10/19/2026
Team FRSS journeyed to California for a week of fun and success at the Temecula Valley National Fall 3! Here are the highlights:
🌴Ideal & Krista Blew - Champion 36+ Adult Amateur Hunters, 1st Adult Amateur Hunter Classic
🌴Luc L & Aria Rucks - Champion Modified Children’s Hunters
🌴Crypton Z & Sara Knutson - Champion Low Adult Hunters
🌴Chapman BZ & Laurel Lettmann - Reserve Champion 15-17 Children’s Hunters
🌴Cuba De Revel & Sydney Lawrence - 1st 3’3” & 3’6” Junior & Amateur Owner Combined Hunter Classic
🌴Dakary & Kaviya Blew - 2nd .85M Stake, 2nd .80M jumpers
🌴Kyrelle Van Het Kreklehof & Jillian Thomas - 3rd 1.0M Jumper Classic, Top 3 ribbons .90m & 1.0M jumpers
🌴Kit’s Cabe & Alexis Thomas - Top 3 ribbons o/f 18-35 Adult Amateur Hunters
🌴Classe De Virton & Jillian Thomas - Top 3 ribbons o/f 15-17 Children’s Hunters
🌴Boulahrouz & Kaviya Blew - top 8 ribbons Low Children’s Hunters
REAL TALK… This week was tough - like sick and injured trainers - kinda tough. Like hurricane upon arrival - kinda tough. Like horse showing in gale force winds and 80+ degrees (and everything in between) - kinda tough. Like nothing went exactly to plan - kinda tough… and yet, when all the wheels fell off the bus, we miraculously manifested more wheels and finished the week with so much success?!
I want to express gratitude to my staff who’ve been on the road. You are thoughtful, talented, brilliant, hardworking, loyal and always willing to show up, step up and lean in. I’m forever grateful I have the privilege to work alongside you! You have more grit, heart, and work ethic in *one hand* than most people do in their whole body! (See what I did there?!)
Many thanks to the staff at home who diligently kept things rolling and managed the week with such grace and expertise! I didn’t worry about a thing and appreciated the thoroughly awesome support so Al & I could focus on the task at hand in CA.
To our friends who morning hacked horses, sent lovely texts of concern, checked on Alex, met us with a hug and a smile - thank you! It was wonderful to see you in Temecula!
To Ali and our friends at Nilforushan Equisport Events who always make us feel welcome and valuable, thank you for producing wonderful, warm, professional, and competitive horse shows!
To our customers who jumped in and helped Alex with chores, (kept me alive and chauffeured me around), supported the team, and trusted that although we felt like we had exhausted Plans A-W by midweek, we could still produce great results and experiences for our riders and horses! Thank you for believing in us and trusting us to curate a positive, productive horse show experience - even when plans have to adjust! We are so grateful for all of you and overwhelmingly proud of your riding and horsemanship this week!
…And last but certainly not least… to our horses - you are brave and kind and collaborative - thank you for taking care of our riders with great heart, skill, and joy! We’re so lucky to spend our lives as your companions, stewards, and partners! We love you most. After all, we are always *horse girls* at heart…
