Posted, February 23, 2006

2006 Ocala Winter II Horse Trials at the Florida Horse Park

Fanny Lee Sweeps Intermediate/Prelim at Ocala Winter II HT
Page 2 - By Shaneen Kohler

The 25-year-old Massachusetts amateur rider has been coming down to Florida in the winters for years and usually spends a lot of time in Wellington working on her dressage and show jumping. But, events at Rocking Horse Stables and instruction from Bruce Davidson Sr. lure her to the Ocala area. Plus, this year she was eager to try out the new course at the Florida Horse Park. “It is great to have a different place to go. Plus, they were going to have Intermediate Level at Ocala Winter II, which I was looking forward to competing in. The Intermediate Level was canceled in mid-January, but at least I got into the Intermediate/Prelim Level,” said Lee. “I will definitely be back to compete at the Intermediate Level when the course is finished.”

Lee decided the Florida Horse Park would be the perfect site to focus on her stadium jumping and dressage scores in “the new ring that has beautiful footing…My dressage was much improved over the last event there (Ocala Winter I Horse Trials),” said Lee. With Paddy The Pooh, she went from a 32.2 to a 29 in dressage, which was a major contributing factor in her win.

On the cross-country course, Lee said one of the most challenging aspects was the skinny after the water jump. “That was pretty tough,” she said. But, overall, “It was a nice course.”

Lee owns both her horses and comes down to Florida by herself in the winter to compete them. She has had both horses for about four years and got both of them through Bruce Davidson Sr. Hadley Harbour is a 9-year-old American Thoroughbred Lee started competing at Training Level. “He wasn’t too into the cross-country, so I had to build up his confidence slowly,” said Lee. “Lots of practice and lots of help” have brought Hadley Harbour to the point he is at now and made Lee thankful she took her time with him.

Paddy The Pooh is a 9-year-old Irish Thoroughbred by My Lord Prince. He was bred by Davidson and “is the opposite of Hadley Harbour. He loves everything and is very personable, where Hadley Harbour is quieter and more to himself.”