossed!

What's New-Unison

I got a new horse in early January. Her name is Unison, she was foaled May 18, 1992. Approved Oldenburg, her sire is Urheber ( Diana Billes former grand prix mount) and her mother is an anglo-trakenner by Merkur. She is registered Canadian Sport Horse, ISR, and of course, Oldenburg. She is bay, 16.1 hh, and very pretty. I am having tonnes of fun with her, she is quite opposite to Jurjen. Although the two are so completely different (she wants to go into the hand!), I've learned some things on her about rein contact that I am able to apply in riding him. The difference is personality between the two is also amazing. Jurjen is calm, new situations don't usually phase him and in general he is unlikely to panic or become nervous. Unison focuses well on her work, for instance, she doesn't really notice wind noise or snow falling off the arena roof, but she is sometimes so nervous of noises in the barn as we walk towards the arena, she stops and ( if she is brave enough) checks things out up close with her nose. She has had a few moments where she seems paralized with fear, however I think it may have been the change in barn and rider that threw her off as she has been at much greater ease lately.

My first two horses were mares, and I'd never understood why some people found them temperamental. Well I think I have a little bit better of an idea now. Unison is "marish"; we have to keep her in the end stall away from the action in the aisle, otherwise she just kicks her stall wall all day long. When I am riding her she is fine, but in our walk-out she becomes irratated if any horse comes too close, makes a really awful snake face, and has even tried to kick a few horses. However, she is very workmanlike and wouldn't try a thing while she is going. I haven't decided if she in harder to ride when she is in heat. She was in heat last week, unfortunately I was sick, so I only rode her once. It seems that she maybe slightly tighter in her back, but she works out of it.

I am thrilled to have her and will try and get a picture up asap.

What's Happening Around the Toronto Area

The show season is upon us!

June 5-7 CDI-W Windege Farm (Que.)

June 20-21 Trenton Dressage Festival Fallowfield Farm

June 26-28 CDI-W Sunnybrook International

July 4-6 Palgrave Summer Phase 1

July 10-12 Palgrave Summer Phase 2

July 18-19 Toronto Cadora York Equestrian Summer Classic

July 26 Eastwood Dressage

August 21-23 Ontario Provincial Dressage Championships, Eastwood Equestrian Center London, Ontario

September 3-6 Canadian National Dressage Championships East. York Equestrian Center

Bobby-Jean

Bobby (CROSSWICKS BOBBIE-JEAN), is my dog/partially faithful companion. She is a Rhodesian ridgeback that through the help of Steven and Corinne Woodham of Rindurr Kennels I found in August of 1996. Her sire is CH.CROSSWICKS LAW MAKER DRACO and her dame is CH.SPRING VALLEY CROSSWICKS K.T. She was welped April 29,1996. Bobby is a great dog who lives to chase(hunt) squirrels. She is really easy going, happiest if she has a soft warm place to sleep the day away. I like most dogs but I'm definitely biased towards ridgebacks.

More pics of Bobby

What Else

My life is pretty simple, get up go to the barn, go to school, come home, eat, take Bob on a really long walk, and if I'm feeling good go work out. There really isn't much more to me. I'm your basic 'slave to her horse' kind of a girl; which (in case you don't have a horse) means all my resources go to him, i.e.) time, energy, love, money and thoughts. But I am not complaining, it is all worth while. Especially on the days when it all comes together and it seems that my horse and I can do anything together.

Links

The Hay.net- a comprehensive list of almost all the horse sites on the 'net'

Equijournal.com- greats links and interesting info

Rhodesian Ridgeback Webring- links to ridgeback pages from all over the world

The Visual Rhodesian Ridgeback- more great dogs

The Horse Interactive- good guide to equine health care

The Chronicle of the Horse Online- useful classified section

Awaken- no horses here, just good reading/thinking material

Toronto Webgrrls- get with it grrl!

Belgian Junior Riders Online- A special page to promote the Belgian dressage riders

Canadian Dressage Owners and Riders Association (Cadora)

The Dressage Clinic- Training Advice from International Riders

Dressage Unlimited- Everything dressage

The Warmblood Horse- Issues concerning the warmblood sport horse

Equestrian Connection- Canadian site with show results plus great info

Send me e-mail!

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This page last updated on June 1, 1998.