Professional Management Tip # 4 - It's A Team Effort

Are you seeking success or significance? Are you striving to help others or just yourself? Equine professionals are striving for both! Write down three ways you can help your team (sponsors, owners, barn manage, grooms, students, etc.)...and more importantly get their feedback. Then write down three more ways you are helped by helping others. We ride as individuals, but it is always a team effort. It's not all about you!

Imtiaz Anees represented India at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He lives in Moreland, Georgia where runs Springtown Stables. Imtiaz is a member of PRO who has a special interest in what makes professional success achievable for individuals pursuing careers in diverse fields. Imtiaz acts as a business mentor to young riders and he will be sharing his professional management tips and advice for riders of all 

                                                            levels on the PRO Blog.

 

Professional Management Tip #3: Time Managment

Imtiaz Anees represented India at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He lives in Moreland, Georgia where runs Springtown Stables. Imtiaz is a member of PRO who has a special interest in what makes professional success achievable for individuals pursuing careers in diverse fields. Imtiaz acts as a business mentor to young riders and he will be sharing his professional management tips and advice for riders of all levels on the PRO Blog.

 

 


Prioritize your time. Everyone is busy with school, homework, activities, work, family, kids etc. You can't always manage your time, but you can always manage yourself. Look at how you spend your time, does it match up with your current goals?

Pick three things to start doing that will help you get more focused, and more importantly and much harder to do, stop three things that you are currently doing that are not productful. Time management is very important in order to be successful in whatever you choose to do in life. As I said before make a plan for your day, week and month.  Begin each list with the most important daily, weekly or monthly goal in the priority spot on the very top of the list.

Evaluate your time management. Don't get stuck in a rut, take the initiative to make positive changes that help you get the most out of your day, week, and year and help you achieve your goals.

A Look Back at Galway Downs International by James Alliston

Galway Downs in Temecula was the site of the last big show of the season. This show was huge with not only many entries from the east coast but also one competitor from the Netherlands too. All the CCI divisions had a ton of entries which was great to see. In particular the 3*, in only its second year, has clearly become a great success with the east coast riders recognizing the great footing available at this time of year, the top-class Ian Stark designed course and substantial prize money available.

The show was a great result for my horses. They went into it bang on form after Woodside so I was quietly confident but I also realized there were some top horses and riders on the start list so it was going to be a hard fought competition. The weather was far from ideal with a lot of rain throughout but thankfully cross-country day was beautiful and the ground by the time the 3*went in the afternoon was lovely.

The 3* course was substantial with questions all the way round and some big ditch fences. Parker jumped great but was pretty strong and I was pretty tired at the end of the round. Needless to say he was comfortably inside the time which gave me a nice gauge for how quick to go out on Jumbo’s Jake. Jake cruised round and gave me a fabulous ride. As I approached the brush corner four from home I realized there was no flag on it which concerned me slightly as it was pretty big anyway even with the flag. I needn’t have worried though as Jake pinged it and we went on to finish the round bang on the optimum and snatch the lead from my neighbor for the week Nate Chambers. I was on cloud nine after a great day of cross country for me with four CCI horses round inside the time; the only downside being informed that if I had been wearing the right gloves I would have won $2,000! I was a little upset with myself for not cashing in on this great opportunity offered by SSG gloves, but congratulations to Australian Kadi Eykamp for capitalizing on Sunday and pocketing $3,000 for the clear round nearest the optimum.

Show jumping day offered some thrilling climaxes to the international classes. Lots of rain throughout the jumping made for difficult conditions and, particularly in the 1* and 2*, clear rounds were hard to come by. My day started with an excitable Mojo in the 1*. He was pretty lit up and after an early rail I was concerned we might put up a cricket score in the pouring rain. However, he held it together to come home with just the one mistake and luck was on our side as those in front also had rails leaving Mojo a delighted and surprised winner.

In the 2* Tivoli jumped a lovely clear to pile on the pressure and very nearly came out the victor. Amber Levine pipped us by less than a point so many congratulations to them for a great weekend. I’m very excited about Tivoli for next year, he has all the ability in the world and the cross country round he gave me was effortless for him.

First up for me in the big one, the 3*, was Parker who jumped a great clear which boosted my confidence for Jake to follow. Jake did not disappoint, jumping clear and culminating a great weekend for myself and everyone at Graceland Equestrian Center with a win. I’m delighted for the horse and owner India Mcevoy as the horse has had a fantastic year and really deserves the recognition he got with this big win. Many thanks to Chuck and Peggy Moore for your ongoing support, Ken Nicholson for making the trip down and particularly to India and Peggy for being fabulous grooms all weekend. I must be the only rider who has his owners grooming their horses at the shows and am extremely lucky and grateful to have them.

Lastly, a big shout out to my parents John and Petey who made the trip across the Pond to support and help. I think they must be good luck charms and as always it was great entertainment having them around.

Photo of Jumbo's Jake by Samantha Clark/ Eventing Nation

Last Flight to Galway Downs

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy coordinating three separate flight to Galway on Tex Sutton's Air Horse One. There is something about horses flying that is just so incredibly cool, that each time we coordinate a flight it leaves me both a little bit breathless and in awe until all touch down safely and arrive at their new temporary stable or return home.

I have to thank Tex Sutton for being so incredibly accommodating and easy to work with. Their outstanding staff makes the logistics of these flights manageable. And to put matters in perspective PRO has coordinated flights for 58 horses in the last two years. Just think of the organization it takes to get 6-19 horses on a plane, with riders, grooms and assorted gear.

The information needed is something like this:

Vital Info:
Horse, coggins, health certificate, owner name, rider name, size, sex, vices, special needs

Packing List:
Feed (1-2 bag limit), blankets/sheets, 1 trunk, 2 duffle bags per horse with assorted tack and gear

Load In/ Load Out:
Directions to airport cargo for load in
Provide driver names to security staff
Provide list of horses on each rig to Tex Sutton
Arrange for Pick up of horses, people and gear upon arrival

Notices to human cargo:
Bring coats, hats, gloves etc. (plane is very cold)
Bring headphones (plane is very loud)

None of this is accomplished without a ridiculous amount of telephone calls, emails and text messages going back and forth. When three flights are going to the same location with one week and then leaving again, it's just enough to make you....smile!

So if the videos or photographs are not exactly the quality that you had in mind, don't shoot the messengers but instead thank the riders and grooms who have been kind enough to try and take them in all kinds of conditions so people can see what's going on behind the scenes for everyone.

Professional Management Tips: Preparation

 

Imtiaz Anees represented India at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He lives in Moreland, Georgia where runs Springtown Stables. Imtiaz is a member of PRO who has a special interest in what makes professional success achievable for individuals pursuing careers in diverse fields. Imtiaz acts as a business mentor to young riders and he will be sharing his professional management tips and advice for riders of all levels on the PRO Blog.

Preparation is one of your best allies. Successful people don't wing it. Take time to make a plan, write down a schedule for the week, month and year. Put down the shows you want to do, then cross country schools, lessons, gallops, jump and hack days. Don't forget days off. Of course it might change due to weather, school, work, lost shoe or lameness issues. But we can't plan enough.

The California Eventing Scene is Hot, Hot, Hot by James Alliston

The past few weeks have been busy on the California eventing scene with the events at Twin Rivers and Woodside in quick succession. Twin Rivers in Paso Robles kicked off on Thursday with the west coast Young Event Horse Finals. I rode Wimbledon in the 4 year old class and was feeling suitably terrified and under prepared upon walking the course. However, Wimbledon rose to the challenge and ended up with a third not too far behind the winners, Tamra Smith and Fleeceworks Cinco. Much to my amusement Wimbledon went on to win the Novice Horse division by 0.1 ahead of the lovely five-year old champions Maxance McManamy and Astro. I must say Max took the defeat in good spirits though and I am sure she is consoled by her haul of prizes that included a saddle in the young horse championship. To see the incredible prizes and sponsorship of this class is fantastic and makes it a real incentive and target for the future.

Jumbo’s Jake and Parker had their first run since Rolex and both went very well for 2nd and 4th in the Advanced. I was leading going into the show-jumping but a rail down cost me the win by 0.3 penalties to Canadian Sandra Donnelly so it was an exciting climax. Embarrassingly, I thought maybe I had still sneaked it as my friends had been telling me all day that I had a rail in hand but they were misinformed! A few minutes prior to this Parker jumped a clear round despite my stirrup breaking halfway round the course. This was a first for me and I give great credit to Parker for nursing me home without penalty.

Next up was a welcome return to international competition at Woodside. This show was huge with a ton of entries from all over and Robert Kellerhouse and his team did a great job of making this a real special event and handling the deluge of rain on Thursday. With a shifting of the timetable so the upper levels did cross-country on Sunday I would have to say the ground was as good as I have ever seen it anywhere in California. Also, the show jumping on Saturday seemed to attract a large and enthusiastic crowd throughout the day and the cheers of a clear round could be heard across the showground which was really cool.

On a personal note this show could not have gone a lot better for my horses. Jake led from the start to win the three star and Parker put in a massive effort for third in the same class. Parker’s 52 in the dressage shattered his international personal best by 10 marks and much to my delight and India’s (owner of Jumbo’s Jake) bemusement a few people even mistook him for Jake while I was warming up! Many thanks for this result go to dressage maestro and cool dude Gerd Reuter for flying out to California and teaching everybody in September. Derek Di Grazia’s cross country course had been given a major facelift with a lot of changes and new fences at all levels and proved a real test but both my boys jumped great and I’d have to say the result must go down as a career highlight for me so far. Elsewhere, at the same show Tivoli took 3rd in the Intermediate, Peggy Moore’s O’Reilly Factor took 3rd in her Prelim debut and four-year old Lagos won the Novice on his eventing debut.

Now we have a few quiet weeks but next on the radar is Galway where Jake and Parker will contest the 3 star, Tivoli the 2 star and Mojo the one star. My parents are traveling over from England to watch which is always entertaining as California will soon find out.

Photo of India McEvoy's Jumbos Jake at Woodside

From West Grove and Beyond by Jackson Roberts

Well this post is quite overdue so pace yourself because I have a lot to catch up on. The most notable event that has happened since my last blog post was the party of the century, Lillian Heard's going away celebration. This party was hosted by the WONDERFUL Cuyler and Katie Walker at their lovely Rolling Plains Farm. The night was highlighted by the surprise appearance of Ashley Adams. Myself and Steph smuggled Ashley in to the party via a plastic container on the back of a John Deere gator. I think Lil was very impressed with her present. The party ended up going on until about 2:30 a.m. by that time everyone had either been thrown in the pool or jumped in on their own terms, I was thrown in! One thing I did learn is that at 2:30 in the morning gas stations don't pump gas!! All in all it was awesome and it seems that Lil has already taken Ireland by storm!

Also since my last entry I competed at two events with Percy, Millbrook and Waredaca. At both events we competed in the training. I was extremely pleased with the way Percy went at Millbrook. He galloped around the cross country full of boldness, maybe too much at times. I wasn't quite sure how he would show jump after cross country as this was the first non one day event that we had done; however he jumped a superb round and we slid in to second place just behind the great Karen O'Connor in a very competitive field. The next weekend we were back out at Waradeca. I got a little neverous in the dressage ring and pushed him a little too much. I was very upset with myself and take full responsibility, my horse does not deserve to have that score on his record. I was able to put that poor performance behind me and jump an awesome clear show jumping round. I felt that at Millbrook he got a little too strong so I used a different bit that helped me elevate him to stay more uphill and soft. The new bit was awesome and he had a great trip around the cross country. This weekend we head to Senaca for our last training and then hopefully the big move up to prelim at Plantation Field in a few weeks time.

Speaking of Plantation Field, the event will be even bigger and better than before. This year Plantation will be unveiling there new state of the art arena with Tapeta footing and a new water jump sponsored by Dubarry boots. The footing this year should be great as I myself have aggregated the turf and we have been having lots of rain including a visit from Irene last night! Denis Glaccum and his team are preparing to truly put on a world class event. If you are interested in visiting Plantation in Unionville Pa, please check out their website at www.plantationfieldhorsetrials.com

Now for my last chapter I would like to step away from eventing and talk about Fox hunting. I have a had the great privilege to ride with Mr. Stewart's Cheshire Fox Hounds this summer. Katie Walker originally invited me to ride with her fabulous hunting trainer Dave Leinhauser. Dave is a wonderful horseman and I am trying to soak up as much of his knowledge as possible. Cheshire's season begins in July with hound exercise which is basically just hacking out with the hounds. The season now is just on the brink of cubbing, so the hounds are actually hunting the foxes a little bit and the pace of the hunt field has picked up and some jumping too! When I first started going out in July I had been riding some of Katie Walkers hunters, but she has since referred me to her friend Kate Martin. Over the past few weeks I have been riding Kate's wonderful young horse Hershey. Hershey is just a little baby at four years old but he is already showing off all his class by jumping some rather large three railers in front of the whole field. I have also been riding another young horse for the Martins who is coming along quite well in the flat work department. I feel so blessed to have this wonderful opportunity to ride in such beautiful country side on a great young horse with superb owners. I can't wait for the season to progress as the runs get longer, faster and more jumping to be had. I think I will be forever grateful to the wonderful Katie Walker for setting me up with the Martins and introducing me to the Cheshire hunt. There most definitely is no place more beautiful than the view from between a horse's ears looking over the hills of Unionville!

Kick on,
Jacko

Photo of Jackson jumping Kate Martin's Hershey