A Change of Plans

Last week we held a fund raiser to raise money for the trip to the Badminton CCI4* in England. I was blown away by the outpouring of support for Cavaldi and me to "cross the pond" and would like to express my appreciation to everyone who came to the party and contributed to our efforts.

As I said in my speech at the party, I am still taken aback by the support and generosity of this community. I am left speechless at times and filled with great joy, knowing how we all can pull together and make something happen for one another. It is truly spectacular!

The fund raiser evening was very special to me and I hope everyone had as much fun as I had hoped! I left that evening feeling much love and support and hope for growing relationships with many people.

Secondly, I am writing to you all because something happened over this past weekend, the day that Joey, (Cavaldi), was meant to fly to England. We had done our last gallop the day before and he was iced and wrapped in our usual manner, but Sunday morning there was swelling in a front leg. We already had an appointment with Dr. Staller bright and early to do our final check before leaving and to run IV fluids to keep Joey hydrated for his trip.

Unfortunately, the swelling is a strain to his suspensory ligament that became painful overnight. In the long run, Joey should recover just fine, but right now, there is nothing anyone could do to quickly turn this around and make him better in such a short time. It is in Joey's best interest to rest his leg right now for a short period and come up with Plan B!

This breaks my heart, as you can imagine, not only for Joey, and our quest to fulfill this dream, but because of the support of everyone behind me. I'm so very sorry on the timing of this, I know we all are. But, there will be another day, another event - and Joey, most importantly, will be okay!

As far as the generous donations that have been made towards Joey and I, we are happy to return all donations, and we thank you all so very much! As a team here at KSEventing we hope that there are many more trips and opportunities to celebrate with all of you in the future! Our plan for the donations is to put them into a savings account towards the next big endeavor overseas to represent the USA!

Warmest Regards,

Kristin Schmolze

A Thank You Message

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to send out a heartfelt "Thank You" for your amazing generosity in helping Janet put together Kristin's Fundraising Event at the Oldwick Firehouse on Wednesday. Without you there wouldn't have been invitations, a silent auction, merchandise for sale.......or even an event at the firehouse! A special shout-out goes to Don for working magic behind the scenes to ensure that the event could actually take place!

With only 3 weeks to plan it, the event raised close to $9000.00--a big contribution to getting Joey over to compete in England next month.

Without your support, it simply wouldn't have been possible.

Hugs,

Ashley Donayre

The Fork Recap and Home in New Jersey

We finished our season down south with The Fork CIC*** in Norwood, NC. Joey skipped around cross-country and was so much fun! It was a really good warm-up before we head to the Badminton CCI4*.

Rox was getting tense before the dressage, and just as we were about to enter the arena another horse started rearing and running away with his rider and almost ran into us! Then the girl opening the arena didn't have the gate open when we approached again, so it took three tries to get down the centerline. It's no excuse but the rest of the test was really tense and he was a bundle of nerves, so it was the worst score of his career. Cross-country was super though - I got a high-five from Mark Phillips afterwards! We had a green error that resulted in a run-out but you could tell Rox just didn't understand the question, so it was a good learning experience. The next day he show jumped great. While things didn't look so good on the scoreboard, the event was a good educational weekend. Next Rox will do the CIC3* at Fair Hill to qualify for the CCI3* at Jersey Fresh.

There are some great photos from The Fork at EventingNation.com

It's so nice to be home in New Jersey now. We're just getting reorganized and planning the fund raiser for our trip to England. I'm cramming in as many lessons as I can and catching up with all my clients, so it's going to be a busy couple of weeks! The party is on the 18th, then Rox goes to Fair Hill, and then Joey flies off to England with Vanessa. I'll head over the Sunday night after Fair Hill.

Joey did have a vet check with Dr. Greg Staller from Running S Veterinary and looks healthy and ready to go. I'm super excited! There's a lot going on and a lot to organize. It's a big team effort and we're all starting to feel the excitement!

Kristin

Badminton Bound 2012! Help Send Kristin and Joey Across the Pond

Please join us for a silent auction fundraising event, “Badminton Bound: Send Kristin and Cavaldi Across the Pond!” on April 18, 2012 at OLDWICK MANOR AT THE OLDWICK FIREHOUSE. All funds from this event will be used to cover the expenses for local rider Kristin Schmolze, Califon, NJ and her Irish Sport Horse gelding Cavaldi to compete at the Badminton Horse Trials CCI4* in England this May.

A group of Kristin’s supporters are in the process of collecting merchandise for the silent auction, and we are writing to request your assistance. By donating an item, you will help Kristin and Cavaldi to cover the expenses necessary for making this trip. Kristin has been working extremely hard to prepare for Badminton and your support is greatly appreciated.

Additionally, you or your company will benefit from exposure to those who attend the benefit party. Donors will be listed on the event program, and the merchandise you give will be on display throughout the evening. As a donor, you will be invited to attend the event, where you will have the opportunity to meet prospective customers and even possibly find a few auction items to take home.

Three-day eventing is the ultimate test of horse and rider and Badminton is one of the biggest and most prestigious events in the world, attracting half a million spectators. One of only two American entries accepted, this is an important opportunity for Kristin to demonstrate her abilities to the selectors for the London Olympic Games.

Cavaldi is the first horse that Kristin competed at the advanced level and they have been going strong for the past ten years – a feat in itself, since most horses do not have the fortitude to compete at the upper levels for such a long time.

It takes a strong team to get a horse and rider to the international level. Won’t you please consider donating an item to support Kristin and Cavaldi? You may contact us at the phone number or email address listed below to let us know how you would like to participate in this exciting event.

Find out more about Kristin and her horses at www.kseventing.com

Please contact Committee Chair Janet Geiler to make a contribution:
kseventingcrossthepond@yahoo.com
201-320-4428

Please note that any extra funds will be donated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).