09/02/2026
Festival of Champions was a great experience. Barbarella finished top 10, which was our goal- I know it may sound unambitious but the horses there are *really good!
We never got her fully powered up from the 23 hour drive to the event; we were treating her for ulcers but it was not enough to really get her over it. Because of that, it was hard to get her really out to the bit from the hind leg; I was fighting for every stride, but she was doing her best, as was I.
With all of that, she still never put a foot wrong: never spooked, never shied, just went in & focused on me in the biggest environment she’s yet seen, even though she didn’t feel great. What a fantastic young mare!
Special thanks to US Chef d’equipe Christine Traurig for the warmup & schooling help. She really helped me figure out how to kindly get the best out of my mare despite her discomfort.
It was a fun & inspiring event, and I’m looking forward to future attendance!
