In a little over a day from now, we will be heading north for Lendon Gray's Youth Festival.
I thought the USDF Instructor's Workshop at Mount Holyoke was "old school", but heading to Saugerties for a young rider event up in Region 8 really brings back memories... mostly, memories of how doing FEI Young Riders really throws you in the deep end and hopes you learn to swim. Poor Shannon Deuck, waiting behind me so I could jog out my horse at Westchester-Fairfield. I am pretty sure I wore my riding clothes :/ Poor Axel Steiner, watching my first freestyle with canter music that only matched my horses gait if you were drunk and had your eyes closed. Most of all, poor Jane and Stephi. I have nightmares about students like how I was as a young rider: I found a video the other day of a lesson I had with Jane. I don't think I listened to a thing she said. Somehow, I ended up with a darn good canter zig-zag while she was talking to someone and then couldn't explain what I did. Found another video of me jumping my first Preliminary stadium and if you turn the volume up loud enough, Stephi is telling my mom, "I don't know how she stayed on for that". Bless those who love and support us when we are young. (No, I didn't forget my family... they are still behind me 100%).
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I have found myself repeating the same thing over and over again: "Get the energy, feel that the horse is between both sides of your body and keep a steady connection with the reins". We all joke about how expensive this sport is, but I really started thinking about your typical Annie Newbie-Trainer and young adult amateur, Sarah Former-Young Rider. In case a 70% and a 72% were not high enough scores at this weekend's Region 1 Youth Team Championships, Jennifer and Shannon thought they would go ahead and get themselves an 81.45% in their Pas de Deux. Every time I see my top hat, it calls to me. It represents all that is holy about dressage and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (hours of sweaty, frustrating rides = the rainbow, in this case). The day you show in a top hat, is the day you enter the big leagues. Barbara and Degas earned a third place and 70% in the Intermediare I and won their Prix St. Georges division with a 65%. The pair also ended up fourth overall in the Prix St. Georges Challenge. Since buying my Trakehner, Holiday, in October 2007, he has put on a few pounds... wouldn't you say?!?! AFTER:
Hubertus Schmidt is the NEDA fall clinician this year and rider applications are up. YAY!!! 2009 PVDA Ride for Life and Dancing Horse Challenge Bring In Record Donations, Support |