Exciting New Staff Announcements!

Point Above Farm is pleased to announce the addition of a brand new full time staff! You will all be getting to know our new team soon enough at competitions, clinics and out around town! Please don't hesitate to come into the barn to say hi the next time you are over for a lesson!

Farm Manager
Cindy Levin was born in Bergen County, New Jersey but spent much of her childhood riding horses and ponies in Virginia. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey, Cindy returned to Virginia to apply her degree in Environmental Studies working on a federally funded research project with the Virginia Department of Forestry. During this time she was also employeed in the private sector sampling and monitoring groundwater. Next, Cindy spent 8 years working as an apprentice to professional land surveyors. With th eend of the latest construction boom, Condy returned to work with horses full time, combining her life long experience with and love for all things equine with her strong business management skills. She is very enthiuasistic about her now position as barn manager with Point Above Farm and hopes the opportunity to train wiht Bonnie will strengthen her riding while she is "waiting for her next horse to find her." Cindy is looking forward to being a member of Bonnie's team and supporting her to international success. She currently resides in Orange, VA with her Jack Russell, Annie, and her beagle, Wiggly.

Assistant Trainer
Ashley Adams will join Point Above Farm following the Christmas holiday and is looking forward to her responsibilities which include helping Bonnie re-train several OTTB and several other young horses as well as teaching the working students the finer points of grooming for a top level event rider.

Ashley has a busy spring awaiting her as she will be preparing the young horses for their first competitions while preparing herself for her first CCI**** at Rolex Kentucky! Ashley comes from an impressive background of top notch trainers including Kim Severson and, most recently, Holly Hepp. Her experience and positive attitude are going to be a valuable assett to Point Above Farm. Look for Ashley competing many of our young horses this spring and in the warm up arena assisting Bonnie when her own ride times prevent her from helping all her students get "into the box."

Ashley and her 1998 OTTB, Vaunted, have an impressive resume including:

10th place finish in 2005 Foxhall CCI**
3 time CCI** NAYRC Team Member 2005-Area 2, 2006 Area 2-team silver, 2007 Area 8 - team silver
Finishers at Fair Hill CCI*** 2007
9th place finish 2008 Jersey Fresh CCI***
16th finish 2008 Fair Hill CCI***

She has owned Vaunted for almost 8 years and is excitidely preparing for her CCI**** debut, the culmination how many trot sets, jump schools and dressage lessons?

In her downtime Ashely loves relaxing with a good book and hot cup of coffee.

Working Student
Lucy Drinkwater, 16, is spending the winter trimester of her Junior year in high school as Point Above Farm's winter working student. So far Lucy's hard work and dedication have impressed everyone at the farm. She spends her days working with the horses and her evenings taking high school courses and doing homework on-line!

Lucy and her horse Blue Suede Shoes, aka Suede, moved to Point Above Farm from Michigan and will be with us until March. Lucy has competed successfully at Training level and hopes that her time with Bonnie will allow her to safely move up to Preliminary and be competitive enough this spring to try out for the Area VIII NAYJRC CCI* team.

At home and away from the barn Lucy spends her "free" time swimming, reading and hanging out with her friends.

Pennfield Announces "That's a Promise" Tour

Bonnie will be participating in Pennfield Feed's "That's a Promise" East Coast Tour (see below) on the dates highlighted in bold. If you are in the area please stop by to say hi to her and see what Pennfield has to offer. I don't know much about the tour but after talking to them this morning it sounds like its going to be a lot of fun! And... Bonnie will be donating lessons as door prizes so you might even win one! If anyone is interested in hosting a clinic on the day before any of these dates please let me know ASAP.

~Rebecca
rebecca@bonniemosser.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information please contact
Susan Page 610-824-6215 spage@horseflycreative.com
Holly Davis 352-270-8030 holly@horseflycreative.com
Press passes and high resolution photos available for journalists
Pennfield Announces “That’s a Promise” East Coast Tour
Public to meet Olympic stars, win training packages and bid on auction items
Presented by Pennfield, Kentucky Equine Research, and the United States Equestrian Federation.

LANCASTER, Pennsylvania, November 30, 2008 — Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies is proud to announce an eight-city East Coast tour to bring equestrian fans together with Olympic riders to celebrate and explore the meaning of “promise.” Each evening will include hors d’oeuvres, wine, a presentation and discussion led by a world-renowned equine nutritionist, a silent auction with unique sport horse items and collectibles, and the chance to win training with a top rider in your chosen sport.

“The idea of ‘promise’ was sown several years ago as I was walking through our equine feed mill in Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania,” said Jeff Katelan, national sales and marketing manager for Pennfield’s Country Life Products. “I was fortunate to be able to spend time with Ernie Horn, Sr., one of the original founders of Pennfield, before he passed away. That day he said to me, ‘Jeff, you must promise me to always put the horse first. If you do that, you have then put the customer first, because that’s what they want more than anything… for someone to care about the wellbeing and performance of their horses as much as they do.’ Greatly affected by this wisdom, I answered, ‘Mr. Horn, that’s a promise.’” Mr. Katelan went on to explain, “With this tour, we now have a way for horse people to gather, and discuss getting back to a simpler, more effective way of progressing in their training, and caring for their partners. In honor of Mr. Horn’s simple yet powerful creed, we have named it the That’s a Promise tour.” Within the discussion of ‘promise’ are two meanings: developing the full promise (potential) of yourself and your horses and secondly, living up to the promise (principle) that you make to your horses to care for them to the best of your ability. The tour brings these two meanings of promise together with three partners:

1. Formulating the Promise: A presentation titled “Performance Horse Nutrition: Challenges and Practical Solutions,” a discussion of problem/solution-based cutting-edge equine nutritional science by Dr. Joe Pagan, founder and president of Kentucky Equine Research.

2. Feeding the Promise: Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies, state-of-the-art miller of KER formulas, is awarding one attendee at each event the opportunity to train with a top rider in the discipline of their choice.

3. Funding the Promise: $10 admission fee and all silent auction bids will go to fund the United States Equestrian Federation’s Young Riders Program. The That’s a Promise tour will kick off in Florida in February, and follow the competitive season northward up the coast. The 2009 schedule is as follows:

• February 8th in Wellington show grounds, Florida — Grand Gala Kickoff — 6:30 pm
• February 9th in Ocala, Florida
• March 10th in Aiken, South Carolina
• April 24th in Lexington, Kentucky
• June 2nd in Middleburg, Virginia
• July 14th in Unionville, Pennsylvania
• September 2nd in Hudson Valley, New York
• October 7th in Gladstone, New Jersey

Each That’s a Promise gala will feature the attendance of one or more top riders who rely on Pennfield to fuel their horses top efforts, including, at this time, multi-Olympic medalists Phillip Dutton, Karen and David O’Connor, and Bruce Davidson; and the 2008 U.S. dressage team alternate, Michael Barisone. Additional top riders, including some from show jumping and other sports, are expected to make commitments to the tour within the next few weeks. Attendees will be able to mingle with these riders in a relaxed setting, and obtain autographs. All are welcome to attend, though seating will be limited to approximately 200, depending on venue. So don’t delay!

Reservations may be made by calling Beth Ann Parise at 717-295-8735, and more information may be found at www.thatsapromisetour.com. A $10 donation is requested per attendee, with 100% forwarded to the Young Riders program of the USEF.

About Pennfield

Pennfield is a widely respected, family-owned feed company headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that has been serving the Mid-Atlantic since 1919. Known for using only the finest feed ingredients and precision, state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, Pennfield has earned the trust of world-class trainers and competitors throughout the equine industry by guaranteeing 100% of its equine feeds are “fixed formulas,” meaning each lot is identical to the one that came before it. In 1996, Pennfield joined forces with Kentucky Equine Research and consequently merged tradition and technology. Pennfield's quality manufacturing and personal service combined with KER's state-of-the-art nutritional expertise gives Pennfield customers
advanced equine nutrition and uncontested technical support. For more information, please visit pennfield.com or call 800-995-0333.

About Kentucky Equine Research

Headquartered in Versailles, Kentucky, Kentucky Equine Research (KER) is a world-renowned equine nutrition and exercise physiology research and consultation company. KER works with feed manufacturers around the world to develop horse feeds and supplements that are suited for the particular region in which they are to be fed. Research is the cornerstone of KER’s mission, and conclusions drawn from studies are used in the formulation of scientifically advanced feeds and feeding practices. In addition to its research endeavors, KER has a rich tradition of providing
premium feeds to the greatest equine athletes in the world. In 2000, the company was tapped to be the “Official Equine Nutritionist” of the United States Equestrian Federation, a relationship and affiliation that continues today.

For more information, please visit ker.com, or call 859-873-1988.

About the United States Equestrian Federation

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation® is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its human and equine athletes. For more information, please visit usef.org, or call 859-258-2472.

Pennfield Feeds signs on for a new 3 year sponsorship!

We are excited to announce that today Bonnie and Pennfield Feeds formed a new 3 year partnership that promises to reap numerous rewards for both over the coming years!

Bonnie has been feeding Pennfield feeds for over 10 years and has never doubted that her horses are probably eating better than she is! In her experience, the quality of the product is unsurpassed. She has worked closely with Pennfield Equine Nutritionist Bob Wagner for the past two years to develop customized feeding programs for all of her horses and the results are reflected in her competition success. No two horses in Bonnie's barn eat the same combination of feed and this is made possible by the fabulous variety of products available.

Point Above Farm Favorites?

Cool 'n' Light for the hotter horses who hold their weight well.

Fibergized for the competition horses who need high fat without the extra zing of corn

Enduro for that extra edge with the horses who tend to feel a little sorry for themselves at the end of cross country

Senior because Merloch and Queen Bee eat it when they are fit and lose their appetites

For those of you who know the Pennfield product you know that this is only a small list of the feeds available. They have something for everyone and are always a phone call or e-mail away if you need help deciding what to feed your horse (trust me, I use them all the time). If anyone would like to get in touch with Bob please let me know and I will forward you his contact information.

~Rebecca

rebecca@bonniemosser.com

Its getting chilly out there!

Greetings everyone! Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Point Above Farm has had a quiet fall but we are looking forward to the start of next years competition season. Below is our tentative 2009 competition and travel schedule. If you are planning on travelling with us or hoping to get coaching at any of these events please double check with us before opening dates to make sure we are still going. In addition, our 2009 board and lesson rates are now posted.

As always, Bonnie is available for lessons on the farm or away at clinics. Please contact Rebecca to schedule. If you are interested in travelling to South Carolina with us for either of the weeks listed below please contact Rebecca.

Tentative 2009 Schedule

1. December 27 TWA Jumper Show
2. January 10 TWA Jumper Show
3. January 16 Stonewall Jumper Show
4. January 24-February 2 Trip to SC
5. February 20-March 2 Trip to SC
6. February 20-22 Paradise HT
7. February 27 Intermont Classic Jumpers
8. March 20-22 Southern Pines HT
9. March 28-29 Morven Park HT
10. April 2-5 The Fork
11. April 22-26 Rolex CCI****
12. May 7-10 Badminton CCI****
13. May 23-24 Virginia HT
14. June 6-7 Rubicon HT
15. June 20-21 CDCTA HT
16. June 27-28 Surefire HT
17. July 11-12 Maryland HT
18. July 28-August 2 GMHA
19. August 29-30 Loudoun HT
20. September 9-13 Five Points HT
21. September 18-20 Plantation HT
22. October 1-4 Morven Park HT
23. October 10-11 Maryland HT
24. October 14-18 Fair Hill CCI***
25. October 31-November 1 Virginia HT


2009 Board Rate~ $600/month
Overnight Stabling~ $25/night

Lesson Rates (January-May 2009)

At our farm:

$75

or

$50 if you take two lesson in any 7 day period.

Bonnie will travel to your farm within a 40 mile radius of Gordonsville, VA to teach 2+ lessons
$85/lesson

2+ lessons within a 70 mile radius
$100/lesson

Please contact Rebecca to discuss setting up a full or mini clinic at your farm more than 70 miles from Gordonsville, VA

Cross Country Schooling Saturday August 9!

Hi Everyone!

Bonnie is going to be teaching a x-c school this coming Saturday at Locust Hill (home of CDCTA x-c). If anyone is interested please let me know!

Groups will be no larger than 4. All levels welcome although I believe that course is run through Preliminary. Please check out their website for all the info (www.cdcta.com).

Cost is $85 plus whatever CDCTA is charging (*note* please bring 2 seperate checks!!).

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks!
Rebecca
304-633-4281

Working Student Position Available!

Last post of the day!

We have an immediate opening for a new working student!

Briefly, Bonnie's working students work ~6 days/week. They do everything from mucking stalls to travelling to competitions to groom. All working students are given ample opportunity to compete and Bonnie works with them closely to develop a plan and a program to help them reach their goals. Everybody works hard but the barn atmosphere is fun and laid back. This is an unpaid position. Working students pay a reduced board rate and work off all their lessons. We accept students at all levels but prefer for them to have had some barn work experience in the past.

The farm spends ~April-December in Gordonsville, VA and the rest of the year in St. Matthews, SC. We will give preference to those who can make a minimum of a 6 month commitment and we prefer 1 year.

This is a very unique opportunity and spaces only open up once or twice a year, sometimes even less often! Please e-mail me for all the details. rebecca@bonniemosser.com

Thanks!
Rebecca

And moving forward...

Hi Everybody-

Rebecca here. First, please accept my apology for the technical difficulties we experienced the other day with this blog. I know that many of you saw Bonnie's post and then saw it virtually disappear. I tried to edit it, deleted it and then just didn't have time to get it back up...

So to give you a very quick update... Murry is doing very well and is scheduled to fly back to the States next wednesday. I'll be picking him up at the airport and he'll hang out with me and Abby at Millbrook for the weekend. I'm going to stable him next to Garyowen so that they can talk, catch up on their summers and perhaps Murry will be so kind as to give Gary and Bear a quick pep talk so that they are both very good over the weekend!

Everybody, including Bonnie, should be home in Virginia by Monday August 11.

The next horse trial that we will be attending as a group is Five Points at the Carolina Horse Park. http://www.useventing.com/competitions.php?section=calendar&event=13865. It just opened the other day but there are several competitions going on that weekend, including the AEC's, so I'm sure you'll still be able to get your entry in if you would like to join us. Write "Mosser" on your stabling form if you want to be close!

More immediately, Bonnie will be teaching two clinics in the coming weeks. The first at Ledyard Farm in Wenham, MA Aug. 30-31st. The very next weekend she will be at Triple Combination Farm in Ferrisburg, VT. Please help us spread the word and get these clinics filled up! I know that Bonnie has very fun weekends planned for both!

Finally, April Raine, Art Director for "Professional Farrier" Magazine was kind enough to share with me a bunch of her photos from Rolex. I've attached my favorite. This was taken Sunday morning literally minutes before the final horse inspection. Yes, eventing is basically an individual sport but this picture perfectly illustrates the actual team work that goes into every one of the horses at that level... Krissy Collett, Bonnie's recently retired head groom of 5 years is coaxing Murry into munching on his breakfast, I am braiding, Dave, our farrier for the weekend, was fixing up his shoes and you can't see her but Bonnie is in the back fussing with his tail. It was a really intense moment!

See you all soon!

Rebecca