About Huxley (b. February 11, 1991)
The
Early Years
Huxley
Greer was born on February 11, 1991. She was brought into a family of
four people, 2 dogs, and four horses and she was first on a horse's back
just days after she was born. She was born into a family who loved to
go on trail rides and go foxhunting. It would
seem only natural that Huxley would be a rider but actually, for the
first ten years of her life, she spent a lot of time riding around bareback,
playing with the dogs, and enjoying the horses, but it appeared that
she was either going to skate competitively or do gymnastics.
It wasn't until her 10th birthday that Eventing took over her blood and
determined her purpose.
On Huxley's 10th birthday, Huxley's mom, Juel, suggested they celebrate by spending the evening at home watching a movie and eating ice cream. Huxley went out and picked the first movie she saw with a horse on the front. At first, watching horses move around on the flat (you know - the rectangle with the letters around it), she found the movie boring and started playing with her ice cream, a little disappointed in her pick. Moments later, though, she saw horses galloping down a path marked off with ropes and jumping over massive obstacles laid throughout the field. Her eyes fixed on the tv and when she finally looked down, her ice cream had melted. She realized at that moment that whatever this was called - the jumping wooden stuff in the field - that was exactly what she wanted to do. It was also the moment that her other interests became hobbies and eventing became her solitary purpose.
Huxley Starts Eventing
Longtime family friend, Katie Crosby,
offered her experienced eventing pony, Fawn, for Huxley to ride. Fawn
was an ideal teacher. She was excellent at jumping provided Huxley was
present and riding, and good about refusing if she felt Huxley was napping.
Huxley and Fawn completed their first Beginner Novice event when Huxley
was 11 years old. In the two years that followed, she worked hard and
was very focused. Her seat and hands developed and she started to eye
the bigger jumps and the bigger ponies, Octavian especially. However,
Juel didn't feel that Huxley was ready for Octavian, but when Huxley
turned 12, Juel and Huxley made a plan to start seriously training the
youngsters in the field. Tara, a Clydesdale/TB born to their
Clydesdale, Molly, four years before was ready to start under saddle
and Darby, a young Halflinger, was also ready to start work. Juel had
planned to homeschool Huxley to give them plenty of time at the barn
together - it was clear that Huxley was serious about riding, and she
kept pestering her mom about Octavian. She insisted she wanted to ride
him, but Juel wasn't sure she was quite ready. Their plan to work intensively
with the horses did not materialize, however, because Juel was diagnosed
with metastatic cancer shortly after Huxley was going to start her
7th grade year at home. A few months later, Juel finally let Huxley
start riding Octavian.
Huxley & Octavian
At
the age of 12, Huxley started riding Octavian. Octavian was, despite
being 12 years old as well, quite green.
Little did Huxley know that the partnership she was forming would prove
to be one that would teach her invaluable knowledge in not only the sport,
but in lessons of perserverence, determination, and quite literally,
stickability. In the summer of 2004, Huxley's parents passed away. It
is often said that horses offer comfort, and for Huxley, this was very
true.
In 2005, Huxley and Octavian officially started their eventing career together. Huxley had been working under strict financial constraints and had been working without the help of a trainer or coach, other than occasional help from her sister, Christy, who had competed primarily in Jumpers, but had done some foxhunting and Dressage. The experience of bringing along a green horse left her with knowledge she may not have obtained otherwise, but the road was a bumpy one. At their first novice horse trial together, Huxley and Octavian received a score of 50 in dressage, but were double clear in both stadium and cross country, which left them in 2nd place at the end of the day. In the summer of 2005, Huxley and Octavian did their first training level horse trial, but were eliminated during cross country when Octavian stopped three times at the next to last fence, a trakehner.
Despite the difficulty of working through some of Octavian's resistance on the flat and the difficulty they had getting out to see new jumps - a necessity in eventing - Huxley persevered. She was determined and laid out her schedules and goals each winter. She hoped to reach the highest level of the sport at some point and wanted to take Octavian as far as he could go, whether she had help or not. Huxley did a lot of reading, watching, and listening. Octavian still had a lot of behavioral issues to work through, including rearing and balking.
Huxley
began thinking about competing at 3 day events when she started learning
about the sport. She used to eye pictures of riders during the first
horse inspections, during the Jog. There was something really special
about the Jog - it symbolized a rite of passage, entry into real 3 day
eventing. In 2007, Huxley finally saw a light in her training with Octavian
and started planning officially, rather than sunconsciously, for their
first one star together. On paper, she had planned to take him to his
first one star in the Fall of 2007, but she and Octavian came face to
face with some clear gaps in experience that summer.
In June 2007, at Rubicon in Northern Virginia, she was eliminated halfway through the cross country course. It was their third Preliminary and a huge disappointment for Huxley because it was clear that Octavian was capable and she was sure they would be able to move quickly through the levels if she could just let him go! But the jumps looked big to her sister, Christy, and she admitted she was relieved that Huxley got eliminated because it meant they wouldn't face that huge table on the second half of the course. In Huxley's mind, the course in memory took on a life of its own.
Turning
Point - aka "What is *your* Rubicon?"
Rubicon
became a noun (e.g., "Oh yea. That big drop into the water was their
Rubicon alright."), a verb ("Dude! What's that. That jump is Rubiconned..."),
a curse word ("Geez. That's skinny, but it's not as skinny as that Rubicon
skinny!"), something that represented a swift, shocking, kick in the
behind, but it was a blessing in disguise. Huxley's sister, Christy, and
Christy's fiancee, Rob, realized Huxley and Octavian just had to get out
more and get lessons with someone else! They realized that they needed to
commit more. It was wrenching to see Huxley work so hard - going to the
barn every day after school to work off Octavian's board - riding in the
wind, snow, sleet, and rain... giving her life and dreams to Octavian and
Eventing and achieving so much all by herself, only to come away feeling
like such a failure! They trailered out to different farms that summer and
schooled different cross country courses. Huxley and Octavian started
looking better and better, and the events Huxley had previously penciled
in because they were too far away became more and more attainable. But...
the feeling of being Rubiconned didn't go away so easily. He was getting
very strong in cross country, but continued to be resistant in Dressage.
It was just prior to the first event of the season in March 2008, at Southern Pines in North Carolina, that Christy realized she needed to find a trainer who specialized in Dressage to help Huxley work through some of their problems. In reality, Christy was concerned that Huxley and Octavian would get eliminated before they even made it to the cross country course... given Octavian's resistance in the Dressage arena at home (which was frequently exceeding 20 seconds). They did manage to make it through the Dressage test at Southern Pines that weekend, but their score reflected a test full of problems. The following week, Huxley started working with Gabriele Hooten to improve their flatwork. She saw immediate improvements, including an Octavian who actually picked up the canter rather than rearing. Gabi could not have arrived on the scene at a more vital time! She immediately changed the way Octavian was being ridden in Dressage, focused on developing Octavian's back muscles, and brought a newfound excitement to the Dressage arena. Read more about Gabi...
Early in 2008, shortly after her first lesson with Gabrielle, Huxley began looking for more extensive Eventing guidance. She learned that Molly Bull at Plain Dealing Farm was accepting students. Although located in Scottsville, a 2 hour drive, Huxley, Christy and Rob agreed that good training was a necessity at this point. Molly's teaching style clicked immediately with Huxley, and Hux came away from her first lesson with Molly with a much better understanding of how to ride different kinds of jumps. Molly was exactly the coach she needed. Read more about Molly
A Dream Realized
Molly and Gabi went on to help
Huxley have a good season in 2008. On a sweltering summer day in June
2008, Huxley rode in on a white horse and slayed the dragon known as
Rubicon. That season culminated in Huxley and Octavian's completion
of their first CCI* at Morven in October 08, a realization of one of
Huxley's lifelong dreams. To find out more about the path to Morven,
read Huxley's 2008 competition and training blog, The
Road to Morven CCI
With Molly and Gabi's guidance, Huxley has decided that Octavian, at the age of 18, shouldn't be asked to move up through the levels. He has given her a tremendous amount of experience, heart, and care, and the ultimate tribute to him will be competing at the NAJYRC. If only he will try to enjoy his Dressage!
What will happen this season? The best way to find out is to hear it from the horse's mouth: check out Huxley's 2009 training and competition blog, 520mpm.
What Others Say about Huxley
Julie Georges (Catawba, Virginia): Giovanni's person and Huxley's student and friend
I play a game whereby I find one word (and only one) to describe my friends. My word for Huxley is “dedication”. ..“Complete and whole hearted fidelity!” OK, so what is “fidelity”? “The unfailing fulfillment of one’s duties and obligations and strict adherence to vows or promises” Wow!! That is perfect! There are plenty of young people who keep a goal in sight and arrive there at all costs. They are “fearless” and “driven” achieving all goals they set for themselves. But Huxley is different. She has a surplus of devotion that spills over onto all she meets, coating them with her excitement, expectation and confidence!
I first met this interesting young woman as a 16 year old with a “will work for competition fees” sign up in the barn that I frequent. She was willing to do anything horse related. Great!! Will you ride the horses I can’t get to and “leg ‘em up” for summer? No problem! And so I became acquainted with this inspirational teenager. She was completely independent as she came and went. Soon she was giving me lessons. I started asking what the heck eventing was, anyhow. She explained. I voiced that it must take a special (read “expensive”) horse to event – she said, “No! Giovanni could event!” My newest addition, a 15 yo quarterhorse would jump the moon for me but I am OLD – I mean WELL over 40. I laughed and said maybe YOU can event Giovanni. Then she introduced me to an awesome 4 star eventer who was willing to train “even me” and so it began! I felt rather pathetic as I begged her to go places with me (I’ll haul!!) so that she and Octavian would lead me over fences. Then I paid her to jump my horse over Novice level jumps. I finally asked if she would be interested in running him Novice for me. She said she would be happy to do that but she really thought that I could do it myself. So I did! Because a talented young teenager who lives and breathes eventing still found the generosity of spirit, after training daily through wind, sleet, and snow, to instill her love of the sport with others. This sets her apart from “competitor” to “steward” of the sport. I look forward to her “legging up” my newest love, Equinox!
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Molly Bull (Scottsville, VA): Huxley's Eventing Trainer
Huxley is one of my favorite students because she is such a hard worker and a caring horsewoman. She truly wants to learn, not just how to ride better but about all aspects of horsemanship. She has a great partnership with her preliminary horse Octavian. He is not an easy ride on the flat but they excel at jumping, especially cross country, which is her favorite part I think. Huxley always maintains a positive attitude and is kind to everyone, horses and people alike. I am excited about her new young horse too - hopefully they will eventually go on to the upper levels together!----------------------------------------
Gabrielle Hooten (Roanoke, VA): Huxley's Dressage Trainer
Huxley is an outstanding young woman who is truly dedicated to the welfare of all she comes in contact with. She's the one who will pull over to rescue the stray dog on the road, or remove a turtle to safety before it gets run over, no matter how much in a hurry she is. Huxley is every instructor's dream student, always eager to learn, practicing diligently in order to progress at an impressive speed. But above all is the welfare of the horse for her. It's wonderful to see someone who's so dedicated and ambitious put her horse first no matter what. When we go out of town and Hux takes care of all our critters, I always know that they get all the attention and affection they need. I let her ride any of my horses without hesitation, knowing they are safe with her. All of us wish Huxley all the best in her life, no matter where it's going to take her.
