Wyntera has a great heart but her conformation is not desirable as an upper level dressage horse. She is long in the back and very straight behind with upright pasterns. The advice I received from a prior instructor was she would probably reach her maximum potential at 3 ^rd level. As a middle age adult amateur with aspirations of riding Grand Prix, I chose to sell her and purchase an upper level horse from which I could learn. I always had second thoughts about this decision.

In the span of 5 years, I bought and sold 3 horses, all of them imports. They were all fancy movers, beautifully bred, with bad manners and needed extensive training. During this time, I had been keeping track of Wyntera and her junior rider and mother, Gail. The junior rider began showing at First Level and had Wyntera competing at Third Level by 2007.

One of my happiest memories was when I led Wyntera down the ramp of the trailer and into my stable in May 2008. My partner and lifetime friend was home to stay. She looked beautiful to me even though she was under muscled and underweight, just coming off of an 8 month stable rest after an injury.

The show season was already underway and she needed much work and reconditioning. To top it off, my riding skills had regressed and I had developed poor riding form during my previous horse experiences. It was questionable if we would be able to show this season. We needed help. I began training with Frances Carbonnel.

My insistence on showing after only 8 weeks was premature and a judge told me we should not be showing at Third Level. I did not show her again until the end of the season and had limited opportunity to qualify for the championship class. I did qualify and I did win, thanks to a horse with a big heart and a strong work ethic.