All posts by Associate Editor

Richard Spooner & Lady Like Prove Victorious in $50,000 Vita Flex Match Race at FTI WEF

Richard Spooner and Lady Like won the $50,000 Vita Flex Match Race and the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award during the tenth week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. (Photo courtesy of SportFot)

Wellington, FL (April 12, 2011) – During an exciting night under the lights in the International Arena at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, Richard Spooner and Lady Like cleared the Vita Flex oxer in winning time during the final phase of the $50,000 Vita Flex Match Race to take home the winning ribbon as well as the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award. The $50,000 Vita Flex Match Race featured five rounds of races with riders competing head-to-head in competition over mirror-image courses.

Spooner was thrilled with his victory and said he always enjoys competing in match races. There were 32 combinations in the $50,000 Vita Flex Match Race, and Spooner won against Karina Aziz, Todd Minikus, Paul O’Shea and Jonathan McCrea.  He praised Lady Like, a 1999 Holsteiner mare, and said she was quick and careful over the five rounds which included beating out Daniela Cordero and T Cavalier in the final round.

Spooner’s $50,000 Vita Flex Match Race victory also helped him take home the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award. Spooner was pleased with both wins and thrilled to win a competition that offered such a large monetary prize. Spooner compared the $50,000 Vita Flex Match Race to horse racing and said that the crowd was really behind the event.

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Fleet Footing International Now a Sponsor for USDF Shows at Canterbury

Fleet Footing International is now a sponsor for two USDF shows held at Canterbury. Back in February the new fiber was put into ring 1 and two warm up rings and the competitors are just raving about it.

Canterbury was always nice; however, under very rainy conditions, the rings outside would get tough to ride in. Now they are useable in all weather.

Manager Wendy Low said this is the best type of fiber to mix with existing sand areas she has ever seen. “We are fortunate to have this available at a very reasonable price. We had estimates from a few footing equine companies and it was way out of reach for us. But this was in our budget.”

The fiber is tilled in with the existing sand top layer and then rolled and watered. The result is a springy, carpet like ride. The horses love it.

William Solyntjes, USDF clinician and “S” judge, said at the Twice As Nice Show, “After an all night rain and well into the morning, riders at the Canterbury show found the footing to be secure. The fiber seems to soak up the moisture and keep its integrity. Not one horse slipped and I was able to give many 8s and even some 9s because of the resilient and safe footing. Horses stayed soft in the back and showed elastic gaits.”

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NO SECRET SO CLOSE excerpt #14, by Claire Dorotik

NO SECRET SO CLOSE is the story of a the most unthinkable betrayal humanly possible — at only 24 years old, Claire Dorotik’s father has been murdered, her mother arrested, and now, in a sinister twist of fate, Claire’s mother points the finger at Claire, accusing her of killing her own father. Battling the feelings of loss, abandonment, terror, and dissociation, and also learning about them, Claire struggles to stay in her master’s program for psychotherapy. However, when Claire’s brothers also betray her and side with her mother, Claire is left all alone to care for the 18 horses she and her mother owned. As the story unfolds, what is revealed is the horses’ amazing capacity for empathy in the face of human trauma, and the almost psychic ability to provide the author with what had been taken from her. Arising from these horrifying circumstances, the most unthinkable heroes — the horses — show Claire that life is still worth living.

Excerpt #14 from NO SECRET SO CLOSE:

“No offer refused,” was what I had scribbled on a piece of cardboard with a permanent marker. We had eleven horses at the time and could only take five. That meant three trips in a two-horse trailer from Tucson, Arizona to Morgan Hill, California. My mom, my friend Kim, and I, made at least twenty signs and posted them on any street sign we could find all over the east side of Tucson, Arizona. Kim wrote the “fire sale” signs, I wrote the “no offer refused” signs, and my mom wrote the “fine horseflesh” signs. I thought horseflesh sounded weird, but she insisted that people equated it to quality horses.

It was the no offer refused part that caught the attention of the middle aged Hispanic man who came and bought three of the horses. We had made a package deal. They were all nice horses, but it was the young stallion that he really wanted. Hispanic men seem to be attracted to stallions. They dress them up with fancy saddles and bridles garnished with silver, teach them to do tricks, and use them in parades. They call them charro horses. But they are not known for being nice to them, and he didn’t even want to ride any of the horses first. I knew that would be my last goodbye. And my gut told me their lives would not be easy. I made Kim promise to tell me if she ever saw them again.

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Equine Therapy: The Healing Is in the Relationship, by Claire Dorotik MA

While there are numerous complaints clients can present with and probably an even greater abundance of ways to treat these ailments, the majority of practitioners would most likely agree that the majority of them stem from the relationships that people find themselves in. Or perhaps, these present relationships are reflections of the more formative earlier ones. In either case, there is no shortage of methods to help people better understand themselves and their relationships.

One of these methods of fostering self awareness is equine therapy. And like many other forms of treatment, working with horses has taken many forms. While some organizations focus solely on creating and implementing exercises for clients to perform with horses, others attempt to generalize the client’s behavior with the horse to other, more fractured areas of his/her life. The thought in both cases in that if the client can learn how to alter his/her behavior across a multitude of situations, the outcomes will be different, and hopefully, more satisfying.

The benefits of these methods of equine therapy, are not to be missed, however, what is often overlooked is the relationship with the horse that is transpiring in the present moment. Within this relationship, the client, with his complexity of both conscious feelings, and the more misunderstood, unconscious ones is available to the horse. This is an important point because in human relationships, unconscious feelings, drives and motives greatly affect the outcome, albeit under the conscious awareness of the people who are affected. Horses, on the other hand, cannot avoid being aware of unconscious feelings, as they have physiological ramifications within the person, and horses communicate almost exclusively through physiological cues and signals. So while people respond to the conscious presentation of a person, a horse responds to the unconscious presentation.

What of course this means to the practitioner is that the horse, through his response to the client, provides a window into the unconscious. Armed with this information, the therapist can then have much greater efficacy in helping the client understand himself, and his relationships. And this, after all, is the purpose of psychotherapy.

Atlanta Spring and Tryon Summer Classic Horse Shows Right around the Corner

Parade of Hounds at the Tryon Summer Classic. Photos by: Shawn McMillen

Beautiful spring weather has arrived here in the south and Equus Events spring and summer schedule is beginning to heat up.  The Atlanta Spring Premiere May 11-15 and the Atlanta Spring Challenge May 18-22 are just around the corner and will include two fabulous weeks of AA competition at the Georgia International Horse Park.  This show series takes place in one of the countries premiere equestrian facilities and will offer over $180,000 in prize money through out the two weeks.  Features include a $25,000 Grand Prix each week, two $5,000 Open Welcome Stakes each week, a $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, a USHJA National Hunter Classic, a $7,500 JR/AO Jumper Classic each week and in addition the Atlanta Spring Premiere has been selected as a World Champion Hunter Rider Event.  These shows will offer something for everyone as nearly every hunter and jumper division will be offered a classic.  Equus Events will also offer daily hospitality for exhibitors, trainers, and riders and weekly parties.  The annual Preakness Party will take place May 21st to celebrate the 136th running of the Preakness Stake.  DFG Stables and Daniel and Cathy Geitner of Aiken, SC are graciously sponsoring this event.

The Tryon Summer Classic Horse Show will again take place June 2-5 at FENCE in beautiful Tryon, North Carolina.  FENCE (Foothills Equestrian Nature Center) is a 380 acre nature, education and recreation facility nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The area offers many activities including numerous shops and antique stores as well as adventures whitewater rafting on the Green River.  This year’s show will again benefit the Tryon Hounds.  www.tryonhounds.com This unique event encompasses the days of old with a rich tradition but also attracts top riders and trainers in the southeast.  Many will be contending for their name to be engraved on numerous perpetual trophies.  Some of last years winners include:

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Cookies with a Clue for Your Horse – Simplifying the Supplement “Jungle”

Have you ever been frustrated by how much time you spend making sure your horse has all the necessary supplements and wished there was a way to simplify the process?   After all your research, are you confident your supplement program is designed to deliver results and that the individual supplements will work together?  Well, you aren’t alone.  Lots of horse owners feel the same way.

For Marian Nilsen, owner of Healthy Horse Boutique, a company that prides itself on caring for horses with healthy, safe, effective methods, finding a solution to the supplement jungle became a mission.

“One day I was in the barn mixing and measuring when I really wanted to be riding, teaching and training.  I just felt like there had to be an answer.  So, I approached equine nutritionist Gabriele Sutton of KAM Animal Services, a company that focuses on therapeutic supplements for better health, to see if she had any clues on how I could simplify supplementing my horses.”

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The Savannah College of Art and Design Will Host 34th Annual ANRC National Intercollegiate Equitation Championship

Savannah, GA – The 34th Annual American National Riding Commission (ANRC) National Collegiate Equitation Championship will take place at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, at the Ronald C. Warranch Equestrian Center April 14-17.

Approximately 15 college teams will showcase their most talented riders, who will be judged and scored in four phases: a dressage sportif, a program ride with United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) hunter equitation tests; a hunter seat equitation medal course; a hunter trials equitation course, over natural obstacles in a field; and a written test based on riding theory and equine science. Novice division entries will compete over fences at 2’6” and national division entries will compete over fences at 3’.

Both individuals and teams will receive honors and awards from ANRC and the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA). Awards will be given for each phase, along with an overall individual award and an overall team award. This year’s judges are Bobbie Reber of Langley, BC, Canada, and Caroline Jones of Calgary Alberta, Canada. The written test judge is Marion Lee from Leesburg, VA. For more information about the championship, visit the ANRC website at www.anrc.org.

The ANRC is an Affiliate of USEF and USHJA. New in 2012, the USHJA will partner with ANRC to add a competitive venue to the USHJA outreach program based on the ANRC National Collegiate Equitation Championship format. Information and specifications for the USHJA/ANRC Horsemanship Program can be found at the USHJA website or by contacting Kimberly Knotek at kknotek@ushja.org.

Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2011 National Championship

Newberry, FL – Riders from more than 20 colleges and universities throughout the United States will converge at the Canterbury Equestrian Show Place in Newberry, FL, to compete at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 9th annual National Championship. More than 100 riders will compete April 30 and May 1 as part of a 4-member team or as individuals in each of the IDA’s four divisions: introductory, lower training, upper training and first level.

The IDA is comprised of 680 student riders representing 60 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada, divided into 10 regions. The qualifying teams and individual riders have earned their way to the championship by earning points in IDA-sanctioned competitions held throughout the academic year within their respective regions.

University of Florida and its dressage team are hosting for the event. Along with their host duties, team members are among the early qualifiers for the competition, which include Delaware Valley College, last year’s National Champion Team, Virginia Intermont College, and Mt. Holyoke College. With three national championship titles each, Virginia Intermont and Mt. Holyoke have dominated the IDA since it began as a national organization in 2001.

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FEI Updates Prohibited Substance List for Horses Competing in FEI Disciplines

Lexington, KY – Approved at the FEI General Assembly in Taipei last November, the 2011 FEI Equine Prohibited Substance List for horses competing in FEI classes became effective April 4, 2011.  It is important for all who compete in the FEI disciplines to become familiar with the parameters laid out by the FEI Clean Sport Initiative.

The lists of Controlled and Banned substances are available at www.feicleansport.org. Additionally, the Athlete’s Guide can be found here. The searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database can be found here. Until June 4, 2011, the 2011 list will show all Prohibited Substances that have been added or removed from the 2010 List and Database.

The FEI has also created applications for the iPhone and other smart phones, designed to show the latest changes to the rules as well as offer updates when any substances are added or removed.

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The Dressage Foundation Announces Changes to the Major Anders Lindgren Scholarship for Dressage Instructors

Lincoln, NE – The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce that the annual Major Anders Lindgren Scholarship has recently been revised to provide scholarships to a greater number of qualified dressage instructors.

Major Anders Lindgren was an accomplished dressage rider, having won the 1971 Swedish Dressage Championship and ridden on the Swedish Olympic Team in 1972. He also won the Scandinavian Eventing Championship in 1959. Lindgren’s contribution to American dressage was large, as he was solidly committed to the education of U.S. dressage instructors. Over a ten-year period, almost 1,000 participating instructors learned from his systematic, structural approach to teaching Dressage at the USDF/Violet Hopkins National Seminars for Dressage Instructors, and then at the National Symposium. Major Lindgren passed away in 2010 at the age of 85.

Since 1996, The Dressage Foundation has offered annual scholarships in Major Lindgren’s name, for instructors to train in Europe. However, beginning this year, the Major Anders Lindgren Scholarship has been restructured to offer funding to more instructors, to train in the United States.

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