Our very own Jodi Hemry winning in the Preliminary Devision this weekend at Full Gallop Horse Trials was interviewed for the Aiken Standard this weekend! Click here to read the article!

Hemry and Charles Harbor navigate their way to victory

By BEN BAUGH
Posted: Sunday, March 10, 2013 11:09 p.m.

Aiken’s Jodi Hemry has had Charles Harbor since he was 7-years-old. The rider and off the track Thoroughbred, who is now 12, placed first this weekend at the Full Gallop Farm Horse Trials in the preliminary-b division. The rider/horse combination found themselves in first place after the stadium jumping phase on Saturday, and would hold on to win the division after Sunday’s cross country phase.

“Charles was really good this weekend,” said Hemry, whose Jodi Hemry Eventing is based at Pine Ridge Stables. “I was very pleased with his dressage test, he was super nice and relaxed, and put in an outstanding effort. He’s a good boy and tries really hard. He’s a pretty good mover for a Thoroughbred.”

The gelding was as equally impressive during the stadium jumping phase.

“I could have given him a little bit of a better ride, but he was quite good and very careful,” said Hemry. “He’s a good jumper. He’s done a couple of one-stars. I’ll either do another one-star with him this spring or move him up to intermediate.”

Hemry’s upper level horse is In Style. The Quarter Horse moved up to intermediate at the Pine Top Farm Horse Trials Feb. 22-24, and will go next to Southern Pines.

“If all goes well, our goal for him is to do the two-star at Jersey Fresh,” said Hemry. “He struggles quite a bit in the dressage. But, he’s super brave cross country.”

The professional trains with Olympic Silver medalist and 4-time Rolex Kentucky winner Kim Severson to improve her dressage scores.

“I’ve been working with Kim, not as much as I’d like to, but a little bit,” said Hemry. “Kim is awesome. The minute I ride with her, she can pick out exactly what I’m doing wrong, and what I need to do to fix it, whether the horse is going to the left or if the horse is going to the right, or whether the horse is too low.”

It’s Severson’s insight and coaching that helped to make a significant difference in Hemry’s dressage score this past weekend.

“She’s always picking on my position and how much that affects the horses,” said Hemry. “She addresses problems immediately. In fact, I took a lesson from her last week, and I took eight points off of my dressage score.”

The horseman has been working with Gagne International Stable’s J.F. Gagne to improve her show jumping, and has seen a positive difference in her horses’ level of confidence.

“He’s done wonders,” said Hemry. “Both of my horses are jumping really well in the stadium. They’re both really careful and have been jumping clean.”