HDS Newsletter April 2009 - Houston Dressage Society Newsletter... · 2018-08-06 · 2‐3 Dressage at Silver Hill I & II O—3/6 C—4/3 Austin, TX Susan Howard 512‐288‐0767,

(Continued on page 14)

A p r i l 2 0 0 9 A P u b l i c a t i o n o f H o u s t o n D r e s s a g e S o c i e t y

CC OLLECTIVEOLLECTIVE RR EMARKSEMARKS FREESTYLE FARM FROSTBITE SHOW: OUTSMARTING MOTHER NATURE By Syrisse Longbottom and Christy Raisbeck KATY, TX ‐ Just as spring rolls around each year, so does the Freestyle Farm Frostbite Dressage Show, managed by Christy Raisbeck, owner of Freestyle Farm. This annual event, now in its 11th year, was held March 7‐8, 2009 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. Judges for the show were Sandra Hotz (“S”) from Colorado, Beverly Rogers (“S”) of Ari‐zona, and Joan Darnell (“R”) from Texas. Open High Point Winner and overall Training Level Champion was Sandra Adair on her lovely young Dutch warmblood mare, Zandra ISF (Contango). Their high score was 72.609% for Training Level Test 1. Gon Stevens, riding the G e r m a n Riding Pony Farewell B, won the Adult Ama‐teur High Point Award with a score of 68.684% for their First Level Test 4, and was also the overall First Level Cham‐p i o n . Hayley Lin‐ton and Coppertone won the Junior High Point Award with a 68.696% on

Training Level Test 1. Elizabeth Fletcher won the Zella Rowland Memorial Highpoint Freestyle Trophy with a score of 71.458% on Roja. A com‐plete list of champions can be found in the photo montage. The following is an email exchange with Christy after her show that offers some insight into the ‘science’ behind outsmarting Mother Nature.

Q: Hi, Christy! Are you rested up from the show??

A: Hmm, not really. I still seem to fall asleep every time I sit down…

Q: Hey, could I get some scoop from you about

the show to go with the photos?

A: Okay, but if you have a photo of me from that weekend, don’t use it! I saw how I looked in the mirror now and then, and it wasn't pretty. Ugh.

Freestyle Farm Frostbite Show By Syrisse Longbottom & Christy Raisbeck

P 1

Birth of a Freestyle By Syrisse Longbottom & Barbara Stewart

P 24

Sport Psychology: Performance Anxiety By Seana Adamson, PhD

P 32

Karen Robinson Freestyle Lecture By Syrisse Longbottom

P 20

INSIDE

Photo by Karen Roepke

Lurena Bell‐Stanley on Passadena, FEI Champions at Frostbite

Collective Remarks

is a monthly publication of Houston Dressage Society, Inc.,

a non‐profit tax‐exempt corporation.

Editor

Syrisse Longbottom [email protected]

936‐372‐3367

Submissions Submissions from all HDS members

are encouraged.

Advertising Submit classified ads in plain text or Word

format and in final form. Display ads must be high resolution (300+dpi) in electronic format.

Submit ads via email to [email protected].

Deadline is 15th of the month prior to the month of publication.

2

Greetings! It is really hard to believe that the year is one‐fourth over and we are in the full swing of the spring show season. We are so close to the spring show and the planning is underway. We are happy to report that we are close to 200 entries, which is slightly larger than the previous year. Please give us your feedback and let us know what you think about our first three‐day show for a non‐championship. This show will require a large number of volunteers to make it a success. Please consider giving of your time and talent to help all of the competitors achieve their goals. If you can, please contact Jane Holman at [email protected]. Thanks! I want to thank Susan Shiba and especially Sandra Adair for organizing the Karen Robinson Freestyle seminar at the Pin Oak Horse Show. Many thanks to all of those HDS members that also attended. I look forward to your feedback and ideas to make this club successful. Kathy Jones HDS President

FF R O MR O M T H ET H E PP R E S I D E N TR E S I D E N T

Karla West‐Dee on Enchanted Love Affair at the Karen Robinson Freestyle Clinic

Photos by Syrisse Longbottom

Auditors enjoying the beautiful weather and Freestyle Riding Clinic

Houston Dressage Society

is a USDF Group Member Organization (GMO) and all members are automatically

USDF Group Members (GMs).

For Participating Membership, members must apply directly to USDF.

Change of Email Address Nancy Walker‐Taylor

[email protected] 832‐603‐3835

Or

Syrisse Longbottom [email protected]

936‐372‐3367 3

UU P C O M I N GP C O M I N G EE V E N T SV E N T S Date Clinician / Event Location General Info Contact Info

April 2009 4‐5 Christine Traurig Rose Ridge Sport Horses at

Honeybrook Farm, Tomball Slots available ‐ audi‐tors welcome

Darcy Buell 435‐962‐1380 [email protected]

17‐19 Reitmeister Karl‐Heinz Streng

North TX Equestrian Center, Wylie, TX

Dressage & jump lessons, rider dead‐line 3/18

Rachel Campbell [email protected] www.uswarmblood.com

18‐19 Pati Pierucci Rosehill Ranch, Tomball, TX Auditors welcome Annie McChesney 281‐433‐8208 annie‐[email protected]

21‐22 Charles deKunffy D&S Ranch, Bellville, TX Suzan Saylor 979‐865‐0103

May 2009

2‐3 David Blake Stillmeadow Dressage, Dou‐ble Dime Ranch, Carrizo Springs, TX

Clinic $300 (2 private lessons). Optional stabling and accom‐modations pkg $300. Auditors $30/day

Lynne Jones [email protected] 830‐374‐9774

2‐3 Walter Zettl Silver Oaks Farm, Kerrville, TX

Auditors $35/day or $50/weekend

Cindy Dix Weathersbee [email protected] 830‐792‐3414

October 2009

31‐Nov 3 Houston location—TBD Dressage Biomechan‐ics Clinic

Virginia Ellis 713‐694‐0694 http://www.equestrianventures.com

For the complete calendar, go to Quick Links on p. 35

HDS SCHOOLING SHOW CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2009! DETAILS COMING SOON!!

Bored, bored, bored. Oh, look! What’s in here?

Donna Meyer’s Elisa’s Star at the Freestyle Riding Clinic

C O L L E C T I V E R E M A R K S 4

Date Show Info Location Judge Contact

April 2009

4 Hearthstone Riding Stables Houston, TX Leslie Cummings Show Mgr: Rebekah Wesatzke Show Secy: Jerry Lyons 281‐398‐1665 [email protected]

4 All Heart Horse Farm GAG, Intro A&B, Training 1 & 2, Prix Caprilli

Manvel, TX Marie Morgan Show Mgr: Trina Shukar Show Secy: Cindy Westheimer http://www.allhearthorsefarm.com 713‐515‐1261

5 Spring Stable Schooling Show Spring Series 2 Spring, TX Leslie Cummings Tammie Haynes, Show Mgr [email protected] www.springstable.com

5 Grand Oaks Equestrian Center Schooling Show

GAG, TR‐2nd, 3rd‐4th on request

Manvel, TX Diane Rochau Kim Hoblit, Show Mgr 281‐756‐8461 Jeff Hoblit, Show Secy [email protected]

11 BACH Spring Dressage School‐ing Show

College Sta‐tion, TX

Brenda McCall Ginni Cifelli 979‐690‐6788 [email protected]

19 Sienna Stables Schooling Show 50% off on stalls for HDS members!

Missouri City, TX

Pam Grace Cal Eller, Show Mgr 281‐723‐4009 Laura Eller, Show Secy 281‐778‐7433 [email protected] [email protected]

May 2009

2 Topsider Farm Spring Dressage

2


Leslie Cummings Ginni Cifelli 979‐690‐6788 [email protected]

3 Freestyle Farm Schooling Show Fulshear, TX Leslie Cummings Christy Raisbeck, Show Mgr/Secy [email protected] www.freestyle‐farm.com

10 Spring Stable Schooling Show Spring Series 3 Spring, TX Julie Berry Tammie Haynes, Show Mgr [email protected] www.springstable.com

10 Solstice Farms Schooling Show Mother’s Day Out

$500 min. Jackpot Training Test 3

Houston, TX Grace Harris Show Mgr/Secy Marie Morgan marie@solstice‐farms.com 713‐435‐9817

16 Hearthstone Riding Stables Houston, TX Leslie Cummings Show Mgr: Rebekah Wesatzke Show Secy: Jerry Lyons 281‐398‐1665 [email protected]

24 Hycourt Farm Intro, Training, Prix Caprilli, 1st—4th

Bastrop, TX Brenda McCall Show Mgr: Janet Manley 512‐308‐1961 [email protected] Show Secy: Amanda Wilson [email protected]

30 Region 9 NAJYRC Benefit Schooling Show

Net Class fees & revenues will be do‐nated to Reg 9 JR/YR

Topsider Farm, College Station, TX

Grace Harris Ginni Cifelli 979‐690‐6788 [email protected]

June 2009

7 Sienna Stables Schooling Show 50% off on stalls for HDS members!

Missouri City,

TX

Donna Meyer Cal Eller, Show Mgr 281‐723‐4009 Laura Eller, Show Secy 281‐778‐7433 [email protected] [email protected]

14 All Heart Horse Farm Manvel, TX Brenda McCall Show Mgr: Scott Berger www.allhearthorsefarm.com 713‐515‐1261

12 Freestyle Farm Schooling Show Fulshear, TX Sue Saylor Christy Raisbeck, Show Mgr/Secy [email protected] www.freestyle‐farm.com

July 2009

FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF SCHOOLING & RECOGNIZED SHOWS, GO TO QUICK LINKS ON NEXT TO LAST PAGE

SS C H O O L I N GC H O O L I N G SS H O W SH O W S

5 A P R I L 2 0 0 9

Date Show Info Location Judge Contact

April 2009

3‐5 Texas Dressage Classic I & II

O—2/1 C—3/12

Texas Rose Horse Park, Tyler, TX

Sonja Vracko, Barbara Ebner, Kristi Wysocki

www.dressageshowinfo.com

4‐5 Fort Worth Spring Fling I & II

O—3/1 C—3/31

Glen Rose, TX Mary Grace Davidson; Natalie Lamping

Susan Peacock www.showsecretary.com

24‐26 HDS Spring Classic I & Breed Show, and Spring Classic II

O—2/23 C—3/23

GSWEC, Katy, TX

Gary Rockwell (FEI "O"); Lorraine Mac‐Donald (FEI "I"); Sarah Geikie (FEI "C"); Ulrich Schmitz ("S" & "r" DSHB)

Marilyn Kulifay [email protected]

May 2009

2‐3 Dressage at Silver Hill I & II O—3/6 C—4/3

Austin, TX Susan Howard 512‐288‐0767, 512‐423‐4424 www.reiterhof.us

9‐10 Dallas Dressage Club Spring I & II

O—3/16 C—4/11

Las Colinas, Irving, TX

Reg 9 Youth Team Champs

Michelann Tachibana 469‐628‐3754 [email protected]

23‐24 Dressage Across the Lake Folsom, LA Kem Barbosa, Sue Casey

504‐832‐8074 [email protected] www.goslinghorseshow.com

23‐24 Spindletop Arabian Horse Show

Dressage thru 2nd Level

GSWEC, Katy, TX

Betty Thorpe Sherri Re 281‐513‐5745 [email protected]

June 2009

13‐14 HDS Summer Shows I & II O—4/13 C—5/11

GSWEC, Katy, TX

TBA Marilyn Kulifay [email protected]

13‐14 CTDS Bluebonnet Classic I & II O—4/14 C—5/22

Austin, TX Bill Solyntjes; Doreen Horsey

Jan Colley 512‐415‐3039 [email protected] www.centexdressage.org

July 2009

18‐19 Windy Knoll Farm Summer Dressage I & II

O—5/11 C—6/17

Windy Knoll Farm, Magno‐lia, TX

Kem Barbosa, Kathy Rowse

Fran Dearing 281‐356‐2883; 713‐703‐9344 [email protected] www.windyknolldressage.com

25‐26 Dallas Dressage Club Lemon‐ade Daze I & II

O—6/1 C—6/27



25‐26 Serenity Farm Summer Dres‐sage Show I

O—6/18 C—7/13

Serenity Farm, Folsom, LA

Robin Brueckmann Vicki Macgowan 985‐796‐0317 985‐373‐5464 [email protected]

August 2009

22‐23 Dog Day Dressage Show Orange, TX Albert Pugh [email protected]

29‐30 San Antonio Fall Dressage I & II San Antonio Rose Palace, TX

Natalie Lamping, Dinah Babcock, David Schmutz

Jan Colley 512‐415‐3039 [email protected] www.alamodressage.org

September 2009

5‐6

13

19‐20

25‐27

HDS Laborious Day Shows I & II O—7/6 C—8/3

Lone Star Expo, Conroe

Tom Poulin, Sandi Chohany

Marilyn Kulifay [email protected]

Topsider Farm Dressage Show II

O—8/5 C—8/26


Betsy Gosling Ginni Cifelli 979‐690‐6788 [email protected]

Windy Knoll Farm Fall Dressage I & II

O—7/20 C—8/18

Windy Knoll Farm, Magno‐lia, TX

Sonja Vracko, TBD Fran Dearing 281‐356‐2883; 713‐703‐9344 [email protected] www.windyknolldressage.com

Texas Dressage Classic Fall I & II

Texas Rose Horse Park, Tyler

www.dressageshowinfo.com

12‐13 Dallas Dressage Club Yellow Rose I & II

O—7/20 C—8/15



RR E C O G N I Z E DE C O G N I Z E D SS H O W SH O W S

EENJOYNJOY AA GREATGREAT SHOWSHOW -- PLUSPLUS HELPHELP HDS HDS ATAT THETHE SAMESAME TIMETIME!! Artania is a Cirque Du Soleil style show featuring the legendary Kantemirov Family Cossack Warriors, breath-taking horsemanship and acrobatic artistry with a cast of 55 aerial artists and acrobats and 19 equine athletes including some exotic breeds such as Akhal Teke, Russian Draft, Orlov Trotter and Tersk.

The event will be held at the Sam Houston Raceway Park on Beltway 8. The producers erect a big ol’ fancy climate‐controlled performance tent in the parking lot!

SSPECIALPECIAL DDISCOUNTISCOUNT FORFOR HDS MHDS MEMBERSEMBERS!! By special arrangement, HDS members and friends can purchase tickets to any show on Friday, Saturday or Sunday at a 20% discount. And, here’s the extra cool part, HDS will receive a cash premium for every ticket sold! So tell everyone you know – the more tickets we sell through our passcode, the more money HDS receives.

Go to www.shrp.com and click on the Enter Artania Promo Code link. Then enter our pass‐code – carrots. Choose your performance date, your price level, etc. And remember that HDS earns money for every ticket sold through our passcode.

Tell all your friends, stablemates, hunter/jumpers, everyone!!!

March 17 - April 12, 2009 Sam Houston Race Park

Houston, Texas

7 A P R I L

AA R O U N DR O U N D T H ET H E RR E G I O NE G I O N

REGION 9 SEEKING PM DELEGATE NOMINATIONS FOR 2009

Nominations are being accepted for Participating Member Dele‐gates until April 15, 2009. Nominations for USDF President, USDF Treasurer, are also being accepted until June 1, 2009. USDF President, Treasurer nomina‐tions will also be accepted from the floor of the Board of Gover‐nors meeting at the annual convention in Austin, Texas. Nomina‐tions questions contact: Kat Kyle‐ Region 9 Nominations Coordi‐nator: [email protected] USDF POLICIES, PROCEDURES & BYLAWS Updated USDF Policies and Procedures are now available on the USDF Web site. The 2009 updated USDF Bylaws document and the Regional Di‐rectors Timeline have now been posted at http://www.usdf.org/about/about‐usdf/governance/index.asp under “Other Important Links”. USEF DRESSAGE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Each of the following members will serve a four‐year term begin‐ning in March 2009.

ATTENTION ALL SPORT HORSE QUALIFIERS Please be reminded that horses earning a score of 77 percent or better in a Great American/USDFBC qualifying class will be eligi‐ble to compete in the Great American/USDFBC series final event. Please refer to the USDFBC rules for additional information.

2009 USDF CONVENTION IN AUSTIN

Please email names of the biggest local publications for horses/dressage in your area. Also any tack shops, or other equine busi‐nesses that could be contacted regarding sponsorship or involve‐ment in the USDF Convention in Austin, TX in December 2009.

We are also looking for sponsors to help with a Welcome Party and meeting breaks.

Open to ideas on how to make this convention the best ever !!!!

REGION 9 WEBSITE

We are very excited !!!! The new website is up and running. Please take a look and let us know what you think! We have added some new features...with more to come in the fu‐ture. www.usdfregion9.org

REGION 9 BENCH FUND A payment toward the pledge for the bench was made to USDF National Educational Center on Feb 18th. If all of the pledges come in there is only $1797 left to achieve our goal. Thanks for considering your tax deductible donations. USDF will send a re‐ceipt. And thanks for the shows that would like to donate the proceeds from a class. Send checks payable to "Region 9 Bench Fund". Bess Reineman 3797 FM 2915 Lovelady, TX 75851 REGION 9 SUMMER MEETING ‐ AUGUST 15‐16, 2009 The 2009 Region 9 Summer Meeting will be at the Spring Hill Suites Marriott in Grapevine, TX (outside of Dallas). 2240 W Grapevine Mills Circle Grapevine, TX 76051 Ph #: 972‐724‐5500 Rooms: $109 per night. More detailed information at a later date. Questions? Contact Bess Reineman [email protected]

RENEE ISLER DRESSAGE SUPPORT FUND

The Renee Isler Dressage Support Fund provides up to nine grants of $800 a piece, one for each region. In 2008 Kristine Ehrle‐Webb of Texas became a recipient. She rode in the Jr/ YR clinic with Jan Ebeling. For more information about the Jr / YR clinics visit www.usdf.org. For information about the Isler Fund: www.dressagefoundation.org

Sam Barish Lois Yukins Hilary Clayton Michael Barisone

Lisa Gorretta Carol Lavell Lendon Gray Guenter Seidel Hilda Gurney Lisa Wilcox

Veronica Holt Jayne Ayers Sandy Howard Janet Foy

Marianne Ludwig Lloyd Landkamer Janine Malone Axel Steiner George Williams Scott Hassler

H O U S T O N D R E S S A G E S O C I E T Y

HDS 2009 SHDS 2009 SPRINGPRING CCLASSICLASSIC I I & S& SPORTPORT HHORSEORSE BBREEDREED SSHOWHOW

ANDAND SSPRINGPRING CCLASSICLASSIC IIII

April 24, 25, 26, 2009 Great Southwest Equestrian Center—Katy, Texas

SSPONSORSHIPPONSORSHIP, A, ADVERTISINGDVERTISING, V, VENDORSENDORS For info, contact Amanda Miller at [email protected]

DDEADLINEEADLINE FORFOR AADSDS ININ SSHOWHOW PPROGRAMROGRAM April 12 (last call)

Submit to [email protected]

For all rates, go to www.houstondressagesociety.org

Classic I and Breed Show April 24-25, 2009 and Classic II April 26, 2009

Official USDF Qualifying Competitions for the 2009 Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championship and the 2009 Southwest Dressage Championships

Official Qualifying Competitions for the 2009 USDF/Platinum Performance FEI North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships and 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Junior, Young Rider & Brentina Cup Championships;

Official Qualifying Competition for the 2009 Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program and USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship (sponsored by the Dutta Corporation and PSI);

Great American Insurance Group/USDF Southern Breeders Championship Series Qualifier (Fri)

USEF High Performance Qualifying Competition for the 2009 USEF National Intermediare I Championship

Judges:

Gary Rockwell FEI “O” (Wellington, FL), Lorraine MacDonald FEI “I” (Caledon, ON, CAN), Sarah Geikie FEI “C” (Lebanon, CT), Ulrich Schmitz “S” and “r” Dressage Sport Horse Judge (Queen Creek, AZ)

Technical Delegate: Joyce Hardesty “R”, Overland Park, KS

SSTALLIONTALLION SSERVICEERVICE AAUCTIONUCTION Great Opportunities for Stallion and Mare Owners!

Promote your stallion! Purchase breed fees at special prices! For info on Stallion Service Auction ‐ [email protected]

For show info - [email protected]

2009 HDS STALLION SERVICE AUCTION RULES

The silent auction shall be governed by the following terms and conditions:

• The 2009 Stallion Service Auction (SSA) will be conducted by Silent Auction Bidding only.

• The minimum bid shall be one half of the posted breeding fee unless otherwise indicated.

• All auctions will end Saturday, April 25th, 6:30pm. Winners will be announced Sunday, April

26th, 11:00am.

• Bids are binding and cannot be withdrawn. A bidder may bid on any number of stallion services,

however, by placing a bid you are making a legal contract between yourself and the Houston

Dressage Society for each service you bid on.

• Winners will be notified via e‐mail at the close of the auction. Credit card must be on file, or

check given to bid.

• In the event there are unsold services at the close of the regular auction, the remaining stallions

will be listed in a separate “Buy It Now” auction.

• THERE WILL BE NO BID WITHDRAWALS, EXCEPTIONS OR REFUNDS GIVEN.

• The stallion owner has the right to refuse any mare not registered with the stallion’s approved

registries. The winning bidder agrees to abide by the terms of the stallion owner’s breeding con‐

tract, and HDS does not assume liability for any disputes that may arise between the bidder and

the stallion owner.

• No refunds will be given. In other words, if you don’t want to pay for the stallion service, don’t

bid!

• The auction is open to any stallion owner who wants to donate a breeding. However, the stallion

MUST be registered with a breed association, and be able to prove registration(s).

• HDS will keep all funds, EXCEPT for ALL BOOKING and COLLECTION and SHIPPING fees, which are

payable to the stallion owner separate from the bid.

• Stallions must be submitted no later than Friday, April 10th, 10:00pm CT, unless otherwise

stated.

• Stallion owner must provide a copy of stallion’s contract for potential bidders to view, as well as

an ad to display on the auction table. Ad must be no larger than 8x10. Ad will not be returned

after auction.

FOR MORE INFO, contact AMANDA MILLER [email protected]

Is Proud to Present

A CLINIC WITH U.S. OLYMPIC MEDALIST

CHRISTINE TRAURIGApril 4 & 5, Saturday, Sunday hosted at Honey Brook Farm

Hockley, TX

Riding Spots are AvailableAuditors are Invited and Welcome

Complimentary Lunch will be Served

Christine was born and raised in Germany and was a longtime rider for the Hanoverian Auction Sale in Verden Germany. She trained with Jo Hinneman in

Germany for 5 1/2 years and has competed internationally in the U.S. and in Europe, and was the winner of the USET Intermediare1 Championships, riding Etienne. She was a

member of the 2000 Olympic Dressage Team in Sydney, Australia, winning a team bronze riding Etienne.

For more information, contact:Darcy Buell

435-962-1380

Charles de Kunffy Clinic Tuesday, April 21, 2009 & Wednesday April 22, 2009

Host/Contact: Suzan Saylor 979-865-0103

Location: D and S Ranch 6345 Smith Road Bellville, Texas77418

Time: Starts 9:00 a.m. Ends 4:00 p.m.

Riders & Auditors: • Possible riding slot

• Auditors Welcome

$25/day $250 per ride

Q: How did you like the weather? Pretty balmy for early March, eh?

A: Yes, the weather was pretty balmy! Almost could have waived coats. As long as I keep leasing the entire complex, front and back arenas, we are sure to keep having pretty good weather. It’s only when I NEED an outdoor arena, that the skies open up and/or the temperature drops into the 20's. (I'm sure some of the competitors from Frostbite 10 years ago remember exactly what I'm talking about....)

Q: Now that some scientists have declared global warming, have you considered changing the name of your show? (That’s an attempt at a funny question.)

A: If I change the name it will be cold for sure. Calling it "Frostbite" is just to taunt Mother Nature into proving me wrong.

Q: Did anything unusual or exciting happen?

A: Not really... I know the judges in Rings 1 and 2 had a candy fight from their judges stands at one point, but other than that everything ran pretty uneventfully.

Q: Horse shows are seeing a decline in entries due to the economy. I understood you were short some riders as well.

A: Yes, the numbers were definitely down from past years. Last year we had 150 horses; this year we had 100, some of which were non‐competes. I'm sure the economy had a lot to do with it. All these years I've kept the Frostbite show one show over two days. But since I'm afraid the economy isn’t going to turn around for awhile, I think next year and beyond it will be Frostbite 1 and Frostbite 2, to make the weekend count for more toward USDF and SWDC. Need to make those dollars stretch....

Q: Who were the non‐riding stars at your show?

A: I had all kinds of nice remarks from competitors about how easy our volunteers were to deal with and how smoothly things ran because of them. It really is all because of them ‐ they're fantastic and they keep coming back year after year. Of course, if they didn’t, they know I'd make their lessons the following week all without stirrups.... Also, I think Julie and Lew Harkness did a great job. This is the first year they've secretary‐d for me and I think they are incredi‐bly efficient.

Q: I see you’ve scheduled some schooling shows this year.

A: Yes, actually there are four Freestyle Farm schooling shows on the calendar for this year: May 3, July 12, Sept 13, and Nov 8. We'll see how that goes! Maybe I should call them the 'Gully Washer' shows so that it doesn't rain.....

(Continued from page 1)

FREESTYLE FARM FROSTBITE SHOW - CONT.


Marc Borcshneck and Uvaldi, 64.524% at Second Level T4 AA

Tim Martin and Don Juli, 65% at First Level T4 AA

Photo by Syrisse Longbottom


Sandra Adair and Zandra ISF, 72.609% at Training Level T1 OP


14 C O L L E C T I V E R E M A R K S

Leslie Cummings and Espresso, 55.745% at Grand Prix B AA

Virginia Johnson on Exclusive Sport, 65.20% at Training Level T4 AA

Photo by Karen

Roe

pke


Reagan Mabray‐Barry on the familiar spots of Pay N Go


Lynda Langston on Kyra Von Foster, 66.8% at Training Level T4 AA

Elizabeth Fletcher and Roja, 71.458% 1st‐4th Freestyle Champions

Photo by Syrisse Lon

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Announcer Gillian Gourlay

FREESTYLE FARM FROSTBITE SHOW - CONT. Ph

oto by Syrisse Lon

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A P R I L 2 0 0 9 15

Nancy Flanders and Vancouver, 66.19% at Second Level T4 AA


Katie Conover on Beanie Baby, 68.40% at Training Level T4 JR


Eva Oldenbroek‐Tabor on Uberlinus, 63.158% at Int I OP

Photo by Karen

Roe

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Champions Gon Stevens and Farewell B, 68.684% at First Level T4 AA


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FROSTBITE SHOW 2009 HIGH POINT RIDER AWARDS

Open: Sandra Adair/Zandra ISF 72.609% at Training 1 Amateur: Gon Stevens/Farewell B 68.684% at First 4

Junior: Hayley Linton/Coppertone 68.696% at Training 1

2009 CHAMPIONS Training Level Champion: Sandra Adair/Zandra ISF 72.198%

Reserve: Sarah Clark/Rosemel's Brandy 68.200%

Fourth Level Champion: Kathy Campbell/Prestige 59.678%

Reserve: Melanie Appel/Solitaire 57.073%

First Level Champion: Gon Stevens/Farewell B 66.184%

Reserve: Matt Cunningham/Vivienne 65.680%

FEI Champion: Lurena Bell‐Stanley/Passadena 64.869%

Reserve: Eva Oldenbroek‐Tabor/Uberlinus 62.895%

Second Level Champion: Susan Shiba/Fer De Lance 65.715%

Reserve: Matt Cunningham/Don't Worry 65.477%

Young Horse Champion: Carsten Meyer/Neferhotep 71.40%

Reserve: Sarah Clark/Looky I’ve Got Spots 67.60%

Third Level Champion: Daeme Laves/SoHo 61.062%

Reserve: Matt Cunningham/Don't Worry 60.698%

Freestyle Champion: Elizabeth Fletcher/Roja 69.896%

(No Reserve Champion)

Zella Rowland Memorial Highpoint Freestyle Trophy:

Elizabeth Fletcher/Roja 71.458%



Barbie Piccinni on Royal Tango, 64.894% at Grand Prix B OP

Photo by Karen

Roe

pke


A P R I L 2 0 0 9 17

Bridget Rogers and Goldige, Third Level AA

Photo by Karen Roepke

Susan Shiba on Fer De Lance, 66.905% at Second Level T4 OP

Photo by Karen

Roe

pke

Anne Brickert and Kassidy, 63.810% at Second Level T4 AA


Carole Skelt on Lucille Ball, 61.579% at First Level T4 AA


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Reagan Mabray‐Barry on Volturno Interagro, 68.4% at Training Level T4 OP


Jerry Lyons and Laurentide Ice, 61.60% at Training Level T4 AA


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18 C O L L E C T I V E R E M A R K S

So What’s a Valentine’s Day RAT? By Marie Morgan Although the day began a bit cloudy and gloomy, we had a won‐derful time at the first Valentine’s Day RAT (Ride a Test) at Sol‐stice Farms. Nothing makes a gray cloud disappear like a bunch of riders and horses dressed in pink and having fun. OK so maybe it was the day after Valentines (Feb. 15) and perhaps we made hangovers disappear but I digress . . . The day began with a serious ride a test that Marie Morgan judged. Mandi Krasney/Mattie and Barbara Stewart/Usache both rode Second level tests, taking advantage of this educa‐tional opportunity to improve their showing skills. Clio Rooney and Charlie took their first level performance to a new high fo‐cusing on details. Cyndi Craig brought her fabulous new youngster, Faxx, to show us all how it should be done! Dela Huss, Megan Rahlfs, and Mala Murthy dipped their booted toes in the dressage waters for a test. Then the real fun began! We tried a new idea that everyone seemed to enjoy ‐ The “Share a Ride”. Suitable horses were vol‐unteered and their names put into a hat. Eager (sort of ) volun‐teer riders drew a name and then rode training level test three on a horse unknown to them. I hear there was some bargaining and bribery going on in the barn after the names were drawn but who knows! A special thanks goes to all our riders, helpers and volunteer horses for being such good sports! We hope to do this again in about two months. It is a wonderful way to work at dressage, but feel like you are at a party. Join us next time! Valentine RATs Barbara Stewart and Usache Second level test four Mandi Krasney and Arabesque,Second 1,2 Clio Rooney Charlie First 1,2 Cyndi Craig, Faxxsimilie Tr.1,2 Dela Huss Henry Tr. 1 Megan Rahlfs, Tabasco Tr. 1 Mala Murthy, Merlin, Tr. 1 Share a Ride Darian, Megan, Mala, Carlan, Mandi, Darian Tredennick Helpers Eliz Copper, Carlan Hassoldt, Diane McManus, Stefni Tredennick, Mandi Krasney, Dela and Mike Huss, Valerie Jefferis, Jamie Bruns

$500 Jackpot Winners at Solstice Farms’ St. Patty Day’s Schooling Show

Congratulations to the $500.00 Jackpot Training Level Test Three winners at the 2009 St. Patty’s Day Schooling Show held by Solstice Farms:

1st Place: Kendall Raisbeck(JR) on Farewell B 76%

2nd Place Mandi Krasney(AA) on Merlin 74.0%

3rd Place Becky Brake(AA/YR) on Maxamillion 73.6%

Due to the popularity and success of the class, Marie Mor‐gan of Solstice Farms will again offer the Jackpot Training Level Test Three at her Mother’s Day Out Show on May 10, 2009. This jackpot class is open to all riders, but profession‐als can only ride horses that have not been shown above First Level. Juniors and amateurs can ride any horse, includ‐ing a school master. Once a rider has won this class, she/he cannot compete for the jackpot again.

KATY, TX – Approximately 25 HDS members were treated (for free by HDS) to a delightful three hour lecture and video presen‐tation by professional freestyle designer, Karen Robinson, on the art and science of creating and riding musical freestyles on Sun‐day, March 15 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center. San‐dra Adair arranged for Karen to give the lecture, hosted by HDS, in conjunction with a two‐day riding clinic the following week during the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show.

After Sandra welcomed the attendees, a repre‐sentative from Brehm’s Feed, one of the riding clinic sponsors, gave an informative presenta‐tion on various supple‐ments offered by his company. Auditors also enjoyed complimentary snacks and a silent auc‐tion that included a $100 gift certificate from Charlotte’s Sad‐dlery (which Karen made sure she won), two $25

gift certificates from The Horse of Course, and several donated bags of the new Progres‐sive Super Feed, Loose Minerals, and weight product Envision, all from Brehm’s.

Karen lectured to the group for a full three hours, but the time flew by in a hurry due to the compelling topic and the fact that Karen was such an en t e r t a i n i n g speaker. For those who were unable to at‐tend, you really missed a good thing. Never‐theless, the following is a summary of Karen’s lecture for your reference. THERE’S ALWAYS A BIT OF SURPRISE IN FREESTYLE

Karen started her lecture by showing an awesomely performed freestyle by her client, Bernadette Pujals, a Spaniard now riding for Mexico. Bernadette’s story was fascinating and perfectly illustrates the element of surprise in freestyle. She was the first rider to represent Mexico at the World Equestrian Games (Aachen 2006). Karen created Berna’s freestyle and selected the music, but then it got put aside when, approximately two months before WEG, Berna lost the ride on her horse, Vincent, due to a divorce. She managed to get him back, but only 2 weeks before WEG. Since they were relative newcomers to the European dressage scene and hadn’t been able to train together for several months, Berna wasn’t expecting to finish high enough to qualify to ride a freestyle. But they did qualify, so she had to quickly refresh her memory of Karen’s creation. Up to that point, Berna had heard the new freestyle music only one time. Fortunately, Karen was covering the WEG as a journalist, so she was available to help Berna rehearse the freestyle the night before the competition. As we saw on the video, Berna and Vincent performed brilliantly – with sharp and concise movements to strong and committed beats to the music – as if they had been practicing it for months. A little bit of surprise is a good thing, Karen said, but that is not the kind of stress any‐one wants to regularly deal with!


KKARENAREN RROBINSONOBINSON FFREESTYLEREESTYLE LLECTUREECTURE

Report by Syrisse Longbottom

Sandra Adair, clinic organizer

An attentive group at the lecture, including Winston the JRT

Karen Robinson Freestyle guru, designer and lecturer


IS IT ROCKET SCIENCE?

According to Karen, selecting and putting together the music is not the hard part. The real rocket science is finding a collection of music that matches the horse’s footfalls and provides that extra ‘something’ for the horse. Another challenge in creating a good freestyle, especially for professional designers, is to avoid sending a rider “to the prom in the same dress”. It is difficult to maintain variety in the music. Many riders end up performing to the same music as others in the same competition, which removes much of the distinctive‐ness – besides being less entertaining or memorable. Keep in mind that spectators usually remember a freestyle by only one song and/or a particular movement to one song. Unless a person has a vast music library, using iTunes is now al‐most de rigueur. iTunes has radically changed and broadened the variety, not to mention making the search and selection of music vastly more economical. Now a person can listen to the same song in many different varieties without having to buy a single CD – but can then download the songs for 99 cents each! START YOUR METRONOMES

The first step in creating a freestyle is measuring the horse’s gaits with a metronome, then measuring the music. This measure‐ment establishes the tempo and lets the rider know how much the horse’s tempo varies from the tempo of the music, which indicates how much the music may need to be sped up or slowed down. As a point of reference, the average trot tempo is 150 beats per minute (bpm), although it can range anywhere from 140‐160 bpm. The average canter tempo is 90 bpm. Karen recommends electronic metronomes that beep or show colored dots. She uses Seiko brand, but there are many manu‐facturers from which to choose. Metronomes can be purchased in any music store. A mid‐range cost is $25 to $45. Karen actu‐ally works with two metronomes, with one set at the trot tempo and the other at the canter tempo, so that she doesn’t have to switch between settings. As a designer, she also uses the type of CD player that DJs use, which allows her to speed up or slow down the music by as much as 12%. For music mixing software, Karen recommends programs such as Sound Porch, Cakewalk, and Apple’s Garage Band. Some are complicated; others are not. She prefers a very simple software program for her freestyle designs. DO’S AND DON’TS FOR MEASURING YOUR HORSE’S TEMPO

• Don’t measure his tempo while at freedom.

• Don’t measure his tempo when a trainer or someone else is riding him.

• Do measure his tempo when you are riding him.

• Do measure his tempo in the lateral work. This is the real

test for sustainability of the trot tempo.

• Do measure his tempo on both reins. Horses are asymmetri‐cal due to genetic, soundness and strength issues. Typically, they have a slower tempo going to the right.

• Do periodically re‐check his trot tempo. Since the trot is the more developable gait, a horse’s trot tempo will likely change throughout his career.

TAKE STRATEGIC STEPS

Music can either enhance or detract from the quality of the gait. For instance, with the right music you can strategically hide a disconnected canter. It is better for the music to be quicker than the horse’s tempo, than to be slower. When the music is slower than the horse, it makes the rider chase the horse which makes the horse look like it’s moving faster, but with a loss of suspension. In freestyle mu‐sic, delay equals suspension and drama, so loss of suspension can be a double negative. A single down or driving beat, as in most techno music, sounds quicker than what it measures. It is always best to have a beat plus tension, i.e. boom chick‐a boom chick‐a boom. For FEI riders, be sure to measure the tempi changes. It is the highlight of the test, but the tempo tends to slow down as it pro‐gresses. There’s no need to measure the canter pirouettes. It is simply a slower canter. Waltz music does not work for canter – unless it is double fast enough or slow enough to match the beat, but that is rare. The walk is the one gait you don’t need to follow the tempo of the music. Lateral work is another time when matching the tempo is not important. Riders usually want to speed up the trot music, but then it starts to sound frantic. Riders usually want to slow down the canter,

Karen Robinson Freestyle Clinic ‐ (Continued from page 20)


Lecture attendees shopping at the Silent Auction

A P R I L 2 0 0 9 21

but then it starts to sound klunky. The ideal is to find music that doesn’t require any changes to be made to it. Not all digital music is suitable for speeding up. Data is actually lost in the digital editing process which can cre‐ate an undesirable anomaly in the sound. Music with lots of string instruments and sustained notes don’t work well. Karaoke versions of songs are easy to use, except that they tend to provide only the background beat. There are, however, some karaoke versions that are definitely better than others. Do not select music with dominant vocals. The message can easily overpower the visual presentation. Vocals are okay, though, if not too loud and if they enhance the movement. Small amounts of vocals are starting to become popular in free‐styles, and some riders are even including their own short voice‐overs for special effect. Riders can get away with using Bob Seger vocals, for instance, at the entry and in the walk, but such theatrics are usually enjoyed most by the judges at the beginning or at the end. The best

time to add risky music is at the end of the freestyle because the judge will have already made its d e c i s i o n s based on prior move‐ments. Disco music

is difficult to use because its tempo is only 120 bpm, which is much slower than the average 150 bpm for regular trot work. Consequently, disco is best reserved for passage work which has a slower tempo. Don’t take as many musical risks in the lower level tests. It can feel overpowering and out of scale. MUSICAL SELECTIONS: IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU

Sure, everyone wants to ride to music that they like, but music that the rider personally likes doesn’t necessarily work for her horse. The top priority is finding music that creates something special for the horse, so keep an open mind when it comes to selecting music. It must match the horse, e.g. no heavy music for a delicate Arabian horse. It should emphasize the positive and neutralize any negatives.

At the lower levels, the audience will be energized more by the music than the movement, so select music that is especially en‐tertaining to them. It is best to stick to a theme of mu‐sic performed in a consistent style. It should not sound as though the radio station is r e p e a t e d l y being changed or that the music is skip‐ping eras of time. Consis‐tently themed music allows for better musical transitions be‐tween the gaits. Soundtracks are hard to use because they can have so many varieties of music in the score, making it difficult to create seamless transitions. There is a tendency at Grand Prix to continually change the mu‐sic to match the transitions. Karen noted that Anky van Grusen never uses more than six segments in her Grand Prix freestyles. Contrary to some people’s assertions, horses do not ‘listen’ to or follow music. Horses listen to music only to the extent that they hear a series of sounds – mainly, they just react to sound. Granted, horses may behave differently when being ridden to music. Possible reasons are that they associate music with per‐forming at a show. Most likely they are reacting to the rider’s physical and emotional response to music. In any event, horses do not change their rhythm or gait to match the music. Some music, however, can create fear in a horse, e.g. deep booms and high pitches. Usually any extreme in the frequency, whether high or low, can create fear in the horse. High pitches, as in violin music, can be fearful. Mares tend to be more sensi‐tive to extremes in sound frequencies. Some horses react to the speakers more than others, depending on where they are located. The best way to desensitize a horse to the speakers is by exposure to them. Start with a boom box at home, then move it around the arena. Make it part of his daily environment. Also, be sure to inquire about the PA system and location of speakers at the venues where you plan to show and try to mimic the arrangement at home. CREATIVE CHOREOGRAPHY

Mistakes made during the performance of a freestyle can often turn into creative results if the rider can think fast and recover quickly. Bernadette’s WEG freestyle was yet another good ex‐ample. During her ride, she inserted serpentines to cover for a



Representative from Brehm’s Feed

Karen Robinson


moment of indecision as to which way to turn in her unfamiliar freestyle. During a test, it is easier to catch up to the music, but more diffi‐cult to kill time. It is easier to start with a higher level freestyle and reduce it to a lower level freestyle to allow for development. Conversely, it is more difficult to start with a simple freestyle and then add diffi‐culty. Walk the Line Should a freestyle ever begin at the work? Heavens no. It is boring. The only time to start out with walk is if the horse will not walk later in the test, e.g. after it has cantered and gotten goosed up a bit. For the walk, it is best to have 30 seconds of uninterrupted music, otherwise it sounds chopped up. To get brownie points at the walk, select interesting music that enter‐tains and provides a treat for the judge. Hot to Trot Don’t get stuck in predictable routines. Be creative and ride shoulder‐in at the quarter lines or down the middle. It must be parallel to the long side, though. Link the trot with other move‐ments to make it more interesting. The score for degree of difficulty is the only artistic mark with no coefficient. It should be the judge’s least important decision about the freestyle, but it is often what the judge comments on the most. Be aware that judges don’t necessarily ‘know’ music, but they do know choreography and thus are more likely to make comments on difficulty. It generally isn’t worth the risk to increase degree of difficulty if the movement is likely to be blown or the quality diminished. Also remember that judges start with a ‘6’ in mind for the move‐ments. A no‐risk taker can easily get a ‘6’ just by not failing, but a risk‐taker that fails will be penalized below a ‘6’ since it impacts the score for movement and harmony. Counter the Canter Even though Second Level doesn’t contain counter canter, it is good to include it in the program anyway. Third Level freestyles are one of the hardest to do because counter canter is required and by that time in the training the counter canter has given way to work on tempi changes. Set up the canter work with a pattern that engages the horse. Do walk transitions in serpentine across the short side. The turn engages the hindquarters and the wall acts as a half halt, which sets up the horse for a great canter depart. If the horse is good at simple changes, then include more of them, e.g. 4 loop serpentine with 3 simple changes. Or, do two simple changes on the long line; counter canter in corner; simple

change on the diagonal; counter canter; simple change; canter on the opposite rein. MAINTAIN PRIORITIES

Karen’s recommended priorities are: Priority 1: High Quality Priority 2: Interesting Choreography Priority 3: Difficulty Symmetry is pleasing to the human eye, so do movements equally on each side and in the same place. With travers/renvers, pick the one the horse does best, but re‐member to be consistent on both sides. How much of a movement should be included? Go by the amount and steepness in the highest test of the level, without sacrificing quality. Showing only the minimum amount required, though, can be dangerous because it risks a score of ‘insufficient’ if it takes awhile to get the movement started. Never perform a movement more than once if a ‘6’ can’t be earned for it. Always show a movement on the horse’s stronger side. Don’t do lateral work more than once, except for half pass at the upper levels. Only in rare in‐stances should the extended trot be performed on the diagonal. Also, never show an extended gait on a circle. Judges know that a horse physically cannot achieve full extension on a curve. If the horse has weak areas, put those movements in an obvious place (based on the tests at that level) so that the judge can rec‐ognize it. Never make the judge wonder what the gait was sup‐posed to be. Remember, the judge doesn’t have a test to pro‐vide guidance as to the rider’s intent. Extended gaits are okay on the centerline when the horse is really straight. Be aware, though, that nothing else can be seen, so be sure to show that particular gait somewhere else in the test so that the judge can see and score the gait.

Karen Robinson Freestyle Clinic—(Continued from page 22)


Winston, Susan Howard’s precocious JRT

A P R I L 2 0 0 9 23

SCORING: MAKING THE MARK

So, if the technical elements are at least two‐thirds of the mark, and the music interpretation is only 11%, a rider might ask, “Why worry so much about the mu‐sic”? Yes, judges weigh the technical more than the artistic, but really great music can provide a winning edge. Again, it’s not what genre of music that you or the judge may like, but rather what works best for the horse. Great music creates distinction between the other competitors. Note that the first two artistic marks (rhythm/energy and harmony) are actually technical marks and will be judged accordingly. THE TOTAL SHOULD BE GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

As Karen reminded the audience, there is a dimension of emotion when riding to music that does not exist when there is no soundtrack, and good music can transform the way a horse looks when performing in the ring. With that I mind, Karen closed the lecture with an inspirational video of another one of her cli‐ents, Lauren Barwick, a gold medal winner at the Hong Kong Paralympics. Lauren performed her freestyle to a delicate Asian melody, a nod to the host country, something most of the other riders avoided, but which certainly was a crowd pleaser. With no feeling in her legs from the waist down, Lauren rode not only the walk and trot, but also the canter and counter canter, neither of which was required in her Division II riding category. The technical risks she factored into her freestyle, combined with musical artistry and an awareness of her audience, resulted in something far more special and greater than an Olympic gold medal. That special ‘something’ is the goal every freestyle rider should strive for.


Karen Robinson coaching Barbara on Usache

BB IRTHIRTH OFOF AA FF REESTYLEREESTYLE By Syrisse Longbottom with Barbara Stewart

On the Tuesday and Wednesday following the lecture by Karen, Sandra Adair hosted a 2‐day riding clinic with Karen Robinson for riders interested in either creating a freestyle or revamping one, and also for auditors to watch Karen implement the design process. Barbara Stewart, with her 8‐yr old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Usache, signed up to work with Karen on creating their very first freestyle. “Prior to my involvement with this clinic, I had not considered even beginning to create a freestyle. In my mind that was for the “big” riders. Discussing the freestyle with Sandra Adair (clinic organizer) and my trainer Marie Morgan, I realized that the freestyle could be a fun and diverse training tool, removing some of the focus from the prescribed tests, yet still focus‐ing on required movements for a particular level,” Barbara explained. The following is a snapshot of Days 1 and 2 of Barbara’s riding clinic with Karen where together they experimented and strategized to find the best type of music and choreography for her and Usache.

RIDING CLINIC - DAY 1 Q: How did Karen kick off the design process? A: We began by discussing the level of freestyle that I wanted. Usache

and I are schooling second level movements, but have only ridden Second Level Test 1 in a schooling show with middle of the road re‐sults. We have a way to go in second level. however my objective was not to show the freestyle this season (2009). I wanted a freestyle we could grow into. I asked Karen to give her input if she saw that our movements were not enough for second level and we would back it down to first level.

Q: Karen asked what types of music you liked/disliked. She mentioned

country. What were your initial preferences? A: I told Karen that I was an open book. That I liked Sinatra, big band,

jazz and rock‐n‐roll, but I was open to anything. (Continued on page 25)

Karen Robinson



The dreaded speaker. Continual exposure to speakers is the only way to prevent horses from shying at them, Karen said.

Q: What were Karen’s initial thoughts about Usache’s music? A: Karen first mentioned Native American music and then per‐

haps African music. Q: How did Karen determine Usache’s tempo? A: Karen instructed me to trot and include circles, straight lines

and later movements. She told me when she had measured his trot beats per minute and then asked me to move to the canter with similar instructions.

Q: Karen’s first trot music selection was Native American mu‐

sic with a fairly strong techno beat. Did you like it when you first heard it?

A: Yes, I did like it. It would not be my first selection to listen to at home, but I like music with a strong beat.

Q: After testing a couple music selections on Usache Karen

said he was a “techno beat dude”. Did you hear that? ☺ A: No, but I like it! Q: The second and third trot selections were slightly different.

What did you think about them? A: Native American music again, I believe from the same group.

It had a heavier down beat and it made Usache’s move‐ments appear heavier. He is a big horse so we wanted something not too fru‐fru, but anything too heavy would make him look heavy and slow. The third selection had a lot more background sounds to it and was busier. Usache voted by shying twice at the sound coming from the speak‐ers.

Q: You, Karen and the auditors voted that the first selection

with the techno beat worked best. What type of music was selected for the canter work?

A: Karen chose music from the same genre as the trot music. Q: Karen introduced several versions of canter music, each

with varying amounts of sound between the down beats. Did you have a preference?

A: Yes, the first canter music selection had a strong down beat, which was accurate for Usache, but the down beat over‐emphasized the landing stride at canter and created a sense of heaviness in his movement. The second canter selection had a medium strong down beat, but included some embel‐lishment in the between‐beats that de‐emphasized the down beat. It worked better because it was a little more forgiving of the moment of the down stride and created a sense of suspension. The third canter selection had less of a down beat and included even more embellishment in the between‐beats. That one worked best of all because it cre‐ated a sense of reach in Usache’s movement.

RIDING CLINIC - DAY 2 Q: This was

choreog ‐raphy day. How did the ses‐sion start?

A: We began by replay‐ing the c a n t e r select ion from the previous day to confirm the fit. Usache was tired. The first day we had a long warm‐up and trailered in and out both days. I think I was a little tired too!

Q: Did the previous day’s music selections still seem to work? A: The trot music just fits him, techno beat dude that he is!

Karen wanted to try one other canter option with less of a downbeat, but we all agreed the original selection was the best fit, tired horse or not.

Q: Since you decided to shoot for a second level freestyle,

what movements would be required? A: ‐ Freewalk of 20 meters minimum

‐ Shoulder in at trot* ‐ Travers and/or Renvers at Trot* ‐ Medium trot ‐ 10 meter circle in canter* ‐ Simple change of lead* ‐ Medium canter *At least one must be shown in both directions

Q: Which movements did you want to emphasize or de‐

emphasize? A: In the freestyle you want to show your horse’s strong points.

Some movements, such as renvers, are more difficult to ini‐tiate. It is better to use travers unless your horse has a tal‐ent for renvers. At second level you also have counter‐canter. It’s not required, but we discussed adding it for diffi‐

Birth of a Freestyle ‐ (Continued from page 24)


The Wizard at Work

A P R I L 2 0 0 9 25

culty. Since Usache and I have good counter canter days and not‐so‐good counter canter days we decided to pass on adding it.

Q: What kind of strategy did you and Karen use for

movements that you wanted to de‐emphasize? A: We trotted around with shoulder‐in and travers, hav‐

ing some difficulty with travers. We initially started on the quarter‐line with travers, but were not getting the movement. We moved to the rail and it improved. Usache is stronger with shoulder‐ in right and travers right, so we would show these two early on to impress the judges.

Q: How did you and Karen coordinate the movements to form a test pattern?

A: Karen likes symmetry with the test, as do I. We began to put movements together, highlighting Usache’s strength combined with symmetry. The choreography then came very naturally. As we moved to the canter with the 10 meter circles, we knew we wanted to put the circles in an interesting place, not the typical A, C, E or B. We chose P and V. That gave a natural oppor‐tunity to add the medium canter when coming out of the circles. For the simple changes we first tried them on the diagonal. Karen noticed Usache’s tendency to get strong after canter work, so we moved the simple lead changes to come after a turn. That makes the down transition more likely to happen and felt very comfortable for us. Usache has a very strong trot gait and we wanted to emphasize this strength in the test.

Q: Did you actually pull together a test pattern the sec‐

ond day? A: Given that Usache was tired that day, we did not at‐

tempt to ride the entire test for timing. Instead we decided to outline the choreography and then, as Usa‐che and I get stronger in the test movements, we will have a video made of us riding the choreography. We will send the video to Karen and she will be able to time the movements and set the music.

Q: What was your favorite part of the design process? A: Selecting music was fun, but the choreography was

just as exciting as you focus on your horse’s strengths which makes riding even more fun and natural. It was a privilege to work with someone as talented as Karen who could so easily select appropriate music and could zone in on your strengths.

Q: What advice would you give to other riders about

freestyle? A: Add a freestyle to your training tools…it is not just for

upper level riders! Best of luck to Barbara and Usache! We look forward to seeing their musical freestyle in competition.

Birth of a Freestyle ‐ (Continued from page 25)

In her private life, HDS member Barbara Stewart is a Certified Financial Planner™. She worked for several years in Tokyo and Hong Kong advis‐ing US citizens living abroad on their financial planning needs.

Barbara made a deal with her husband that, upon their return to the US, she wanted to buy a horse and start riding again. The search for a horse and a horse sport that fit in with life in the city took several years, but then she discovered dressage and Usache, her handsome Dutch Warm‐blood gelding. They have formed a successful partnership and regularly compete at shows. Barbara is looking forward to moving up the levels with Usache as she pursues their training in dressage and using musical freestyle as yet another tool in her training kit.



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BUDGET STATUS REPORT PREPARED BY USDF STAFF

March 27, 2009 The budget for FY 2009‐2010, which be‐gins on April 1, 2009, has been approved by the Executive Board and meets the criteria set forth within the motion passed by the USDF Board of Governors (BOG), which states; “that for the 2009‐2010 budget year, a budget may be adopted that is out of balance to the amount of the depreciation”. That amount of de‐preciation is $200,000. Also, in accor‐dance with the BOG’s directive, no dues increases were incorporated in the budget. As compared to the planned budget for fiscal year 2008‐2009 which ends on March 31, 2009, the new budget shows an 18% or $850,193 reduction in planned operating expenses and a 22% or $1,050,193 reduction in forecasted reve‐nue. The difference in these two num‐bers (expenses and revenue) is accounted for in the $200,000 of depreciation. The budget includes revised revenue fore‐casts, which are based on the organiza‐tion’s actual financial performance through February 28, 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The revised forecasts reduce revenue predictions in most major categories. However, some new fees for service, as outlined below, will be implemented. Each council, committee, and USDF ad‐ministration was asked to reduce its budget by a weighted percent of the total budget. Input was provided by all USDF council and committee chairs to their respective budgets. The council and com‐mittee expense reductions, in total, ex‐ceeded the theoretical weighted average target, but very few resulted in significant program reductions. Most of the expense reductions were realized in administra‐tion, printing, mailing, and telephone. Many additional improvements were made by staff in department budgets,

particularly General Office, Capital Expen‐ditures, Marketing, Publications, Mem‐bership, and Competition/Awards. The single largest category of expense reductions has been made in staff related costs. As of March 31, 2008, USDF had an in‐house staff of 38, and as of March 16, 2009, USDF had an in‐house staff of 32. Four of those positions were eliminated in 2009 and two were voluntarily vacated in 2008 but not replaced. There are no plans to add or replace positions with new hires during FY 2009‐2010. We have not planned any inflation‐based staff wage increases or performance bonuses in 2009. We have also favorably renegoti‐ated agreements with independent con‐tractors and brought some functions in‐house, saving much of the associated ex‐pense. These measures are fully in effect for the beginning of the new budget year, April 1, 2009. The budget includes the implementation of a shipping and handling fee of $3.00 per PM member for those who would like a hard copy of the 2010 Annual Directory mailed. This transaction will take place at the time of 2010 membership renewals, and will be added to the PM registration process. PM members will have the op‐tion to elect a free online opportunity and opt out of the hard copy fee. Pages can be downloaded and printed as needed. Significant budget balancing recommen‐dations, made or supported by various councils and committees and subse‐quently approved by the Executive Board, that have member impact are shown below. All of these recommenda‐tions have been incorporated in the budget. • The Salute Gala and the Awards Ban‐quet at the Annual Convention in Austin will be combined into one grand gala event. This initiative was supported by both the Historical Committee and the Awards Council. To make this possible, the awards presented on stage at the Annual Awards Banquet will be limited

to first and second rankings in all cate‐gories. Currently, this is the practice for All Breeds Awards, but we go to 5th place for most other year end awards. Hall Of Fame inductions and Life Time Achievement Awards will be limited to a maximum total of two in 2009.

• The Awards Council, Regional Champi‐onships Committee and Sport Horse Committee recommended that effec‐tive for 2009 Year End Awards, Regional Championships and Breeders Champi‐onships certificates would be made available only online. These can be printed at any time and in any quan‐tity.

• Effective as of October 1, 2009, the Awards Council recommended a rider award processing fee of $25. The award has a high service cost attached and yet does not require a rider PM membership for rider or owner or a Horse Lifetime Registration to offset that cost as other awards do. The Horse Performance Certificate is essentially a similar award for horses, which has always had a $25 processing fee at‐tached. Since this is a cumulative, life‐time award, rather than an annual award, the cost would only be incurred once per medal earned.

• The Awards Council voted to discon‐tinue Pas de Deux awards starting with the 2010 competition year. Because of their unique characteristics, these awards must be manually tracked and are not supported by the data base or IT. They are labor intensive and costly to administrate in comparison to the number of members they benefit.

• The Awards Council also recommended raising the Horse Performance Certifi‐cate fee from $25 to $35.

• The Sport Horse Committee recom‐mended, and the Awards Council sup‐ported, the implementation of a $50 All


G E N E R A L N E W SG E N E R A L N E W S


‐Breeds Declaration “Change” fee. This fee is applied only when changing an All‐Breeds declaration from one participating organiza‐tion to another.

• The Adult Education Council recommended increasing the University Accreditation Fees: Affiliates fee of $25 is raised to $35, and non‐affiliates and online courses fee of $25 is raised to $50. A new annual accreditation “renewal” fee of $25 for online courses is being implemented.

• The GMO Council suggested reducing the Ruth Arvanette Grant to one per year to maintain the principal investment in the fund. With the current market decline, this is a good investment fund management strategy.

• The Competition Management Council recommended eliminating 3‐copy carbon HID, membership and non‐member forms and make them available for download from the Web site or off of a flash drive. Also recommended was replacing the Competition Management CD with a flash drive for purchase. Documents would be maintained on our Web Site for download or to the flash drive allowing for ongoing updates.

• The FEI Junior/YR Council supported reducing the number of FEI Jr/YR clinics from 9 to 5 per year. Reducing the number of clinics will likely improve the ability to strategically position locations and dates to maximize participation by the targeted Jr/YR group. It also puts less stress on finding affordable and suitable venues and dates, and reduces the potential for cancellations.

(Continued from page 29)

G E N E R A L N E W SG E N E R A L N E W S

A P R I L 2 0 0 9 30

ADVANCE DVD ORDERS NOW AVAILABLE FOR 2009 ROLEX FEI WORLD CUP FINALS By Beth Gold Those interested in owning DVDs of the championship dressage and jumping competition at the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Fi‐nals can now place their advance orders online at www.thesporthouse.com. The Rolex FEI World Cup Finals return to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, April 15‐19, featuring the world's best horses and riders competing for the title of FEI World Cup Champion in the two Olympic disciplines of show jumping and dressage. The "Live and Unedited" DVDs feature all the high‐jumping, side‐stepping, non‐stop equestrian action with limited graphics and commentary. "We are so excited to offer fans the opportunity to place advance orders for these DVDs of the 2009 Rolex FEI

World Cup Finals," said Liz Hughes of Carr‐Hughes Productions, producers of the DVDs. "Horse lovers never get tired of watch‐ing their favorite horses and riders compete; these DVDs will be a great addition to any equestrian enthusiast's video library! Individual DVDs are available of the FEI World Cup Final Dres‐sage Grand Prix, FEI World Cup Final Dressage Freestyle, FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final I, FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final II, and FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final III for $20.00 each. Fans may also choose to purchase the "Ultimate FEI World Cup Fan Package" for $93.00, which includes a DVD of each of the five events. DVDs can be ordered in advance, online at www.thesporthouse.com, or by calling toll free within the U.S. at (888) 546‐7406 or (518) 946‐7820 for those outside of the United States. DVDs will also be sold on‐site at the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in the vendor area. Further information about the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping and Dressage Finals, including information on purchasing tick‐ets, is also available at the official website at www.lasvegasevents.com.

Think of us as your“Dressage Bank”– a placewhere you can make deposits(Donations) and withdrawals(Scholarships/Grants).

Ours is a unique organization, helpingthe sport of Dressage with a growingarray of Grants, Scholarships, Funds,Programs and Projects. A few important,highlight facts about us are these:• Our Mission is: “To cultivate

and provide financial support forthe advancement of Dressage.”

• Established in 1989 by founderLowell Boomer (97 years of age in 2008), who is also the founding organizer of the United States DressageFederation (USDF) in 1973.

• Our business, simply stated, is: we raise money,manage it, and give it away.

• We are a stand-aloneFoundation. We are notpart of USDF. We providefunding to USDF, its GMOsand members, as well as giving support to other Dressage/equestrianorganizations, projects and programs.We are neither enmeshed in the organizational structure, nor entangledin the politics of any other equestrianorganization.

• Stewardship is “Job One” at The Dressage Foundation.Donor Funds are established byBoard Resolution, which spells outthe Funds’ purpose, policies and procedures. This puts on file a stewardship governance road map, toguide future Management/Boards incarrying out precisely and perpetuallythe Donor’s designated intent.

• We are a non-profit tax-exempt corporation [IRS Code Sec.501(c)(3)]. All Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowedby law.

• We have no dues-paying members.Our only sources of revenue are

charitable contributions and earnings on our Funds and

investment reserves. Donorsare all-important to theFoundation; we can only giveaway what Donors give to us,

to make all of our goodworks possible. • Donations come to us

in all sizes – small,medium, large, extra-large – each gift is soimportant.

Please join us in our work.Contribute to one of our presentFunds, or consider establishing a Fundto help turn Dressage Dreams intoAction. Those we help will be sograteful to you.

Core Facts About The Dressage Foundation

THE DRESSAGE FOUNDATIONWells Fargo Center, Suite 732 | 1248 ‘O’ Street | Lincoln, NE 68508

www.dressagefoundation.org

SPORT PSYCHOLOGY FOR DRESSAGE: PERFORMANCE ANXIETY by Seana Adamson, Ph.D.

If you are a dressage competitor you are probably familiar with the tingling nerves and fluttering butterflies that can accompany a competitive performance. In the best of circumstances the body produces a hormonal and chemical cocktail that can allow you to achieve a state of energy, enjoyment and flow. However sometimes we can get too excited. This excessive tension can have a devastating effect on performance, leaving the rider feel‐ing weak, uncoordinated and forgetful. Performance anxiety is a complex subject that can have an effect from dressage competi‐tion, to school exams, or even between the bed sheets! There are two types of performance anxiety. The first type is mental fear, or the fear of performing badly. The second type is physical fear, or the fear of physical injury. If you have physical fear due to a past trauma or injury, I strongly suggest you seek help from a patient riding instructor, or even a psychotherapist. If your performance anxiety is mental more than physical, there are many helpful techniques. There are two basic approaches to working with performance anxiety. The first approach is to learn to decrease your anxiety. The second approach is to accept that anxiety , or intensity, is a part of competition, and develop ways to use that intensity to your advantage. DECREASING ANXIETY: ∙ Create a Relaxation Reflex: Take a single deep, cleansing breath. Smile inwardly and intentionally relax at least one set of muscles. Repeat this many times each day. Your body will start to learn to relax with a single deep breath. This can be used any time while you are riding.

∙ If you have the time then find more extensive relaxation train‐ing. Yoga, meditation, and biofeedback can all provide powerful training to deal with anxiety. ∙ Exercise before you ride. I had one client who would go for a three mile run before each competition. ∙ Prepare, prepare, prepare. The more competent and prepared you feel, the less nervous you will feel. ∙ Use images. Imagine the butterflies in your stomach flying in formation. Use any image that works for you. PERFORMING WELL DESPITE ANXIETY ∙ Develop toughness by staying physically fit and practicing your mental focus long before competition day. We will discuss this more in the upcoming article on focus and concentration. ∙ Focus on those things that are under your control. The judge’s opinion of your performance is not under your control, nor are your competitors. Stay in the moment or precious points can be lost due to distraction. ∙ Practice performing under pressure. Have a friend watch you ride a test. Go to competitions regularly. Practice visualizing while you exercise (more on this later), so that your brain learns to keep functioning even when under stress. ∙ Be gentle with yourself. We all make mistakes. I remember coming out of a test where I’d gone off course. “God I’m an id‐iot!” I exclaimed, “I am so stupid!” A dear friend of mine who was standing nearby spun around and glared at me. “Stop that” she said, “you’re talking badly about my friend!” These are just a few ideas about a very complex topic. Remem‐ber, if you have specific concerns you would like me to address in this article you can email those concerns to me at se‐[email protected]


Seeking Fun-Loving Volunteers

For the HDS Spring Classic Contact Jane Holman [email protected]

Memorize That Dressage Test A workbook of Sport Psychology exercises de‐signed to teach you how to optimize your men‐tal game.

The author, Seana Adamson, is a Ph.D. Psycholo‐gist, a dressage trainer, and a United States Dressage Federation Gold Medalist.

This book covers much more than just memori‐zation. Whether you are a beginning dres‐sage rider, or a seasoned professional, you will find stimulating ideas and practical exercises.

Learn how to refine your riding by discovering how to think like an athlete. Practical exercises show you how to strategize each section of your test. The book contains a laminated board for use with a dry erase marker (not included). This book can be used for Dressage, Eventing, or Combined Driving.

The workbook is 8‐1/2" x 11", spiral bound, 110 pages. It includes one laminated board for use with a dry erase pen, with Dressage, Eventing, and Combined Driving arenas. Dry erase pen is NOT included.

_______________________________________

Order the book at seanaadamson.com. Credit cards accepted through Pay Pal.

Actual shipping costs plus $2 handling. Shipping discounts available for orders of multiple books. Contact Seana Adamson for cost info.

A P R I L 2 0 0 9 33

HDS Summer Shows I & II June 13-14, 2009

Great Southwest Equestrian Center, Katy, TX

Opening Date - April 13 Closing Date - May 11


One of the more debilitat‐ing disablements for a horse trailer is axle failure. In addition to putting you and your horse(s) at great danger by disabling you on the side of the highway, axle failure presents an on‐the‐scene repair challenge.

“In most cases of axle failure, it will be necessary for you or your motor plan to locate emergency stabling for your horse(s), as well as alternative transportation to the stabling facil‐ity. This will require you to unload and reload your horses in an undesirable area. In these rare instances, USRider will request a police presence to stop traffic while the horses are being moved,” said Mark Cole, managing member of US‐Rider.

With its Equestrian Motor Plan, USRider gives you peace of mind as you travel. USRider's motor plan surpasses other roadside assistance plans by also covering horse vans, horse trailers, tow vehicles and horses.

The key to avoiding this situation is simple: preventative maintenance. Make certain that your trailer axles are ser‐viced annually, or every 12,000 miles. While certain manu‐facturers make claims of lifetime bearings or maintenance—free axles, the risk is too great not to have a simple check‐up annually. This requires taking your trailer to a trusted me‐chanic who will inspect the axle, and replace any worn parts, and re‐pack the bearings with high‐temperature bearing grease, or change the 90 weight oil for oil bath axles.

The main reason for servicing your trailer axles annually—even if you have not used your trailer in the past year—is that moisture can build up in an axle. This can cause the grease to become diluted and break down, rendering it un‐able to properly lubricate. Thus, it is important to perform this simple maintenance annually—even if you do not use your trailer often, or at all. In addition to bearing failure, ir‐regular axle maintenance can lead to axle damage, requiring the axle to be replaced—turning an inexpensive mainte‐nance procedure into an expensive repair.

This simple maintenance should be done even if your trailer has hubs that are equipped with grease fittings, such as those found on Bearing Buddies, and other aftermarket axle products. Although the grease fittings will allow you to add more grease, they do not provide a means to remove old, moisture‐diluted grease. When adding grease, be very care‐

ful not to add too much and damage your grease seals. The weak link in either oil‐ or grease‐based systems are the seals. The seals keep oil or grease in and moisture out.

For oil bath axles, which are lubricated by an oil reservoir, it is recommended to change the oil bi‐annually. Even if the oil is full, these axles should be checked annually by a qualified mechanic. Upon visual in‐spection, if an oil bath system has dark or cloudy oil, have the axle serviced immediately—dark and cloudy oil indicates moisture contamination. Proper looking oil will have a golden or amber appearance.

USRider recommends that horse owners carry a spare set of axle bearings when traveling. “It is much easier to locate a mechanic to make a repair than to have to locate and dis‐patch specific axle components,” added Cole. This is espe‐cially important if you travel great distances, or on nights and weekends, as parts may not be available due to many parts suppliers being closed from noon Saturday until Monday morning. Contact your trailer dealer or manufacturer for the correct replacement bearings for your axles.

Another important reason to have your axles serviced annu‐ally is that worn trailer axles will cause tires to wear improp‐erly, introducing a number of other hazards for traveling equestrians.

In a worst‐case scenario involving an axle in dire need of ser‐vicing, a wheel could actually come off the trailer while un‐derway, possibly causing irreparable damage to the axle—not to mention the danger of a loose wheel on the highway for other motorists.

If you experience axle failure, please try to pull to a safe place, off the highway as far as possible.

USRider provides roadside assistance and towing services along with other travel‐related benefits to its members through the Equestrian Motor Plan. It includes standard fea‐tures such as flat‐tire repair, battery assistance and lock‐out services, plus towing up to 100 miles and roadside repairs for tow vehicles and trailers with horses, emergency stabling, veterinary referrals and more. For more information about the USRider Equestrian Motor Plan, visit www.usrider.org or call (800) 844‐1409.

MMARKETPLACEARKETPLACE NNEWSEWS

Tips for Proper Trailer Axle Care

By USRider

35

H D S BH D S B I ZI Z

QUICK LINKS ‐ double click on desired URL: • 2009 Membership Application

http://www.houstondressagesociety.org/membership.php

• Classified Ads http://www.houstondressagesociety.org/classifieds.php

• Recognized Shows Calendar http://www.houstondressagesociety.org/eventscalendar_recognized%20shows.php

• Schooling Shows Calendar http://www.houstondressagesociety.org/eventscalendar_schoolingshows.php

• Clinics/Special Events Calendar http://www.houstondressagesociety.org/eventscalendar_clinics.php

TREASURER’S REPORT ‐ ending February 28, 2009

BOARD MEETINGS Board meetings are held the 2nd Monday of each month. Visitors are welcome. Contact Kathy Jones at [email protected] for exact location. Meetings start at 7:00pm sharp.

A P R I L 2 0 0 9

ADVERTISING RATES - Reduced! The Board voted to reduce the newsletter ad‐vertising costs by approximately one‐half! New rates will be posted soon on the HDS website. Email [email protected] if you have specific questions. The news rates apply imme‐diately.

Houston Dressage Society Condensed Income Statement For the Period Ended February 28, 2009

HDS Winter Show Recognized Show Revenue $34,095.00

Recognized Show Expense 30,561.57

Net Income from Recognized Shows 3,533.43

Other Revenue and (Expense) Administrative and Supplies (599.04) Bank Service Charges (403.04) Education (1,053.09) HDS Boutique 40.00 Insurance (330.00) Membership 7,019.53 NewsletterAdvertsing Fees 737.00 Schooling Show 233.13 Sponsorship 1,500.00 USDF National Convention (751.43) Web Hosting (219.45) Year End Awards Banquet Net Income 90.68 Year End Awards (2,595.65) Year End Awards Banquet Silent Auction 1,214.00

Total Other Income 4,882.64

Net Income for the Period Ended February 28, 2009 $8,416.07

13035 Dogwood Blossom Houston, TX 77065

Ded icated toDedicated to

Furthering the Furthering the Art andArt and

Educat ion of Educat ion of DressageDressage

w w w . H o u s t o n D r e s s a g e S o c i e t y . o r g

President Kathy Jones [email protected] 281‐955‐0803

Clinics/Education/Scholarships Susan Shiba [email protected]

Recognized Shows Marilyn Kulifay [email protected] 713‐861‐0761

Vice President Cal Eller [email protected] 281‐723‐4009

Junior/Young Riders Cat Smith [email protected]

Schooling Shows Jeanette Snow [email protected] 281‐533‐0371

Membership Nancy Walker‐Taylor [email protected] 832‐603‐3835

Awards Chair Laurie Jackson [email protected] 713‐471‐5775

Historian/Recorder Karen Roepke [email protected] 713‐503‐0363

Secretary Charles Saltzer [email protected] 281‐793‐8197

Special Events Sylvia Workman [email protected] 936‐321‐5196

Volunteer Coordinator Jane Holman [email protected]

Treasurer Margaret Dhont [email protected] 713‐662‐2887

Publications/Marketing Syrisse Longbottom [email protected] 936‐372‐3367

Advertising & Sponsorship Amanda Miller Hudson [email protected]

H D S BH D S B O A R DO A R D MM E M B E R SE M B E R S

F Y I NEW FEDERATION FOR NORTH AMERICAN BREEDERS: NORTH AMERICAN SPORT HORSE FEDERATION Silver Creek Farms in Broken Arrow, OK is working to establish a unified testing program for all sport horse registries in North America that would replace the 100‐Day testing format. To that end, repre‐sentatives of the major North American sport horse registries attended a meeting at Silver Creek Farm on March 5, 2009, including the American Hanoverian Society, American Holsteiner Horse Association, American Trakehner Association, Belgian Warmblood Breeding Association, Canadian Sport Horse Association, International Sporthorse Registry / Oldenburg North America, KWPN NA, Oldenburg Horse Breeders’ Society, Rheinland Pfalz‐Saar International, and Swedish Warmblood Association of North America. “We are trying to create a testing location that is central in North America, and that is not owned, operated, or financed by any registry entity,” said Summer Stoffel, president of Silver Creek Farms, who has previously hosted 30‐Day Tests and will host a 70‐Day Test in the fall. The goal is to establish a performance test that will be recognized both in North America and allow reciprocity with the Euro‐pean registries. Previous 100‐Day Tests have put North American breeders on par with Europe and have moved North American breeding programs forward. With the changes made to the test in Europe, and concerns about long‐term impact and injuries on young stallions, an implementation of the 30/70 Day Test pro‐gram will address those issues.