SendonWay is pleased to welcome Elizabeth Jenkinson, Dan Crudele and their Cleveland Bay IdleHour Forio. They joined SendonWay's team in December 2007.

Here is Bette’s “horse story,” in her own words:

I began riding lessons at Maypine Farm at the age of 30 and within a year, I purchased my horse Bucephalus (Bebe) at a dispersal sale. He was a 4-year-old, three-quarter dark bay Thoroughbred breeding stallion who was unbroken but recently gelded. What followed was a 22-year-long relationship during which I broke and trained Bebe in hunt seat then later in dressage.

In the middle of this time period, I had a severe riding accident that involved a 10-year hiatus for me and a retirement to pasture for Bebe. In 2003, I was recovered enough to learn to walk and ride again, and brought Bebe out of retirement to become my equine therapy partner. I trained him through Second Level as a disabled rider. My husband, Dan Crudele, has been my support with my horse, caring for Bebe during the time I was out of the saddle. Without his contribution, I would be unable to continue in dressage. In December 2007, Bebe was humanely euthanized at 26 for age-related disease. We then purchased my new dressage prospect, IdleHour Forio, and moved into SendonWay for full training with Nancy.

IdleHour Forio, who turned 5 in April 2008, is a part-bred Cleveland Bay. He is registered in Britain with the Cleveland Bay Horse Society of Great Britain, patroned by HRH The Queen of England. Cleveland Bay horses both pure and part-bred are an endangered species of English carriage horse that are slow maturing (usually by age 7). Forio is half Thoroughbred and would be considered a “British-type warmblood.” He was bred by Marilyn Webster of IdleHour Stud in Pennsylvania, the premier Cleveland Bay nursery in North America. His sire, *Ramblers Renown (foundation sire now deceased), has sired many champions, including Forio’s half-brother, IdleHour McHenry, of dressage and eventing fame. IdleHour Forio is *Ramblers Renown’s last son born of live cover on IdleHour Stud ground.

In addition to acquainting ourselves with our new family member, Forio, Dan and I are part of the Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center Victory Society, which supports the work of TRC with planned giving. I have also recently undertaken a new endeavor as a staff writer on the Northern Ohio Dressage Association newsletter.

We are very pleased to be at SendonWay knowing Nancy will be giving Forio the best possible foundation in dressage and eventually launching Forio’s show career - I might even give it a try myself! The activity I am really looking forward to with Forio is something I know he will be stellar at due to his breed qualities -- relaxing on the Metropark bridlepaths this summer and having Big Fun!