TRI-FECTA

Slideshow

TRI (Therapeutic Riding, Inc.) providing riders with Fun, Excitement, Challenge, and Therapeutic Adventure.

TRI-FECTA is TRI’s largest fundraiser. This “race” helps us to earn the funds to feed and care for our beloved horses.  Please help support this special program by placing a bet in our TRI-FECTA campaign.

1. Review the horse stats and pick your winner.
2. Place a bet (donation) in support of the horse of your choice.
3. The winner is the horse with the most bets and he/she will receive a day of pampering and special treats.  There are no losers in this race; all donations go to TRI to provide for the care/upkeep of our horses, the barn, riding equipment, instructor fees and other expenses incurred to support the program.

Donate online via Paypal- select a horse from the drop down, enter a name and click the button!  It’s simple, safe and secure.

Horses

April B Smiley Dakota Dobbs Ella Fable Garuda Maizy Miko Sigbjorn Zeeda

In honor of (rider/volunteer)

TRI-Fecta 2012 Results

Week 1- They’re OFF!

Week One was a good warm up week. None of the horses came blasting out of the gate, risking potential injury from working too hard with cold muscles. But they all (with one exception) stepped proudly out onto our new racetrack.

Yes, with one exception. What happened to Dobbs? All of the other horses at least crossed over the starting line but Dobbs hasn’t even put his saddle on. Perhaps he is planning to make a dramatic entrance in Week Two?

Bunched up just over the starting line are B Smiley in 10th place, Miko in 9th, and April in 8th place.

B Smiley sends his apologies but, as a former trail horse, he got confused and forgot the goal here was speed, not to enjoy the view. Miko had better get moving as he has been re-adopted for the next year by Bruce and Sharon Robinson. I don’t think that his adoptive parents will look too kindly on their equine son lollygagging around. Oh, and April, your good friend Zeeda says to hurry and catch up to her so you two can chat while you show the other horses how a couple of classy mares get things done!

Surprising everyone, especially her riders, Maizy made a strong start and is in 7th place. Hmm, considering we call her “Lazy Maizy” for good reason during classes, there can be only one explanation – there must have been a horse fly on the track. Horse flies are the only thing that can get Maizy to show her heels and take off. (Note to self – order more horse flies for Week Two…)

Ahem, now where was I? Oh, that’s right, in what has to be the strangest match up we’ve seen yet, our Senior Mare and Roving Reporter Fable the Haflinger (6th place) is almost neck and neck with our Thoroughbred (and barn baby) Zeeda (5th place). Now I know Zeeda flunked out of racing school, but this is a little embarrassing. Come to think of it, Fable’s leaders have been complaining that they are having a hard time slowing her down this week and Zeeda’s leaders are starting to suggest that she is Maizy’s long lost twin sister. Go Fable! On behalf of all of us “senior” gals – you show ‘em!

The cooler weather has definitely agreed with Ella as she is cruising ahead with a strong hold on 4th place. And I think I know why. Hmmm, how to put this….? Well, let’s just say that she and Garuda have not exactly become close buddies and when they are together, what was Jan’s phrase? Oh that’s right, she said it was like “Clash of the Titans.” I don’t think Ella’s racing – I think she’s CHASING!

Who is she chasing? In a tie for second place is the second strangest match up seen in our TRI-FECTA history – little Sigbjorn our Norwegian Fjord is battling it out with Garuda, our tall elegant Friesian. It’s the battle of the hair do’s. Who will take the lead? The punk Mohawk or the 80′s “big hair”? Of course, they’d better both keep moving ‘cos once Ella gets rolling, she might just roll right over them.

I am a little suspicious about the horse currently in first place.  How does the horse with the fewest riders end up leading the pack by a significant margin? Yup, that’s right. In first place, your current leader is Dakota. I’m certainly not going to accuse anyone of race fixing or anything like that but we all know that Dakota is Jan’s favorite horse……

So, the horses are all warmed up and ready to show us what they can do. Well, Dobbs may not be warmed up but it’s time he made his big entrance anyway.

We want to thank the wonderful riders and volunteers who got our horses off to a great start. For the largest amount of donations brought in, we thank volunteer Andie Veach and rider Jamie Shieh. For the greatest number of donations, Andie was tied with fellow volunteer Becky Elwein for first place and Jansen Sweeney and Franco Rocco Coe took top honors for the riders.

Remember to turn in your donations each week so we can keep our horses moving around that track. If you need more forms or anything else, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

WEEK 2- What a difference a week makes!

On Tuesday morning, I posted the current standings and moved the horses into their new positions on the racetrack.  As soon as I was done,  lots of riders and volunteers came over to check out where their favorites were and who the new leader was.  Yup, there is a new leader but no peeking to the end to find out who it is!

Dobbs finally got moving (a little embarrassment can be a great incentive!) and has moved up to 8th place but B Smiley and April are no further on they were last week.  In fact, their tails are barely over the starting line, in 11th and 10th places, while the leader is already rounding the first curve.  Come on you two.  You’d better start running or people will be talking about what you are doing back there…

Bruce must have had a chat with his adopted equine son because Miko is off and moving.  (Hey Bruce, can you chat with B Smiley and April too?)  Miko – as his leaders can attest – has been very energetic this week and has moved up to 9th place, from his 10th place standing last week.  He is right behind Dobbs and closing fast.  If Dobbs wants to hold onto 8th place, or move up in the pack, he’d better put on some speed.

Ella announced that she had to slow down a bit to catch her breath so has dropped back to 7th place.  (What?  You going to argue with her?  Not me!)  You have to admit, she has a lot of breath to catch, but seriously Ella – MAIZY is ahead of you!

Just in front of Ella is Fable, holding steady in 6th place.  She would be further ahead but we got a load of hay delivered on Sunday and she had to supervise/do a quality check on each bale.  Hey, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

Speaking of catching our breath, that sound you heard were the jaws of Maizy’s riders and volunteers hitting the ground.  Maizy has not only held her position, but she has improved it and now has a solid hoof grip on 5th place.  Perhaps I shouldn’t tell her this, but if she keeps this up, her “slow and pokey” act in the arena is going to be a lot less believable!

Zeeda is slightly ahead of the other girls, holding down 4th place.  I guess I shamed her a little by pointing out that last week she was almost getting beaten by Fable.  Either that or she saw something up ahead that she wants to go and play with.  I’m never sure how much Zeeda is actually paying attention to the task at hand and how much she is just, well, being the baby!

After surprising everyone with his early lead, Dakota has dropped back slightly to third place.  There were rumors going around that he thought he saw a mailbox beside the track and that scared him.  As his Thursday night folks know, Dakota has recently found out that some mailboxes are less friendly than others.  Hmmm, maybe if I glued a mailbox to Zeeda’s head as she came up behind him….

We don’t call him Mr. Consistency for nothing.  Still in 2nd place and making good progress around the track is our Sigbjorn.  Since Adrienne did such a great job of trimming his mane, perhaps he wants to make sure folks know that you don’t have to have a long flowing mane to be fast and handsome.

Did I give it away?  Our new leader is the owner of that long flowing mane, the new kid, Garuda.  However, don’t go getting too confident, Garuda.  Sigbjorn is literally nipping at those fancy feathers of yours and I wouldn’t put it past him to zip right ahead of you.

Of course, none of the horses would be able to race without the support of their riders and volunteers.  Our thanks to everyone who turned in donations this week or encouraged friends and family to donate via our website with their credit card.  Extra thanks go to the rider and volunteer who brought in the greatest amount of donations this week – Elizabeth Alexander and Liz Marsh – and the rider and volunteers who brought in the greatest number of donations this week – Jansen Sweeney and Liz Marsh tied with Andie Veach.  No, you are not having a déjà vu moment.  Andie and Jansen were also winners last week!  Way to go, you two.

Since posting the Week Two results on Tuesday, I have been busy entering this week’s donations into the computer.  I am sworn to secrecy until next week, but I can tell you that there have been some exciting changes to the race standings.

So turn in those weekly collection sheets, email or Facebook (is that a verb?) everyone to donate via our website, and help your favorite horse to move closer to his or her day at the spa.

Week 3- The battle continues!

As we wrap up our third week of racing, the battle for the top three spots continues.  There has been lots of movement throughout the pack, and some horses have put on HUGE bursts of speed.  So, without further ado, here are the current standings for your horses.

Dropping all the way to the back of the pack is Miko down in 11th position.  Miko has been languishing at the rear for this entire race so far.  Has he forgotten what the thrill of victory feels like?  Or is he plotting something dramatic?  I hope his supporters don’t leave it up to him; he clearly needs all the help he can get.

April is still in 10th place, but that needs to be kept in perspective.  Yes, her position in the race hasn’t changed, but she has increased her bets by 3 ½ times!  If she keeps tripling her bets like this, that Winner’s Circle is well within her reach.

Hey, Maizy and Fable.  Staying together is great, but how about staying together and moving UP in the pack?  They dropped from 5th and 6th places down to 8th and 9th.  Both these ladies work very hard in classes and have some stalwart friends in the rider and volunteer families.  Please support them and help them move closer to the finish line.  Remember, they are Haflingers – not built for racing – so they need all your help.

With a respectable increase in her bets, Ella has maintained her hold on 7th place.  Another one of our drafts, perhaps she is aiming more for consistency than speed?  Nah!  If you’ve seen Ella during one of her “Playtimes” in the indoor arena, you know this girl can move.  Help her show her stuff and move up closer to the Winner’s Circle.  (Just don’t let her kick any more holes in the arena walls please!)

Moving from 8th place to 6th, and almost tripling the amount of bets he has received is our handsome Dobbs.  I happen to know it is almost the birthdate of his namesake, Jerry Dobbs, so perhaps Dobbs has put on a burst of speed in honor of this very special donor and his family?

April and Dobbs may have tripled their bets, but B Smiley has increased his 17-fold!!!  I guess he got sick of me nagging at him and figured he’d show me what he was capable of.  Shooting all the way up from 11th place to 5th, our handsome red roan Quarterhorse is definitely on a roll.  Can he maintain this momentum?  Only with your help, so please keep him moving.

Taking a brief (we hope) breather, Garuda has slowed down and dropped to 4th place.  He had such a commanding lead, that even though he basically took last week off, first place is still a possibility.  Given that he is only recently off of medical leave, I think a rest was a good idea.  However, now that he is well rested, it’s time to get moving again, Garuda.

Showing that his teeth aren’t only good for carrying cones around the arena, Dakota still has a firm grip on 3rd place.  However, Garuda is right on his heels and the first two horses are pulling away.  Dakota better increase his speed or he may find himself out of the Winner’s Circle.  If we thought he was cranky before, ugh, I don’t want to see him if he doesn’t place in this race.  Help avoid that ugly situation by keeping him happy and racing in the top three.

Your top two place holders this week have doubled the amount of their bets so far, and show no signs of slowing down.  Pulling away from the rest of the pack are Zeeda in 2nd place, and quite a ways in front of her, but still within reach, Sigbjorn in the lead.  Clearly Zeeda has figured out this whole racing thing and is enjoying herself immensely.  If she can stay focused, she could take over the lead from Sigbjorn.  Or would it be too cliché to have a thoroughbred win the race?  However, don’t underestimate Sigbjorn.  He has won once before and you know how much he LOVES attention.  He’s not giving up that “Day at the Spa” easily.

As always, our horses couldn’t do this without the support of their riders and volunteers.  I have been very busy entering all the donations – those dropped off at the barn and the many that come in from people donating with a credit card via our website.  This week’s special thanks for bringing in the greatest amount of donations go to Rider Katie Brigger (no wonder B Smiley is doing so well!), and Volunteer Mary Ann Schrock-Hoffman.  For the greatest number of donations, we thank Rider Allison Smith, and Dana Buckley and Kitty Burkhart were tied for the Volunteers.  Several of you have asked how your night/day is doing so, for next week, I will also calculate which night/day has brought in the greatest number and amount of donations.  Let’s see which class is racing the fastest.

As always, if there is any way I can help you in your fundraising efforts, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Week 4-  The Halfway Point!

Before I tell you the rankings at the end of the 3rd week – and it was definitely a week of change and shake ups at the top of the standings! – I have to take a moment to congratulate a different group of “winners”.  You, our riders and volunteers!   This year marks our 7th TRI-FECTA campaign and it has by far been the most exciting.  This year we achieved a new milestone.  You brought in over $10,000 after just 3 ½ weeks of fundraising!  This is the earliest that we have reached this important goal.  Thank you thank you thank you.  Through your support, our horses will have the great care they deserve for another year, and our riders will continue to have the amazing opportunity to experience the joy of horseback riding.   So please accept my thanks on behalf of the horses, the staff, and the board of directors.  You are an amazing group and it is an honor to work with you all.

OK, enough of the mush.  You want the results!  So here they are.

In 11th place, is NOT Miko!  Yup, Miko finally got himself in gear and moved up in the ranks.  But someone has to be at the back of the pack and this week it is April.  However she is not slacking off back there.  She doubled her bets between Week 3 and Week 4 and is still doing her best to earn the hay budget.  (But on behalf of her leaders, could we try not to have her finish the race in 11th place?  She can be, um “sassy” at the best of times. I shudder to think what she will be like if she comes in last!)

Keeping a respectable pace going is our Fabulous Field Reporter Fable in 10th place.  I have it on good authority that she lost some racing time last week due to her reporting responsibilities.  She was interviewing Marcia Mullen about the top-secret horse costumes for our upcoming trick-or-treat week.  Since she has to race AND do her reporting job, please help her out by making sure she gets lots of bets to keep her moving around the track.

In 9th place, having increased his bets by almost five fold is Miko.  However, there have been some grumblings of complaint from the other horses who claim he should be tested for “equine growth hormone” as they saw the vet giving him a shot right before he suddenly moved up in the pack.  Relax guys; it was just banamine for a mild case of colic.  No doping going on.  Right Miko???

Garuda‘s breather of last week has unfortunately continued.  He is now all the way back in 8th place, dropping down from 4th place.  Maybe I need to rent a copy of the movie “Lady Hawke” to inspire him.  What? You haven’t heard of that movie?  It came out before most of our riders and volunteers were even born?  1)  Rent it and watch a beautiful Friesian in action.  Matthew Broderick’s not bad either.  2)  There will now be a short self-pity delay while I feel very old. ..

OK, enough of that…

Perhaps she wants to claim the title of “Miss Consistency” away from Sigbjorn, but Ella is maintaining her 7th place standing while doubling her bets from last week.  Just like the physics law says, an object in motion will tend to stay in motion unless acted on by an opposing force.  And a big object in motion like Ella needs a big opposing force to slow her down. I’m not volunteering for that job so you just keep on rolling along Ella!

What happened with Dakota?  He was in third place last week, ready to challenge the top two racers.  This week he has fallen all the way down to 6th place with hardly any new bets.  I took a tour of prospective volunteers around the barn last night and he was very unfriendly to them when they walked by his stall.  Perhaps he knew about his loss of status and wasn’t happy with it?  I have another tour coming up.  Please help improve his attitude before they come.  It doesn’t make people feel welcome when one of our horses is grouchy to them.  (And as we all know, Dakota can “do” grouchy very well!)

Ooooh, or could there be another reason for Dakota dropping back in the pack?  Because look who else dropped all the way from 2nd place to 5th place – Zeeda!  Did these two get distracted by “other activities” and forget about the race?  Come to think of it, I have seen Zeeda over at the fence line between her paddock and Dakota’s a lot lately.  And that might explain why Garuda is in such a funk – Zeeda is his paddock mate, and nobody likes being relegated to Third Wheel status.

Charging past all the drama and day time soap operas, moving up from 8th place to 4th, is MAIZY?  Doubling her bets boosted her ahead of our former pack leaders.  I have to say this about Maizy.  She is definitely keeping me guessing.  She is bouncing all over in the race, up and down in the standings.  Is this part of some master racing strategy on her part, or just a case of Maizy being Maizy?  Could we be seeing the potential for a mare to take the TRI-FECTA title this year?

Doing his best to keep the gelding grip on the title is Dobbs who flew up to 3rd place thanks to some very passionate supporters and riders.  We all know how Dobbs likes to run in the cooler weather.  These fall temperatures could be just what he needs to give him that boost to the front of the pack.

But he’s still got a good sized gap to fill before he can catch up with our leaders.  Sigbjorn has dropped to 2nd place but is still maintaining a blistering pace, pulling further and further away from the other horses.  And I would like to go on record as saying that, just because I lead Sigbjorn on Tuesday mornings, that does not have anything to do with his standing in the race.  Honest.

Sigbjorn is pulling further and further away from all but one horse that is.  Making a huge leap from 5th place to 1st is B Smiley!  He has a commanding lead on Sigbjorn that is going to be tough to beat.  I think he has been getting some special celestial assistance.  I spoke with some family members of his namesake, Beth Smiley, this week via email, and now he is suddenly in the lead.  Coincidence?  Or did Beth lend him her wings for this week of the race?

At this point, I can’t even guess who’s going to be at the top of the board next week, let alone who could be our ultimate winner.  This is our tightest race ever.  All of the horses are giving this their best effort and no-one is giving up their chance for a day at the spa!

But they couldn’t do it without you so our special thanks this week go to Rider Mary McClusky and Volunteer Bob Sasena for bringing in the greatest amount of donations and to Rider Katie Brigger and Volunteer Bob Sasena for bringing in the greatest number of donations. Thank you so much, and thank you to everyone who has been helping bring in the bets.

As promised last week, here are the “other” standings – the class standings.  So far, halfway through the race:

-Tuesday morning riders and volunteers have brought in $3,319 in 28 bets

- Monday evening $1,933 in 29 bets

- Wednesday evening $1,495 in 19 bets

-  Thursday evening $1,455 in 32 bets

- Saturday morning $710.60 in 18 bets and

- Tuesday evening $440 in 15 bets.

How is your class doing?  The fact that Tuesday morning folks are doing so well is even more impressive as they only have two hours of classes.  Hmm, but Saturday has FOUR hours of classes and is almost at the bottom of this race??   Hello, Saturday people?  And what is happening on Tuesday nights?  Does Linda need to bring in a batch of her peppermint brownies to get folks racing?  Which class will take the top honors this year?  Tuesday morning looks tough to beat in terms of amount of donations but there are still three more weeks of racing…

If I can be of any help, please let me know.  Otherwise, keep up the great work and keep our horses racing!

Week 5- The finish line is in sight!

The horses seem to have taken Week 5 as a resting week.  They kept racing to be sure, but everyone seems to be taking it a little easy. Perhaps they are just conserving their energies for the last push to the Finish Line?  I hope so.  They’ve been doing so well up until now.  Please don’t let them run out of steam.

The horses remained very consistent in their rankings this week.  Unfortunately for our little red-headed mare, this means that April continues to hold down 11th place, despite more than doubling her bets since Week 4.  She works hard in her classes and her riders adore her, in spite of (or because of?) her sass.  Can they help her move up in the race?

Making respectable advances around the track are Fable in 10th place and Miko in 9th place.  Both increased their bets significantly this week but it’s going to take a lot more help from their riders and volunteers if they want to gain ground on the leaders.  Let’s give Fabulous Fable the chance to show us how Fabulous she is.  And Miko, while I’m glad you’ve finally settled down and decided to participate in this race, your slow start means you’re going to have to work extra hard to catch up.  (And if you don’t both get moving, April will catch up to YOU and you don’t want to be around her in the mood she’s in right now!)

Barely an inch of his gorgeous tail puts Garuda ahead of Miko into 8th place.  I must admit, I’m a little nervous because just in front of him is Ella in 7th place.  They were right together last week as well and I have this feeling there is a confrontation about to happen.  I heard that Ella was feeling very energetic in the arena last night.  Could she have been showing Garuda exactly what will happen if he tries to pass her?  Garuda, I’ve seen those feet of hers.  If you’re going to pass her, you need to PASS her, and do it fast.  She may be big, but the girl can move like lightning when she wants to.

OK guys, this is looking more and more suspicious. Now Zeeda and Dakota aren’t content just to be close to each other in the race.  They are actually tied in 6th place – with the exact same amount of donations.  I know I’ve been told I have a suspicious mind, but does that look a little odd to anyone else?   Come to think of it, with Zeeda’s charm and speed, and Dakota’s strategic planning and um, herd management (aka bullying) techniques, we could be looking at a coup in progress.  A King and Queen of TRI-FECTA?

But they have some work to do if they want to make that dream a reality.  Determination is apparently her middle name because Maizy is refusing to quit.  She is still in 4th place, still right on Dobbs‘ heels, still flying along.  She has really surprised us all this race.  Who would have thought our beloved slow poke was a race horse at heart?  Just goes to show, there may be something in that old adage about the tortoise and the hair, oops, hare.  Sorry – but have you seen Maizy’s mane?  No wonder I slipped.

Speaking of manes, the 3rd place horse is also the possessor of a gorgeous mane – Dobbs is just ahead of Maizy, maintaining his hoof grip on 3rd place.   From completely sitting out the first week to now being a serious challenger to the front runners, Dobbs is a good reminder never to judge a race in the first furlong.  Those of us who know and love him are not surprised.  He likes to do things his way. Once, when faced with a trail obstacle, the purpose of which was to show that he could carefully pick his way through everything and come out the other side, Dobbs looked at it once, twice, backed up, and JUMPED over the whole mess!

Our two front runners continue to battle it out for first place.  Sigbjorn is determinedly hanging on to 2nd place but B Smiley has opened up the gap a bit more this week.    Both horses have won in the past.  Both horses have devoted riders and volunteers.  One has the advantage of height and longer legs.  One has the advantage of attitude and overall pony’ness.  At this point, it’s too close to call and I wouldn’t dare count either one out.

While many folks took it easy this week, we do have several riders and volunteers who kept going full steam ahead.  For the greatest amount of donations brought in, we thank Rider Allison Smith and Volunteer Yvonne Manber.  If one of those names looks familiar, it’s because Allison won the prize for greatest number of bets brought in back in Week 3.  Thank you, Allison, for keeping up the hard work.  For the greatest number of bets brought in, the honors go to Rider Franco Rocco Coe and Volunteer Leann Belland.

The Finish Line is in sight!  Next week will be your last Race Update as the checkered flag will wave on Monday October 29.  You’ve brought them this far.  Don’t give up now.  Please keep bringing in those bets so our horses can cross the Finish Line in style.  Remember, every donation you bring in goes toward paying for the hay, feed, bedding, and care of our horses for next year.  They do so much for us.  Please do this for them.

Week 6-  They are rounding the final curve!

This is it. Your last TRI-FECTA 2012 Update. The horses are ready to round that final curve and make their last push for the Finish Line. Thank you for all your hard work so far.  Please don’t stop now. We still have quite a way to go before we meet our goal of raising enough money to care for our horses for next year. They do so much for so many. Help to make sure they get the care they deserve.

Please join our top fundraisers for Week 6 in doing your part. Our thanks go to Volunteer Adrienne Nemura and Rider Rhys Mitchell for bringing in the greatest amount of donations and to Volunteer Becky Ellwein and Rider Elissa Tish for bringing in the greatest number of donations.

It was an easy going week – I’m hoping that means that the horses were saving their energy for their final race to the Finish Line, and doesn’t mean that they have given up or run out of energy. However, even though everyone took it easy during Week 6, there were some dramatic changes of position and the competition for the top three slots is as close as ever.

In 11th place at the end of Week 6 was NOT APRIL!!! She managed to sass her way quite a bit higher in the standings. In her former spot at the back of the pack is Dakota. He slid all the way down from 6th place to 11th, and is not happy about it AT ALL. He was even overheard squealing at Garuda over the fence line on Monday. Which might not have been a wise move, as you’ll see later on in this update.

Maintaining her vantage point from 10th place is our Field Reporter Fable. She is keeping up her steady pace while also submitting updates from the racetrack and even taking some photographs. When it comes to equine multi-tasking, Fable has it covered. However, she could use a little help from you all so that she can move a bit further up in the pack. She mentioned that she is having a hard time getting good photographs of the leaders from back in 10th place. Can you help her move up a bit?

In 9th place, and I have to admit I am not surprised here, is Zeeda. She and Dakota just can’t bear to be separated and she slid from 5th place back to 9th so as to stay close to him. That is very sweet and romantic and all, Zeeda, but romance doesn’t pay the feed bills. How about you lead by example and show your slacker boyfriend how to get moving?

Maintaining their consistent places, and continuing to make us nervous with their proximity, are Garuda and Ella in 8th and 7th place. After seeing Ella’s costume for trick-or-treating this week, Zeeda got a little nervous. After seeing Garuda’s costume, I got a little nervous. He is now carrying – and not concealed! Hanging proudly off his saddle is a shiny sword and I wouldn’t be surprised if he knows how to use it. (Did you rent “Lady Hawk” yet? Bet that’s where he learned his skills with the blade.) We need to separate these two before things get ugly.

Moving from 9th place to 6th, but not quite far enough in front of Ella and Garuda for safety yet, is Miko. I think he took advantage of Dakota and Zeeda being distracted by personal issues, and Ella and Garuda planning “World War 3: The Equine Smack Down”, to sneak past them all. Miko, I would highly recommend sneaking a bit faster and putting more distance between yourself and the coming mayhem!

In 5th place, having moved a record setting SIX places up in the pack, is April. Yes, after languishing at the back of the herd for much of this TRI-FECTA, April has decided to get moving. Now, this may have nothing whatsoever to do with it, but part of her Halloween costume involves having her hooves painted like nail polish. April may be a real “mare” at times, but even she may be drawing the line in the (arena) sand at having her nails done. Whatever it takes! Better keep moving, April – I hear Marcia bought some very pretty pink for your hooves this week.

The top four horses just keep jostling about. They are so tightly packed together it is hard to tell who is in which position. Dobbs has dropped from 4th to 3rd place – he claims this is because he is not as aerodynamic now that he has a parrot on his shoulder. (Any guesses as to what his Halloween costume is?) He had better do some quick engineering calculations and adjust for the new trim lines because he is in danger of finding himself out of the Winner’s Circle. Slipping from 2nd place to 3rd is Sigbjorn. I’m not sure if this is due to him having just a little too much fun with his Halloween costume (perhaps “clowning around” a bit too much?) or if it’s due to being in shock at who passed him.

Because look who is in 2nd place and giving 1st place holder B Smiley a real run for his money.   It’s MAIZY!   Yes, I double checked. It really is Maizy in 2nd place, right on B Smiley’s tail, and showing no signs of slowing down. Can she keep this up and actually win this year’s TRI-FECTA? Will B Smiley let a little Haflinger mare beat him? Will Dobbs or Sigbjorn pull off the upset? Or is there a horse biding his or her time further back in the pack?

Not too much time to bide now – the race will officially end at 9pm on Monday October 29, 2012. So get out there and help the horses make that last push to the Finish Line. Every dollar raised in TRI-FECTA 2012 will go towards caring for our amazing horses for the next year. They deserve it for all they do for our riders – actually, I think they would claim that they deserve it for letting us dress them up in costume! Please continue your efforts on their behalf. Donors can send in cash or a check or they can donate with a credit card on our website. If you haven’t turned in your donations yet, please do so by 9pm on Monday.

Next stop – the Winner’s Circle!