Intelligence and luck are part of another day in Paradise

Tears of joy were rolling down the cheeks of eventer Katie Berta after finishing the cross country phase at this weekend's Paradise Farm horse trials. The visceral experience was the result of the performance of a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Brandeburg's Lucky Charm, who has overcome health issues only to return to competition.

Brandeburg's Lucky Charm, or Bailey as he's known around the barn, and Berta enjoyed success in the junior division going as far as intermediate level, but the Lexington, Ky.-based rider went training level Saturday.

"I didn't ride him quite as well as I should have," said Berta. "He was spectacular."

The rider found the cross country course inviting, and was pleased with the questions that it asked. Berta felt the training course was a good gauge for getting her horses ready (she had two rides go training level Saturday), and it gave her an opportunity to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

Bourbon, is Berta's other ride, and the six-year-old Thoroughbred is owned by her father Vince. Berta describes Bourbon as a horse with a great work ethic.

"He's a great cross country horse," said Berta. "He has a very lovely walk and canter. He's very blessed there. His trot, not so much. It's definitely getting better."

Berta plans to move Bourbon up at the MayDaze at the Park horse trials May 26-27 at the Kentucky Horse Park. Bailey will do preliminary/training at Pine Top in March, said Berta.

Upper level rider and Olympian Heidi White added to the day's excitement with a hint of cloak and dagger with her training level ride, Debbie McQueary's James Bond 007.

"She (McQueary) has become a client and friend of mine," said White. "She flies back and forth right now. I met her at Town Hill Farm in Lakeville (Conn.) He's quite a nice, young horse."

James Bond 007 is a big horse, which is in sharp contrast to the diminutive McQueary. The gelding with the name that makes you think intrigue and espionage, is a bit green, said White. He may not just yet have the sophistication of the famous fictional British Secret Service intelligence officer, but does appear to have a great deal of potential.

"He's 8 this year," said White. "He came from Germany and is an Oldenburg. I think she got him as a 3-year-old, and she's had him ever since. I sat on him a few times, and he had a bit of a water problem, so we've worked on that."

The Paradise Farm horse trials is a good fit for White's winter program at all levels, and she recognized the hard work Lellie Ward's (Paradise Farm's owner, who sustained several injuries as the result of a fall on Jan. 31) crew and those who volunteered did in making sure this year's event happened.

White described the training level cross country course as always being substantial. The upper level rider who placed second in 2006 at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** Three-Day Event, and fourth in the 2007 Rolex Kentucky CCI**** Three-Day Event, with Northern Spy, found the cross country course's new sunken road to be a fantastic addition.

"I think it's a great training level question," said White. "I think it certainly sets up. You don't see it very often, and that's why we brought some horses. A lot of these combinations, you don't see them at training level. You're one step away from prelim, and that's where the combinations start."

The cross country course offered the horse/rider combinations a number of interesting challenges.

"You have the corner, the water and I thought that coffin was very serious," said White. "I thought that was a good question. The fence at c coming out was at a bit of an angle, which means you just didn't jump the ditch and hold on, you still had to keep riding, and I thought that was a good question. And to have 4, 5ab and 6 on a training (level cross country course), was kind of a neat combination."

The cross country course proved to be a valuable educational tool for the horses, said White.

"My horse was learning to look for the next fence as he was going on," said White. "He goes to Pine Top next. This is only his second training. We have at least two more, and I would say, one or two more like this quality of training. I'll probably take him to The Fork (Norwood, N.C.) I think that's a serious course."