After much consideration, I made the decision to make the trek to CA for Galway in November. Although there is a CCI* in the spring at Twin Rivers, it makes more sense to me to do it at the end of the season when Secret is fit from running all year. He is healthy, so am I, and we're feeling great together, so, time to take a shot at it. I decided to leave Gogo behind; he's had a great season and finished with winning the training championships at NW.  He's only 5 and did three trainings this year, finishing on his dressage score at all three and was 1st, 2nd (behind Rimsky), and 1st, so I think he's earned a break! I will now spend the next few weeks obsessing over Secrets legs, fitness program, and wondering what details I've forgotten to organize, or what fences I've forgotten to educate him about. Let the three day stress begin!

We are now accepting applications for a working student position to begin December.1. Please visit the working student page of the website for more information or email me for details, suzypettman@hotmail.com.

As most of you have heard, Jon's mother, Gail, passed away September 24, after a two year battle with cancer. She was at home and surrounded by family. Gail was a huge supporter of Aspen Farms, always present at the horse trials and ready to pitch in and help with whatever needed to be done. Even as her health failed, she continued to organize volunteers from her computer and came out to the September event to see the new water jump and make sure all the volunteers were well looked after. Hopefully some of you were lucky enough to get a smile and thank you from her as she watched from her golf cart. In healthier times, Gail loved to come out to the farm to ride her horse Linus, and would spend hours here letting her dogs roam while she planted us some flowers that she brought from her garden or watered plants that I had neglected! She loved getting to know the working students; she gave them advice on colleges, invited them over for fourth of July or whatever holiday was approaching, and made them feel welcome and appreciated. I know she applied the same warmth and commitment to all areas of her life, and so will be missed by many. We love and miss you Gail.

Gail Williams Elliott

 This New England-native (b. New Haven, CT, 1939) moved to the Northwest after her marriage to Neal M. Elliott (1940-1998), whom she met at International House at Columbia University, over a bowl of chocolate ice cream. Prior to her master's degree at Columbia, Gail studied at Middlebury College and the University of Edinburgh. She brought her love of history, travel and classical music with her to Washington, where she discovered horses and boisterous board games with her children. In 2002 she fell in love again with another intrepid traveler, Bill Boris, and the pair have spent the last nine years traveling the world. Gail is survived by sister Gene Hoyt, her brother Harold Munson, her husband Bill Boris, her three children--Ingrid, Eva and Jonathan Elliott--four grandsons--Avi, Micah, Isaac and Jasper--one horse--Linus--and seven dogs and granddogs--Bruno, Monti, Lucy, Scooter, Kirin, Rudy and Odie. A memorial service will be held at the Chapel on Echo Bay ( 400 6th Avenue, Fox Island, WA 98333), 2:30pm, Tuesday September 27th. The family welcomes donations in Gail's memory to the Second City Chamber Music Series: P.O. Box 967, Tacoma, WA 98401. This is an arts organization which performs professional chamber music, as well as provides ensemble opportunities for high school musicians. Gail introduced her children to classical music though their concerts in the seventies and eighties, sat on their board for years, and found great joy in their music for decades.