Iowa Horse Fair 2010

Laurie Renda modeling one of Judy McClure's marvelous Classic

Hats in the Serendipity booth at the Varied Industry Building.

Laurie and I take a peek at an original copy of Driving For Pleasure by Francis Underhill.

Bob and Don Pecos cut a dash while demonstrating Body Awareness For the Whip in the Pavilion at the Iowa Horse Fair.

Thanks to Kathy Nervig for acting as photographer and historian for the 2010 Iowa Horse Fair.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Freaky Ferrari: Don Pecos

Don Pecos du Cheval and Bob Nervig will help me demonstrate Body Awareness in Driving at the Iowa Horse Fair on Saturday, April 10 at 4 pm.

I had to give Don Pecos a break from whip training yesterday because half the arena was a swamp from the storm the night before. I didn't want a repeat of the injury he is just now recovered from, so I turned him loose wearing the bridle and surrcingle while I fetched a shovel and moved some sand over the rail portion of the mess. While I labored, Don Pecos warmed up. He decided to do a little trotting in his favorite small circle at the arena's center. After that, with no cues from me, he worked on his canter. I was shoveling sand, he was working on cadence. Nobody can say he doesn't have a good work ethic.

When I had moved enough sand to feel confident that he wouldn't slip in the muck if he stayed on the rail, I moved to the center of the arena and asked Don Pecos to take the rail. He was immediately nervous about having to adhere to my curriculum instead of his own [which was working very nicely, thank you] the muddy portion of the arena and the rail, where we have been practicing with the whip aides. Mind you, he was at liberty, thus could still voice his opinions.

His first opinion involved the corners. I've been using the corners to enhance the bending training. Instead of associating the procedure with whip aides, Don Pecos walks into the corner with his whole body and stops looking like he is glued into the corner. He turns his blinkered head to look at me, "This is correct, yes, Boss?" Well, yes, sort of. I guess. Working with a smart horse makes you smarter. We have a way to go with the whip aides.

Not the answer Don Pecos was looking for and he was further upset that his own training program wasn't good enough, and now his interpretation of bending was also incorrect. So he tried harder. "It must be the touching my sides thing," so when a clump of sand came out of his hoof and touched him on his side he climbed into the wall, shaking. When a gust of breeze touched his side, he took off trotting, before remembering to miter himself into the corner. I am pretty sure the same resulted when a fly lit on his side.

I was helplessly standing in the center of the arena witnessing this. The lunge whip was at my feet, as was my mouth. This horse was trying so hard to apply himself to the new training: "Look, Boss, I can do it WITHOUT the whip! Please Boss, don't touch me with the whip anymore." My freaky Ferrari is tactile defensive. I need to find a deep pressure driving whip. I guess.

We will be at the Iowa State Fairgrounds this weekend for the Iowa Horse Fair, come see us. Forget about all the gardening you want to do: it is Iowa folks, it is April. You know the snow is not done. Even though it is 70 degrees, come to the Horse Fair.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

J L Powell -The Sporting Life-

J L Powell Upland Sweater

"A great hunting sweater not only retains heat, but stories as well..."

Oh, yeah, that is hot.

J L Powell 3XDRY Bush Shirt

Who knew hunting was this sexy?

Notice the Horsehair belt- no harm to horses for production of such- see, there is a horse connection to this blog, not just a good lookin' man in spiffy duds...

J L Powell Leather Hoof Pick Belt

Yet another horsey connection...

J L Powell Camel Hair Trench Coat

OMG, yes, yes, yes, yes...[sigh], yes.

This blog post is only briefly influenced by horses. The first being that my dear new friend, Martha Stover of Here Be Dragons Utterly Divine Welsh Ponies introduced me to this superfly menswear company, owned by her brother in law. I snagged a catalog when I visited her in November, and just unearthed it from my computer case yesterday. Log on to the website http://jlpowellusa.com/index.html and request one! It is so delierously wonderfully produced, I sighed at every single page. The attention to detail and craftmanship is dizzying. After you get your catalog in the mail, buy at least one thing out of it. Now I'm not sure I know anyone who can spend $6k on a cashmere lined Coyote throw, but when you read about the lengths this company went to producing a $300 sweater, the cost seems reasonable...

"When we decided to offer the exact sweater that was worn in 1953 to the top of Mount Everest, it wasn't enough to find the very same combed wool from the Shetland Islands. It wasn't quite enough to carefully study the seamless construction. It wasn't enough to pore over the ribbing of the cuffs and hem. No, that didn't quite satisfy us, so we went out and found the original hand frames that first crafted this sweater. Is it all a bit daft? A touch mad? Perhaps. But once you slip on this sweater, authentic in every way, we think you'll understand the value of our pursuit."

I'm sold. Ok, now lets talk Qiviuk. The downy underwool of the Arctic Muskox. J L Powell makes a gorgeous hunky Fisherman sweater out of it for $800. Why...

"We're content to let others pursue fabrics that are the latest triumph of molecular science and petroleum. We'll stick with wonders like the underwool of prehistoric animals. The extraordinary Qiviuk, truly a fiber like no other, can be spun more than ordinary wool to create sweaters with a softness that is unmatched. The 100% Qiviuk turtleneck and seamless crew are crafted by Peurvians knitters who shape the garment to fit the body...a sweater that is completely timeless."

...because a great looking, well made sweater like this will last a lifetime or two, so the overall cost is less than $10/year. Now who wouldn't spend ten bucks to look that good? Any man that puts that sweater on is going to have everyone wanting to touch him. I guarantee it.

There is also a blog, for all you hunting, fishing, shooting enthusiasts, and it has some other nature things in it too. It is a well spiced mix of historical/days gone by stories with 100% natural material input from the haberdasher, himself, Josh Powell, who is a cross between Ralph Lauren and Sir Edmund Hilary and Ernest Hemingway. And he is the man in the photos.

http://www.jlpowellusa.com/blog/

Gentlemen readers, buy yourself something J L Powell. Ladies, indulge your man, just don't tell him how much it cost. Or break down the cost per wear. That's when indulgence makes sense, even if it's only cashmere socks, chaps. I can really see Bob Nervig sporting the Selkirk Coat, Todd Frey would be dashing in the French Lambskin Car Coat, Aaron Achenbach handsome in the Roosevelt Jacket, Mike Rider would be oh, so suave in the Qiviuk Turtle Neck and the Montana Drover Hat and who would turn out better than Michael Scott in the Suede Sports Coat?

Hey, maybe we could get you guys a gig modeling the clothes around the carriage house for a future catalog! The Sporting Life, The Carriage Collection! I'm contacting Mr. Powell for you! See, I still managed to end this about horses.

Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Merry Christmas from Serendipity

Bob Nervig driving Don Pecos put to the one horse open marathon vehicle. Happy Holidays everyone!

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Relationships at Serendipity

Bob Nervig and I had a photo shoot a while back and I wanted to share the results. Bob and Don Pecos are developing into quite a team, as these photos show.

We have all transitioned over to the Polish marathon vehicle that Michael Scott so graciously lent us. But, I surmise that Bob's first carriage love will always be the gig.

It is my greatest pleasure to teach carriage driving to individuals and watch them develop a relationship with the horses of Serendipity. Bob and Pecos are the proof.

Bob's wife Kathy produces gorgeous scrapbooks. These photos are meant to be included in one for Bob on his carriage driving adventures. I can't wait to see her artwork when it's finished.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Multiples: Carriage Driving Adrenaline

Bob and I hitched Don Pecos and Ace as a pair yesterday. It was overcast and cool, really cool and when Ace came leaping and jigging into the barn, I wondered if it was such a sage idea. When Pecos nearly flipped over backwards in the cross ties because Bob handed me a magazine [that had unknown to me, been possessed by a horse eating demon] and I walked up to him reading it, with a brush in my hand, Bob began to wonder about the sanity of the lesson.

But my boys are good boys and we had a blast. Because it was cool and the boys hadn't been hooked as a pair in a while, they were cranked. Bob has become enamored by high stepping horses and said they looked beautiful, despite the harness- a cut down draft harness circa 1937 and put to a John Deere green and yellow Amish forecart with a bus seat as the box seat. Hence, no photos of the event. The only way to go in regards to turnout is up!

The dynamic of this pair goes like this: Don Pecos does all the work. He pulls the whole shebang. Ace hangs back just short of draft, so if you aren't paying attention, you don't realized he is doing none of the pulling. He puts so much effort into not pulling, that you feel sorry for him. He paces, he racks, he does passage, he does piaffe, he canters in slow, slow motion. If you tell him to 'get up there' he does whatever gait he's doing higher- straight up and down. Then you laugh. While Don Pecos does all the real work.

Afterwards, I threatened Bob with a tandem lesson, but I think we'll wait until spring for that. Driving multiples is so much fun: twice the power, twice the rush of adrenaline. It was great. Bob did mention, however, that he had "got very attached to the view from the gig", and I assured him I'd get us a proper carriage pair vehicle in the spring. That's Accidental Sagacity Corporation- client driven business model, literally! First it was the gig, then it was driving the Pecos Ferrari, next thing ya know, the only thing good enough for Bob will be a coach and four. Bob, Martins are having a carriage sale this weekend...see wish list [roof seat break] on yesterday's blog...

Tomorrow, I go to Harold's to help him winterize his carriage barns. My colleague, Michael Scott is coming down from Minneapolis for a Body Awareness lesson on Saturday and I have some schmoozing to do at a party on Sunday. I will be staying in town on Sunday, so won't be back to the blog until Tuesday, but I should have some good fodder then. Have a super weekend, everyone.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Bob and Ace: Villa Louis Carriage Classic

What an excellent weekend we had at Villa Louis. Harold Ault, Ace, Lucy and I arrived on Thursday the 10th to get settled in and meet Heidi Kenney and her dog Barclay. The first wonderful surprise was our stall assignment, which was nestled in between carriage driving pair gods, Aaron Achenbach and Howard Kietzke. It was Aaron who helped me decipher Gambler's Choice strategies 10 years ago, at my first Villa Louis. Howard lent me a back strap and crupper when one of my horses went over backwards at a show and I wanted to re-hitch despite broken harness. Aaron and Howard are the finest of carriage driving competitors: savvy, witty, generous.

Team Serendipity's whip, Bob Nervig, and his lovely wife Kathy arrived on Friday. I put them straight to work. Harold and I had just finished stitching the new patent leather shaft covers on the gig and Bob admired all the new patent, thanks to a very generous donation by Heidi. Bob and I schooled Ace through the water hazard and after cannonballing into the water directly behind me [soaking me] on the first attempt, he showed his typical contrition and strolled through it after without question.

Thankfully, that was the only time I was soaked during the weekend. The weather gods bestowed temperance and the rain gear stayed stowed. Not the case for Barclay, however, who found tributaries of the river at every opportunity, demonstrating the Labrador aspect of his ancestry. [He and Lucy left quite an impression on Prairie du Chien, and were known by name at the hotel and on the grounds.] Early morning fog laced the river bluffs, gently dispersed by fuschia dawns followed by lovely dappled sunshine that made Villa Louis a late summer paradise.

Saturday morning found us in turnout where the judge, Mrs. Eleanor Hunter, awarded Bob and Ace a second place ribbon. Cross country was a blast, Ace went right over the bridge and through the water for Bob. [Non carriage folk will wonder why the bridge didn't go over the water, as do the horses, but they are two separate obstacles.] Crossing the road was confounding, Ace stopped at the sign, and then got road rage and wanted to continue, without waiting for the traffic on the road, hence Bob and I got off count and missed a gate.

Still, it was a fabulous morning of driving and team Serendipity took a well deserved rest in the Patron's Tent to watch the show. I found an Audrey Hepburn hat with my name on it at Colonial Carriage Works that I didn't take off all day. I donned it in Bob's reinsmanship class, where he took a third place ribbon. For his first day of his first pleasure driving show ever, Bob shined as well as the gig and harness.

After a brief break, we were back at the Villa for wine, cheese and excellent company. Then off to prime rib dinner under the marquee and the auction, where Heidi and I showed off the auction items at Mike Rider's request. I must humbly admit that I aided the auctioneer in raising $425 for a three legged stool, something that no one at the auction is ever going to let me forget. Ah, camaraderie...

Sunday bright and early was the scurry- cones. This is Bob and Ace's favorite part of the division. They made a clean, fluid course and won a fourth place ribbon against village, Meadowbrooks and road carts. Well done, boys. Working pleasure won another second place ribbon for Bob and Ace and gambler's choice awarded another fourth place. At the close of the show, Bob tied for reserve champion novice driver horse, in a very competitive division.

For team Serendipity, he and Ace were unbeatable. More important than any ribbon, is the feedback from people who go out of their way to compliment your turnout or the volume of applause from an inspired audience. Bob's story about carriage driving with an auto immune disorder is touching and affected many people.

It is my great honor to have participated in this story. Villa Louis never fails to add value to my life and I thank all the individuals for the wonderful memories I have again this year. Yet another truly brilliant weekend to add to the books.

Bob Nervig and Chevals Topp Mentor prepare for Villa Louis Carriage Classic

Not much time for blogging this week as preparations escalate for Villa Louis Carriage Classic. The Serendipity team will be leaving on Thursday to get Ace settled in and Bob and his lovely wife Kathy will arrive Friday for course walks, exhibitors meeting and the always superlative Cat Fish Fry. I love the food at Villa Louis as much as the show.

Saturday morning Bob and Ace have Turnout and then Cross Country. Reinsmanship is in the afternoon, followed by the Villa Louis Wine and Cheese Reception and then the Prime Rib Dinner. Honestly, we work very hard at this show, we deserve a little pampering. Sunday morning, bright and early Bob and Ace will see if all the cones course preparation has paid off, if Ace will trot, rack or canter through the course [heavy sigh] and then on to Working Pleasure and Gambler's Choice in the afternoon. Followed by the always lively awards ceremony with more yummy food.

Keep Bob and Ace in your thoughts and wish them well. They are a super pair and have worked double time in preparation for this special show.