Grooming for Nina Ligon - Spring Break at the FORK

I had the pleasure of working and grooming for Nina Ligon, Laura Hitchcock, and Nina's mother Pan over this Spring Break - and the best part was it was at the Fork. I've never been to the Fork but for those of you familiar to it will vouche when I say it is one of the nicest properties I've seen in the eventing world. It was probably the best prepared event I've been to as a groom and eventer.

Since Nina is a student of Kim Severson's we were stable

d across the aisle from her team and I was lucky to be able to see Kim's dressage round on Paddy when Nina would follow later on with Sparky's dressage round. I've never had the opportunity to see Ki

m and Paddy in dressage so I can really say WHAT A TREAT!Nina brought four horses running three in the Intermediate divisions and one [Fernhill Fearless] in the Advanced... and I'm probably the biggest fan of one of them [Jazz K

ing]. I have no idea what draws us to particular horses, but Jazz has such personality of any horse I've met - and I hope together they go really far.

I've had the pleasure of working for Nina a few times this season, and there really isn't anyone better to work for. She has five incredible horses and all three plus the five horses were willing teachers and answered all my questions. She is only 18 years old but I feel that she is someone I could learn a lot from. My trainer and friend, Jodi Hemry whom also is a part of Kim's team, is grateful for the training I would receive as a groom from the Ligon's so I could help her in the future if her working student was unavailable.

Probably the most unforgettable part is watching the water complex at the tent. This was where you could see the brush fence at the top of the hill leading down to the two corners. We all held our breath waiting for Nina to leave the start box on Sparky. The tables were huge, the trakehner had just been switched before her ride [due to footing], and almost every horse was dragging their hind legs over the table leading into the water or having trouble with the double corners.

BUT of course Nina and Sparky came around jumped a bit up at the brush and then brought it all together beautifully for the corners. I know we were all holding our breath over the corners and when cleared there was a resounding cheer from the crowd for the spectacular ride.

Nina can be seen in some of Samantha Clark's Eventing Nation videos on Youtube here:

[3:09]

and here:

Pan and Nina are probably the best mother/daughter team I've come across in the horse world. Pan is right there with the grooms mucking stalls and wrapping legs in preparation for what is to come. I've never seen a more dedicated parent to their kid in the horse world.

Thanks to all of them for a wonderful Spring Break, and slight reprieve from Graduate School in Aiken/Augusta as Masters week in Golf took over the town. Now back to the Medical world.

http://www.majanimedia.com/seagames.php

Inside the OR video from Youtube