Galway Downs Equestrian Center

Sponsor Spotlight – Devoucoux’s Chiberta Enara Saddle

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The winner of the Preliminary Challenge’s Rider Division, Jillian Newman, described the Chiberta Enara saddle she won as an “insane” prize!

She’s right.

Jillian Newman with her new Enara saddle – PC Tina Fitch PHotography

Introduced by Devoucoux in July of 2022, the Enara is a new hybrid saddle, explains the saddle-maker’s Estelle Maunmoury. “It has the feel of a monoflap saddle in a double flap saddle and a dynamic tree made of carbon fiber, kevlar and fiberglass.”

A V-shaped split in the back of the saddle seat is one of several unique features. “That helps it follow more the movement of the horse’s back and, for the rider, it helps absorb more shock when they land after a jump – especially the bigger jumps.”

The saddle was designed for eventers and is also popular with show jumping riders.

“I have a trainer in San Francisco who was using a martingale and other equipment to help his horse use its back more,” Estelle shares. “We found his previous saddle was not fitting properly. When we put him in the Enara, the horse could really use his back properly.”

Estelle says there’s a lot of curiosity about the unique design, and that California riders have been quick to embrace it. “They always get excited about new things that help their horses and their performance.”

Additional benefits of the Enara include three-dimensional padding to improve the distribution of pressure on the horse’s back. And a three-point girthing system assures more stability.

Making terrific equipment based on saddle-making savvy and horsemanship knowledge is only part of Devoucoux’ process. Identifying the ideal saddle for each horse and rider’s individual physical characteristics, athletic pursuits and preferences is an equal priority. So is fitting the saddle to both athletes’ need, as in the horse’s needs and the rider’s.

The process starts by consulting with a Devoucoux expert. Estelle welcomes inquiries and the company has representatives around the country who can make in-person visits. Estelle can be reached at e.maunoury@devoucoux.com.

Meet Our Exhibitors — Carole Lieberman

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We know Carole Lieberman as the bold Starter Rider contender. Her beloved partner is the 23-year-old Paint, Gimli, a former school horse at Mill Creek Equestrian in Topanga Canyon.

Carole and Gimli – PC Tina Fitch Photography

The world knows Carole as “Dr. Carole,” “America’s Psychiatrist,” the “Terrorist Therapist®” and as an internationally renowned media therapist. She’s frequently featured in the news and as a forensic psychiatrist and expert witness in major criminal trials. (the Terrorist Therapist name relates to Carole’s work helping kids and families cope with fears of a terrorist attack.)

One of Carole’s books.

Despite the celebrity from a career dedicated to helping people become or stay sane, Carole is flat-out crazy when it comes to horses — just like the rest of us.

Crazy In Love

Carole met Gimli about 15 years ago. She had ridden a little as a child, then came back to it in adulthood. While property shopping in her Malibu area, she stumbled upon Mill Creek Equestrian, rekindling dreams of a having a horse in her life.

She also stumbled upon one of the eventing world’s most revered instructors and horsewomen. Mill Creek’s owner Cory Walkey received the US Eventing Association’s Cornerstone Instructors Award in 2012 and the equestrian opportunities she made possible through Mill Creek are the stuff of legend.

Carole only needed a few rides to fall in love with Gimli. “I begged Cory to let me buy him,” Carole recounts. “I mean, I begged her and begged her and begged her.

“But she said no,” Carole continues. Gimli was a gem of a lesson horse and those are hard to find. And Cory wanted Carole to have the benefit of riding different horses as part of her horsemanship education. Instead, Cory found her a horse named Sage that Carole bought and showed for a while. When Sage retired after injuring herself, Carole went back to persuing her true love, Gimli.

Carole persisted. “I whispered in his ear, ‘You are going to be mine one day’.” She leased him. She kept begging Cory to buy this horse named after a heroic Lord Of The Rings character.

A Mother-Daughter Adventure

Cory eventually relented and Carole and her daughter Tiffany now share and enjoy every day they get with him.  Tiffany started in riding camps at 3 and continues to enjoy the sport. She leaves the competing to her mom, but helps keep Gimli fit at home and grooms for them at shows.

“We’ve bonded through our countless hours together with horses,” Carole notes. Their shared saddle time includes many equestrian adventures. A horseback safari in Botswana, chateau-to-chateau gallops in France’s Loire Valley and riding “the wild white horses of Camargue” in the South of France are among their treasured times together.

Since Mill Creek was sold, Carole and Tiffany moved to ride with McKenzie Rollins and Jennifer Johnson in Malibu. Jennifer and McKenzie came from Mill Creek, where Jamie Mann was another one of Carole’s influential coaches. “I am grateful to all of my coaches and trainers whose encouragement over the years has been invaluable.”

Horses As Helpers

Carole is uniquely qualified to explain why horses are so good for people. 

“Horseback riding is a fabulous way to get away from the craziness of the world,” she confirms. That’s always been true and especially now as the world seems more troubled than ever. “It’s easy to feel helpless when so much is going wrong. With horses, at least you can feel that you are spending your days in a productive way that will diminish stress and that you are following a passion.

“Because of COVID, we have all become more aware of our own mortality,” Carole continues. “That makes it all the more important to use the time we have doing something joyful.” Tackling the challenges that arise on course, in the dressage court or stadium jumping make it easier to tackle challenges in the bigger arena of life.

“Whenever I have a jumping lesson, it makes me feel like I can jump over other problems.”

“In riding, we are interacting with this other living being who is much more powerful than we are,” Carole continues. “It’s a partnership that has no comparison. When I went to medical school in Europe, I did a lot of skiing and I kept up with that until I started riding. I loved it, but there’s no question that I prefer riding. There’s nothing like it.”

A Happy Ending at Galway

Carole and Gimli and cross-country — PC Tina Fitch Photography

Carole and Gimli’s Starter Rider outing at the Galway Downs Spring Horse Trials started on a high note. After a helpful practice test that reminded her to address Gimli’s resistance to dropping into a relaxed frame, their actual test earned them one of their better scores.

Their equally feared and favored phase, cross-country, had a glitch. For no apparent reason, Steady Eddy Gimli decided on an impromptu dance number after fence 5, perplexing Carole to the point that she missed fence 6 and was eliminated. Not before finishing the rest of the course, however. She then asked the technical delegate’s permission to ride the stadium jumping for a more positive ending, and wound up feeling very happy about their performance.

“I walked the cross-country course three times. It was a very good course — all laid out in a circle– and I felt very confident about it,” Carole reflects. “Maybe I was too confident.”

Going off course, after Gimli’s unusual antics, only spurs Carole to work harder before the next event. With a busy fall and so much rain early this year, Carole was not in as great of shape as she’d like to have been coming into Galway.

“Can’t Be Complacent”

The Spring Horse Trial’s takeaway is that “I can’t be so complacent in trusting that my horse will just take me everywhere without my being more alert to anything that can happen.” The fact that so much can happen in any of the three phases is one of several reasons Carole loves eventing. Ideally, training as an eventer makes us all more able to react quickly and handle life’s many surprises, Carole says.

Flintridge Dressage, Shepard Ranch and Twin Rivers are on Carole and Gimli’s agenda in the coming months. So are lessons four or five days a week and, hopefully, spending a little less time sitting in her office and a little more time improving her fitness for riding.

The pair won many ribbons over the years, including 7th in the Area VI Introductory Championships at Ramtap last fall and a Galway Downs 1st and 7th in earlier outings. But there’s no resting on laurels. Clinics and schooling shows will be woven into their schedule to keep the learning curve in motion.

Above all, she’ll keep being crazy in love with her horse.

“There’s something so special about loving a horse,” Carole concludes. “Even when he does silly things like dancing on cross-country!”

Volunteer Spotlight — Celeste Travers

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Celeste Travers calmly checked the “clear” box as Tamie Smith and Mai Baum cleared her jump on the CCI4*-S course back in late March. She didn’t know she was watching a precursor to history —  Tamie and Mai Baum’s last prep before becoming the first Americans to win the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day 5* in 15 years.

How exciting was that? The Galway Gazette asked Celeste.

“Well, I don’t really follow the people too closely,” Celeste acknowledged. “I used to ride when I was younger and I just volunteer for fun.”

She’s been jump judging for fun steadily and reliably since her father, Anthony Travers, encouraged her to come out to Galway Downs five years ago. It’s a favorite father-daughter outing.  Initially, Anthony handled the walkie-talkie, calling each horse into the controller as clear or not over his obstacles, and Celeste recorded it on the judging sheet.

Celeste went solo soon after and has no problem when she’s asked to judge a few fences at the same time. “My dad and I converge at the end and talk about the jumps we judged and what approaches the horses took to them.”

Celeste grew up in Poway and was a member of the Poway Pony Club. She loved riding but never got into competing herself. She recalls coming to Galway Downs for a Pony Club Rally as part of her friends’ pit crew, giving her a keen appreciation for the effort and time that goes into competing.

A Vivienne Westwood design — an equestrian-inspired favorite of Celeste’s

She lives in South Pasadena now and attends the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, with plans to get into the styling side of the fashion industry. Celeste loves the styles she sees on the riders who whiz over her jumps and how equestrian motifs are incorporated into mainstream fashion. Designers John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood are favorites – especially Westwood’s vivid red equestrian designs. “It’s a stylish version of a fox hunting jacket,” Celeste shares.

Jump Judging Is Easy

Jump judging is easy to learn, Celeste asserts. “Most of the time, the horse and rider go over it just fine, so you radio that in, and make a check on your sheet. If the rider falls, you call that in and go check on the rider. Usually they are totally fine and you call that in. Or, if the horse is loose, you report that he’s running toward the barn or whatever. You always take your walkie-talkie with you!”

Occasionally it’s unclear whether the horse jumped cleanly through the flags. It’s possible to knock down one of the flags on either side of a fence and still have cleared the jump. “If there’s any uncertainty, we go on channel 3 and ask the technical delegate for clarification,” Celeste explains. Whatever happens, “pay attention to what you are doing, make sure you go into detail when you report and stay calm.”

Jump judge days start early with a review of the process, jump assignments and golf cart or truck transport out onto the course.

Celeste and Anthony volunteer frequently and donate the Galway Downs vouchers they earn to riders. She’s become a volunteer coordinator’s dream – “I’m pretty much good with everything, I’ll go wherever you need me to go. Water complexes are fun and interesting to watch, especially around trees where the horses have the extra challenge of going in and out of the shade. Honestly, I love seeing all the different jumps.”

The Galway Downs volunteer experience is always augmented by friendly, helpful people. She may not have tales of her own equestrian exploits to swap with fellow volunteers, but Celeste always feels part of the community as one of the dedicated people who make eventing possible.

Celeste’s Advice

  • Wear layers, because when you start at 7 a.m, it can be very cold.
  • Bring gloves, jacket and layers you can take off as the day goes on.
  • Beach chairs, chapstick, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses. “It can get hot, depending on where you’re sitting.”
  • A cooler for drinks and a snack. Hydration is really important.
  • Enjoy the drinks and snacks dropped off throughout the day and always a nice lunch for volunteers during the midday break.

Preliminary Challenge Ups the Ante at Spring Horse Trials

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The Spring Horse Trials have traditionally been a quieter competition.

But, no more. The arrival of the Preliminary Challenge at Galway Downs this year spiced things up spectacularly.

James Alliston, Coolrock Wacko Jacko and Robert Kellerhouse.
$5,000 in cash, a Haygain Hay Steamer and a VIP Table at the Galway Downs International
PC: Tina Fitch Photography

Designed to help riders and horses step up to the next level of competition, the Preliminary Challenge debuted in 2009 at the Woodside Horse Park and moved south to Galway Downs this year.

The chance to test new skills, coupled with the social festivities during the exciting show jumping finalé, has made the Challenge a marquee event on the West Coast circuit.

“The weekend featured so many stories that echo the great things about eventing,” says Galway chief Robert Kellerhouse. “From recognizing our many volunteers with special prizes donated by our venue owner Ken Smith, to first-time Preliminary rider Jillian Newman winning the highest placed rider award in the Challenge class and James Alliston catch-riding a horse to victory in that same class.

“I’m so grateful to all the competitors, owners, sponsors and volunteers who came forward, and to our incredible team.”

Alliston All The Way

James Alliston thinks he’s competed in every Prelmin Challenge since moving to California in 2010. He’s always been a big fan– and not just because he won it this year on Coolrock Wacko Jacko and finished 2nd with Call Me Rudi and 6th on Cora in the Horse division.

“For professionals with young horses, it’s a nice benchmark of where they are at, and hopefully if they can go on and do that at a higher level, too.” Doing dressage in a full court, in front of two judges, “you get an idea of how good they are on the flat. And having show jumping after cross-country on the same day, it tells you a lot if they can come out bouncing after rigorous cross-country and experience that Grand Prix Arena atmosphere. It’s probably the first time they’ve experienced anything like that.”

Both Wacko Jacko and Call Me Rudi were catch rides for James. Alliston Eventing student and Area VI Young rider star Jillian Mader owns Jacko but couldn’t attend the Spring Horse Trials.

Rudi is owned and usually campaigned by James’ wife and training partner, Helen Alliston. (James and Helen were married on the Galway cross-country course a few years ago, btw.) Helen didn’t ride over the weekend because she was apprenticing to earn her judging credentials. That included sitting with judge Robyn Fisher in the box while James rode his three contenders in dressage on opening day.

“I feel like I’m getting the benefit of Helen’s apprenticeship as well because she’s been seeing everything through the judges’ eyes,” James comments. “It’s been very interesting what she says about how she scores things and what she looks for to merit high marks, or what they penalize.

“And, maybe Helen had a word in Robyn’s ear!” James joked. (He and Wacko Jacko earned a 29.4 in dressage, and Call Me Rudi, a 30.6, scores on which both horses finished.)

Generous cash and prizes are one of many reasons James appreciates Galway Downs events. Wacko Jacko’s win netted $5,000, a Haygain Hay Steamer and a VIP Table at the Galway Downs International in the fall. “It’s a little hard making a living off of riding event horses. We appreciate everything Robert (Kellerhouse) does and we hope other venues can follow suit. It really helps!”

Jillian Newman Earns an “Insane” Prize

Jillian Newman and Curraghgraigue Freeman. PC: Tina Fitch Photography

Junior rider Jillian Newman had watched her coach, Erin Kellerhouse, compete at last year’s Preliminary Challenge and envisioned herself following those footsteps. However, her horse, Curraghgraigue Freeman, underwent colic shortly after Jillian got him and they weren’t able to start competing until 2022. It seemed a long shot they’d be up for the Preliminary’s level of competition this year.

Lo and behold, solid dressage and clears on cross-country and show jumping put them atop the Challenge’s Rider leaderboard in front of a rowdy VIP Pavilion crowd Saturday afternoon. “He’s been great in his training and I was so excited to have this opportunity before we go back East. I don’t think you can find events like the Challenge anywhere.”

Of the amped-up Saturday show jumping finalé, Jillian says, “I love riding when there is a lot of pressure. So having it in the late afternoon and going in reverse order of our standings – that was really exciting.”

Chiberta Enara saddle from Devoucoux

Earning a Chiberta Enara saddle from Devoucoux was “just insane,” exclaims Jillian. “I can’t believe that’s a prize!” The Devoucoux rep has already been out to fit “Quincy” and Jillian for their saddle, which incorporates cutting-edge features to maximize horse and rider comfort and performance. The Challenge also netted the young rider $3,000 in cash.

The Preliminary Challenge experience is perfect prep for taking Quincy to Virginia Tech, where they’ll ride on the school’s eventing team. Jillian graduates from Great Oak High School on June 8. “I didn’t really want to leave California and my amazing trainer, Erin, but there’s not a lot of options to ride in college out here.”

The upside is having Jillian and Quincy representing the West Coast eventing scene so confidently during her time in the East.

A Challenge For All

It wasn’t just the Challenge competitors who appreciated the heightened atmosphere of the Spring Horse Trials. “Everyone jumped in the Grand Prix Arena and I’ll say that was a lot for some horses,” notes professional Gina Economou. “There were lots of new show jumping fences and the atmosphere was electric.”

Gina and her own Cooley By Design had a spin in the 4* Combined Test and her pro contemporaries had constructive outings in various divisions. Emilee Libby and Toksa topped the Advanced Combined Test, while Erin Kellerhouse won the Open Intermediate on Bon Vivant GWF and the Open Modified on her longtime partner Woodford Reserve. Allyson Hartenburg and Karel H were victors in Open Preliminary.

Volunteer Spotlight – Jim Moyer

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Jim Moyer

Dedicated horsewoman and teacher Jean Moyer left this world too soon — in 2020. But her legacy lives in the many professionals she mentored, the horses she sourced and, perhaps most of all, the passion she sparked in her husband Jim Moyer.

If you’re a West Coast eventer, you know Jim. Or you’ve at least seen him…at the back gate, at the parking lot entrance, at the start box or a fence with a jump judge clipboard on competition days. Likely, he was at the venue before you arrived to help set up and will stick around to help after you’ve headed home.

On the long list of volunteer tasks involved in staging an event, dressage scribing is about the only thing Jim doesn’t do. Not that he poo-poos the important task, it’s just not his thing. “I have poor penmanship and I’m not very good at that kind of thing.”  And it doesn’t fit his otherwise broad criteria for what he likes to do on site — be on the front lines helping people and horses enjoy the sport he loves and quietly cheering everybody on.

“I really like the positions where you can greet people. I see so many old friends and make new ones. The eventing community is just one big family. They all support each other and everything they do is for the horse and to support the sport.”

Jim and Jean were 2020 USEA Governors Cup recipients as volunteers whose service has contributed significantly to the sport. As of early April, the association’s Volunteer Incentive Program had Jim in the Bronze medal category for a lifetime 519 hours tracked. That’s 21 24-hour days and almost 65 8-hour days.

It’s likely Jim has accrued much more than that and equally likely that he’s not counting.

California Tour

His Galway Downs days during the Spring International Horse Trials fell mid-way in his spring California tour. Jim started in mid-March at the Ram Tap National in Fresno, then headed south in his RV to Galway Downs.

After that, it was a fun detour to Omaha to enjoy the FEI World Cup Finals for dressage and jumping as a spectator, then back to California to volunteer at the Twin Rivers Spring International in mid-April. He’s a fixture at Area VII events close to his home in the Seattle area’s Gig Harbor, including the Spokane Sport Horse Park and Aspen Farms.

At our Spring International Horse Trials, Jim was the guy in the bright yellow slicker throughout Thursday’s endless downpour. “I was only disappointed because I come down here from the Northwest ready to listen to you guys complain about the drought. And here it was nothing but rain, rain, rain.”

The assignment that wet day was keeping Horse Trials dressage pairs organized for their turn in the sand box. “If the eventers are willing to ride in that weather, I’m willing to be out there helping get them organized. The rain doesn’t faze me at all.”

Jim recommends volunteering to everyone. Even a shy newbie will make friend in “about five minutes,” he assures. “There is a lot of team spirit and a great sense of community.” Acknowledging his unique position of being retired and without other obligations, Jim says “I can’t imagine sitting home by myself and watching TV. I like to be out meeting and being around people.”

Volunteering is a wonderful learning opportunity for everyone, and especially young riders, he emphasizes. “A lot of young people should get more involved because you can learn so much.” Even a position that requires no prior experience, like jump judging, can deliver many insights in watching different riders and horses, at various levels, approach the course’s challenges.

Volunteering has other perks, too. “Every venue is so generous,” Jim reports. “They have t-shirts, hats, certificates, etc.” Galway Downs’ Volunteer program, for example, offers $30, $60 and $90 vouchers good toward entries, schooling fees, branded swag or VIP Pavilion access. Jim usually donates his coupons to his rider friends.

Horse Guy For Life

Several Northwest-based riders enjoy a special connection with Jim because they’re developing horses Jean helped identify in Germany. Galway Downs’ recent CCI2* winner Lovely Lola is such a horse. The 9-year-old Hanoverian has been part of Jordan Linstedt’s program since coming to the States and Jim has enjoyed a front row seat to the mare’s ascent. “She is one of a handful of horses that my wife helped pick out for riders. Jordan has three, Sarah Sullivan has one and so does (USEA president) Lou Leslie. I always try to arrange my volunteer schedule so I can watch them go.”

He also videos the horses that Jean sourced and sends them to the horse’s breeders and connections in Germany.

Jim was not a horse guy when he and Jean met, but he became one. “I fell in love with her, then I fell in love with the horses. It all started with her.”

“Jean’s passion was teaching. She’d be happy sitting in a corner and teaching all day.” But Jean didn’t just sit in a corner. Along with giving clinics throughout North America and beyond, she and Jim traveled to Germany to scout and buy young horses and stallion prospects. “She taught me so much about horses,” Jim notes. “I am very lucky that way.” Along the way, the Moyers established lifelong friendships, including Britta and Hannes Baumgart, who continue suggesting horses for Jim to bid on.

In fact, October trips to Germany are one of the few things that keep Jim away from volunteering. He won’t be at Galway for the Fall International because he’ll be at the auctions and visiting private farms in Germany — continuing he and Jean’s long held tradition.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of eventing. Jim’s generosity with his time and the wide range of tasks he happily takes on make him a treasured gem among West Coast event organizers.