We spent an exciting and somewhat hectic weekend in beautiful Central New Jersey, where Cara was participating in the Equestrian Talent Search at Centenary College in Hackettstown (Just to 
be precise, the event was at Centenary’s Equestrian Center, which is
actually in Long Valley. On Middle Valley Road in Long Valley. Atop a mountain on Middle Valley Road in Long Valley. Well-hidden, it seems needless to add.) Cara participated in clinics run by Jim Arrigon, currently head coach of Xavier University and an accomplished coach, Michael Dowling, the head coach of Centenary (a school that I had never heard of, but which has quite a riding program, beautiful facilities, and an equine studies program of the sort she seems interested in, but which Cara is not at all interested in attending, for reasons inscrutable to all, perhaps not excepting herself), and Heather Clark, Centenary assistant coach, and was judged by the very personable Sam McCarthy, head coach of University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, wherever that is. Cara was among 60 riders, most of whom were more experienced, but she held her own, and seems to have learned a great deal. Top, Cara prepares to ride the jump course. Above left, one of the buildings at the facility; above right, Coach Dowling walks the course with the riders. Below, exciting action shots of Cara at the clinic and riding in the flats competition, selected to demonstrate the incompetence of her parental photographers, the limitations of the Nikon Coolpix, and the thrilling speed of the action. Nice job, Cara!
