Balmullo's Beacon: Competition record
Check the NEWS page for latest competition results and schedule of upcoming events.

Career Highlights:

Balmullo's Beacon was trained & competed by Jill Mooney (GA) 1998-1999.
In 2000 and after, he mostly competed under owner, Vanessa Morgan.

RESULTS:
2006

A great weekend for Beacon and Sun (10/06)

Last weekend I was privileged to be able to ride in the USEA Jump Start Horse Trials at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was my first horse trials in 6 years and I rode my favorite equine partner, Balmullo's Beacon. My competition began on Saturday with dressage in the morning and X-co in the afternoon. I was happy with our dressage because, although it was not our best, it could have been much worse. We received a score of 35.5 penalty points, which put us in 6th place, out of 19 starters. The rain came in again on Saturday afternoon (after raining most of Friday night), but that didn't stop Beacon from ripping around the Novice X-Co course, finishing right on the speed time limit of 4:18. Incurring no faults on course, we moved up to 4th. Sunday's stadium was in a very soupy arena, from all the previous rain. Beacon took his time in the treacherous footing, with resulted in stops and time penalties for many riders. However, in his true fashion, Beacon jumped everything clean and within time, really saving my skin on a very bad approach to the last fence, moving us us to 2nd place. I love this pony!!!!

   

Not only did Beacon move up to finish 2nd in the NR, Div. 2, but also, we are doubly thrilled that his son, Piedmont Sundance, won the NR, Div. 3:-)

Marion Caldwell rode an accurate and steady dressage test on Saturday afternoon, tying them for 2nd place. They put in a beautiful cross-country round on Saturday and faultless stadium on Sunday. The double clear jumping rounds moved the pair to victory!!!
  2nd place Novice Rider Division 2, USEA Jump Start Horse Trials, Kentucky Horse Park, 9/30 - 10/1/05, with owner/rider, Vanessa Morgan.
  2nd Place Novice Combined Test, CDCTS at McCord Farm (TN) 9/9/06, with owner/rider, Vanessa Morgan.

 

Last weekend, I was blessed to be able to launch my mini-come-back with my favorite equine partner, Balmullo's Beacon. We signed up for the Jump Start event at the end of Sept., so to help get a handle on my show nerves ,and to see if I could stay in the saddle over the jumps, we did a local combined test. I am pleased to say that we finished 2nd in the Novice division on our dressage score of 34.7 ppts. We lost a few points when his attention wondered to the herd of pasture horses that moved to the rail right beside the dressage arena to graze during our test! I was a bit uptight in general, so I surely wasn't the greatest relaxing influence, but the experience has helped me prepare for our next one. The stadium was a wonderful, flowing and easy to follow course set in a nice big grassy area, so that phase was a breeze.

 

I am leaving in the morning to school cross-country at the Kentucky Horse Park. I have never ridden there, so am very much looking forward to it:-) Vanessa

6/17/06, ACPS Region IV Show, Flat Creek Ranch, Hogansville, GA, Judges: Helen King (In-hand), Kathy Bridges (Performance) and Sally Crews (Dressage) - shown in-hand by Vanessa Morgan and under saddle by Jill Mooney

RESERVE CHAMPION PUREBRED IN-HAND

2nd place Stallions In-hand

Training Level Test 2 - 3rd place  53.18%

Training Level Test 3 - 1st place 60.42%

1st place Novice Combined Test

2004

2nd place Gambler's Choice & 3rd place Open Jumpers (ridden by Carla Jimmerson) at the 2004 ACPS Region 4 Connemara Celebration and Open Show


Sharon Cannon, the Dressage Judge for the show, rode Beacon in the stallion parade.

2001
I promised myself that in 2001 I would concentrate on riding Balmullo's Beacon, Bubba, primarily in dressage because a) I don't have enough time to really school three phases and b) dressage is where I need to improve the most. Well, the focus seems to be paying off! I took Bubba to a dressage show yesterday and came home with blue ribbons in both of my classes! The really exciting part of this story is that I had a great time:o) In the back of my mind, I wondered how much fun I would/could actually have riding and showing "just in dressage". Well, I have to tell you that I had tons of fun! I came out of the ring with an ear-to-ear grin:o) The thing that I enjoyed so much is that I have finally come to understand how my aids can influence his movement and how to apply my aids with confidence. Now that I am able to do this, Bubba is so much more responsive and we are both relaxed and happy about it. I don't think it's the technical stuff that made our rides so pleasant to do and to watch, but it's the relaxation and enjoyment that were most likely evident to the judge. Our tests just flowed; the only problem was a pilot error resulting in -2 from our score in Tr 2.

We ended up with high score of the show!! signed, Ness and Bubba

10/13/01, ETCTDA D&CT at River Glen:

Training Level Test 1 - 1st place 70.50%
Training Level Test 2 - 1st place 67.91%

8/3-8/4/01, ACPS Region IV Show, Georgia International Horse Park, Conyers, GA, Judges: Ann Toth, Dressage and Caroline Nesbitt, In-hand and Hunter/Jumper
1st place Novice Combined Test
Training Level Test 1 - 2nd place  58.64%
Training Level Test 3 - 1st place 60.77%
2nd place Stallions In-hand
2000

 Beacon's 2000 COMPETITION Record with Vanessa Morgan

  • 11th Place Sr. Open Novice, River Glen Horse Trials (TN) 11/4 - 11/5
  • 5th Place Area 3 Novice Horse Championships, Turning Point Horse Trials, Big Bear Farm, Pine Mountain (GA) 10/21 - 22/00
  • 1st Place "Chronicle of the Horse" Easter Region Adult Team Championships, Tryon (NC) 9/29 - 10/1/00
  • 3rd Place Novice Rider Division, Midland Horse Trials (GA) 5/13 - 14/00
  • 1st Place Novice Rider Division, Pine Top Horse Trials (GA) 4/15 - 16/00
  • 3rd Place Novice Division, Flat Creek Combined Test (GA) 4/9/00

Bubba and I finished up our eventing season this year in the Sr. Open Novice division at the River Glen Horse Trials. We didn't finish in the ribbons this time (due primarily to some unnecessary additional movements in our dressage test!) but we had 2 wonderful, fault-free, jumping rounds. This event was really fun because the weather was perfect and the company was wonderful; I got to see some old friends and made some new ones. Start watching for Bubba at the local (TN/GA/NC) dressage shows. (11/00)

Vanessa Morgan and Balmullo's Beacon finished the USCTA Area 3 Novice Horse Championships at Big Bear Farm's new "Turning Point Horse Trials" in 5th place.


Bubba gave me a new challenge in dressage last weekend. He was being lazy and I obviously hadn't yet learned how to make him work when he's like that. He's only recently been lazy. In the spring he was "hot to trot" (must have been something in the air!), so I have a slightly different ride now than I did then. It will be good for me as a rider to learn how to work though this but it doesn't help my scores much right now:-) We were in 4th after X-co, with a 37.0, but I dropped a rail in stadium (my fault) so we finished 5th. I was a little disappointed about that but the most important thing is that I had a great time!! Bubba is so special and so well trained that I can just go out there and have fun. I just need to improve my riding so he gets the colors he deserves.

USCTA Area III, Team 6 brought home the blue ribbon at the Chronicle of the Horse Eastern Region Adult Team Championship Horse Trials at FENCE, Tryon, NC, 9/30-10/1/00!!

Team members included:

  • Linda Dreher (Southern Pines, NC) on If Nothing Goes Wrong
  • Joyce Hampton (Blythewood, SC) on Pony Tail Mike
  • Melinda Holland (Landrum, SC) on Gita
  • Vanessa Morgan (Athens, TN) on Balmullo's Beacon

Beacon finished on his dressage score to contribute to the team's final winning score of 109.6

Click here for the article from the "The Chronicle of the Horse".

Vanessa celebrated a land-mark birthday (you guess which one!) at the USCTA Midland Horse Trials (GA), finishing in 3rd place on her dressage score with Balmullo's Beacon in Sr. Novice Rider.

I can't tell you how much fun I had!!! Our dressage was pretty good, placing us 6th out of 16. Less than 2 hours later, we smoked around the hilly cross country course with ease. Bubba is SO great! I felt half my age:-) We moved up to 4th. Stadium was very nice and we moved up to 3rd place. Let me thank Jill Mooney, at least one more time, for the rock solid training she did on Bubba!!

Balmullo's Beacon and Vanessa Morgan finished the Sr. Novice Rider division at the USCTA Pine Top Horse Trials (4/15 & 4/16/00) on their dressage score of 31.0 and took home the blue ribbon!:o)))

I often speak of how proud I am of our stallion, Balmullo's Beacon, as an outstanding sire and athlete, yet today I have a new appreciation. I have not ridden competitively for about 5-6 years and it has probably been closer to 7 or so years since I did a recognized event. This weekend (4/15-4/16/00), I went to the Pine Top Horse Trials in Thomson, GA, to ride my stallion in our first horse trials together. To say that I was nervous is definitely an understatement and before both jumping phases, my heart and stomach were in my throat. Yet, I knew I was mounted on an extremely well trained, willing and kind horse, so that gave me the confidence I needed in my head to help me stay focused.

Not only did Bubba please me with a fabulous dressage test (31.0), but he took me around clean and fast in stadium and cross country. What a thrill it was to ride this guy! I am just so grateful to him for taking me safely and successfully through all 3 phases to take home the blue ribbon! As a wife, mother, and full-time career woman, I absolutely cannot imagine doing this on anything other than a Connemara, particularly, Balmullo's Beacon. I love this pony:o)

Balmullo's Beacon & Vanessa Morgan finished 3rd at the Flat Creek CT, Novice Division 4/9/00

1999

 Beacon was the 1999 USCTA Area III Training Horse of the Year

He has also earned the AWARD OF EXCELLENCE in Combined Training from the ACPS Achievement Awards Program

At the Area 3 luncheon in December, Balmullo's Beacon was presented with the award for USCTA Area 3 Training Horse of the Year. Beacon was tied for 4th in the very tight race for National Training Horse of the Year with 33 points, the winning pair having tied with 36 points. Beacon's rider and trainer, Jill Mooney, also received the Area 3 Training Rider Award for her successes on him.

After the USCTA year end points were tabulated, Beacon went on to finish his 1999 eventing season at the Pine Top Horse Trials in GA on 11/27-11/28 where he took another blue ribbon in the Training Horse division.

  •  1st Place Training Horse Division, Pine Top Horse Trials (GA) 11/27 - 28/99
  • 1st Place Training Horse/Rider Division, River Glen Horse Trials (TN) 11/6 - 7/99; Won Best Dressage Score (29.0) at the River Glen Event
  • 3rd Place Training Horse Division, Happy Valley Horse Trials (MS) 10/30 - 31/99
  • 1st Place Training Horse Division, Big Bear Horse Trials (GA) 10/23 - 24/99
  • 1st Place Training Horse Division, Pine Top Horse Trials (GA) 10/16 - 17/99
  • 2nd Place Training Horse Division, Tryon Horse Trials (NC) 10/2 - 3/99
  • 2nd Place Training Horse Division, Virginia Horse Trials (VA) 5/22 - 23/99
  • 5th Place Training Horse Division, Midland Horse Trials (GA) 5/8 - 9/99
  • 3th Place Training Horse Division, Pine Top Horse Trials (GA) 4/17 - 4/18/99
  • 3rd Place Training Horse Division, SAFE-FENCE Horse Trials (SC) 3/28/99
  • 1st Place Training Horse Division, Jumping Branch Horse Trials (SC) 3/6 - 7/99; Beacon had the best dressage score (24.5) at the Jumping Branch Event
  • 1st Place Open Training Div., Suncatcher Farm Horse Trials (FL) 1/23 - 24/99

Many, many thanks and a big CONGRATULATIONS
to Jill Mooney for a wonderful season on Balmullo's Beacon!!!!!

1998

Balmullo's Beacon was trained & competed by Jill Mooney (GA) 1998-1999

 

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