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Susan J. Stickle Named 2011 Photographer for Challenge of the Americas & World Dressage Masters

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Steiner and Hoag from the 2010 Challenge of the Americas. Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle.

Wellington, FL – February 9, 2011 – Noted and distinguished photographer Susan J. Stickle has been announced as the professional photographer for two exciting events that are coming to Wellington the week of March 10-13.  The World Dressage Masters returns to Wellington March 9-11, 2011, for the third year on its international tour, with three different competitions for dressage enthusiasts and the public alike held at the Jim Brandon Center.  The weekend events wrap up with the tenth annual Challenge of the Americas March 12, 2011, which includes a Grand Prix team dressage quadrille and musical freestyle competition.  This year, the Challenge will also feature a four-on-four polo match featuring patron level players.  The Challenge is held at International Polo Club Palm Beach and benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Stickle, originally from Maplewood, New Jersey, has been shooting professionally since 1995, covering local, regional and National Dressage championships. She bought her first camera at age 17 with her very first paycheck after always having an interest in photography.  She began riding western at age 20, and then moved to a dressage barn where she fell in love with the sport.

“At that time, there were no real professional photographers shooting the actual classes, only the awards,” noted Stickle.  “We just shot each other and our friends, and never looked back.”  Stickle started her business, Susan J. Stickle Photography, with longtime partner Jonna Koellhoffer and the two continue working together today. Susan rode dressage competitively with her chestnut Thoroughbred mare, Bonnie. The pair were high score champions at training level and went on to compete thru the lower levels. Her love of horses and her knowledge of dressage have given her a wonderfully keen eye that shows in her work.

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Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Publications/Media

NO SECRET SO CLOSE excerpt #5, by Claire Dorotik

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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 #5 from NO SECRET SO CLOSE:

“I only know one. But he’s very good.” Two years before I had been sued. I was trying to sell my first horse Cheers, when a woman and her daughter saw him at a horse show and asked if they could take him on trial. I was naïve, and they seemed nice. We wrote a contract on the back of a show entry and shook hands. “The buyer will have two weeks to try the horse, at the end of which time she can either purchase him for the agreed price of $10,000, or give him back.”  That’s what it said, word for word. It didn’t say that if I took my horse back when they didn’t buy him that it would result in “emotional damages” to her daughter. When the woman chased the hauler down the freeway in her Range Rover, honking and swearing at him, I thought he was the one who would suffer emotional damages. She wanted longer than two weeks, but didn’t want to pay for the horse. I just wanted my horse back. But she sued me anyway and hired a prestigious attorney. I had no money. I couldn’t even decipher the papers I had been served with. When I showed it to the trainer I was riding for at the time, she said, “You gotta call Mike, he’s the best.” I took the number and the papers and went to see him. When he saw the name of the woman’s attorney, he told me I was in trouble. But he took the case for $500. It was a pro-bono for him. I thought it was an act of sympathy.

So I gave him a call. He didn’t hesitate. He also didn’t ask questions. Another act of sympathy. “Kerry Steigerwald. Call Kerry Steigerwald.”

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Contributors/Press, Equine Assisted Therapy, Publications/Media

Equine Therapy: What Is It Good For? by Claire Dorotik

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While those familiar to horses would contend that horses, in general, are good for any type of person, therapists, for whom which equine therapy is a new, untested field, have not been so quick to jump on the bandwagon. Many of the concerns expressed have surrounded the relative lack of evidence available indicating the efficacy of work with horses, but also, lack of clarity as to what particular diagnosis may be helped by equine therapy. Certainly these concerns are not without validity as we have learned that with the fertile emergence of all types of experiential therapies, some approaches are not helpful, and in some ways harmful, for certain types of clients.

So in considering the introduction of equine therapy for clients, we must be clear just who can be helped by our equine friends, as with other experiential methods, equine therapy is not for everyone. However, from the beginning, equine therapy was promoted for all types of clients, with the largest and most prominent usage surrounding eating disorders. Remuda Ranch, in Wickenburg, Arizona (www.remudaranch.com), has in many ways been a trendsetter in this movement. This particular center, which is designed exclusively for the treatment of pervasive cases of eating disorders, incorporates horses with every client, and the equine therapy program enjoys a large share of treatment time.

Of late, equine therapy has been espoused as an effective treatment for addictions, with the majority of centers promoting this, among other experiential therapies as a way to engage and ascertain information from clients who might otherwise be treatment resistant. The frontrunner in this approach has been Sierra Tucson, (www.sierratucson.com) the prominent rehabilitation center in Tucson Arizona. Like Remuda Ranch, equine therapy is a part of every client’s program, and the center’s sister site, Miraval (www.miravalresorts.com), a less intense and more akin to a “health spa,” uses equine therapy in majority to restore balance and wellness to clients’ lives.

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Awards, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, JRPR, Products/Services, Show Jumping

Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 Win Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award during Third Week of the Winter Equestrian Festival

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Champ 163 and Rodrigo Pessoa won the Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award during the third week of the WEF. Melissa Bennington and Kristen Galvan, Sales Specialists for Arenus, presented Pessoa with the award. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (February 7, 2011) – Brazilian Olympic Gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa rode away as the winner of the Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award aboard Champ 163 during the third week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Champ 163, owned by Legacy Stables LLC, finished ninth in the 1.50m Jumper Classic.

“Rodrigo is a legend in the show jumping world and it was a thrill to present him with the Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award,” said Melissa Bennington, northeast Sales Specialist for Arenus. “Rodrigo made history and broke a world record when he and Baloubet du Rouet won the World Cup Final three years in a row. Rodrigo has also competed and medaled in multiple Olympics and Pan Am Games and it was an honor to meet him and present him with the Arenus award.”

The Performance and Conditioning Award is sponsored by Arenus, a premier provider of innovative health and nutrition products for pets and horses, and is given to one horse during the show whose conditioning enhances its performance. Kristen Galvan, an Arenus Sales Specialist for the southeast, was also thrilled to meet Rodrigo. “It’s not often you get to meet someone who has made such an impact on the show jumping world,” she said.

Continue reading Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 Win Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award during Third Week of the Winter Equestrian Festival →

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Jennifer Ward, Products/Services

Beval Saddlery Partners with JustWorld International as Official Retailer

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JustWorld signature products are available for purchase at Beval Saddlery.

January 31, 2011 – Wellington, Florida – Beval Saddlery has partnered with JustWorld International to carry the non-profit’s line of signature products.  JustWorld International is a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization working as a catalyst for positive change in the developing world by helping impoverished children.

Beval will carry JustWorld signature products at its three permanent retail locations in Gladstone, NJ, New Canaan, CT, and North Salem, NY, as well as on-line at www.beval.com.  In addition, all merchandise is available in Beval’s 2,000 square foot retail boutique on-site at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds in Wellington, FL.

“JustWorld has a wide variety of merchandise, and it made sense to consolidate and have it easily available for purchase in a retail location,” said Mark Walter, Owner and President of Beval Saddlery.  “I admire what Jessica has done with the organization, and the Newman family have been long time customers, so it was a natural fit.  We are thrilled to be involved with JustWorld and to try to help out.”

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Art/Photography, Awards, Breeds, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Events, Products/Services, Publications/Media

Secretariat “Voice of the People” Award to Zenyatta, by Jane Heart

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Personal Appearance, Saturday, February 5, 2011, Santa Anita Park, California

Mrs. Penny Chenery has established the Vox Populi award for the “voice of the fans to honor the horses they love”. The first award will be presented to the Zenyatta team this coming Saturday.

Mrs. Chenery will participate in a special poster signing to commemorate this historic occasion. Scheduled to join in the festivities are Zenyatta’s owners Ann and Jerry Moss, trainer John Shirreffs, and jockey Mike Smith. Kate Chenery Tweedy will also be in attendance signing copies of her newly released book “Secretariat’s Meadow.” Join Penny Chenery as she presents the inaugural Secretariat Vox Populi Award to the Zenyatta team on February 5th at Santa Anita Park.

I am delighted to be a part of this inaugural event as well as displaying my jewelry for Secretariat and Barbaro. Visit with me on Saturday and Sunday February 5 and 6 from 10:30 to 5:00 at the Champions! Santa Anita Gift Shop entrance. It will be a very special day indeed.

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Art/Photography, Breeds, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Products/Services, Racing

Official Licensed Jewelry 1973 Triple Crown Winner Secretariat

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Secretariat, America’s champion, fondly known as Big Red, became a hero and a symbol of hope during the early 1970s.  His legacy as the greatest racehorse of all time has endured to this day. From the cover of Time magazine to his very own United States postal stamp, Secretariat’s image has been an inspiration to those that have followed his career and continue to love him even now.

“I am honored to have the license to design jewelry for Secretariat. He followed his heart with his tremendous passion for running and has been an inspiration to me to continue to follow my own heart.”  The jubilation heard in the voice of Chic Anderson from CBS television during the 1973 Belmont Stakes said it all: “He is running like a tremendous machine!”

All Secretariat designs are made and hand finished in Arizona. The styles include a large and small pendant, charm, charm bracelet, brooch, and cuff links in silver and 14k gold. Each piece is stamped with the name Secretariat on the back and arrives in a gift box with a blue satin pouch and blue and white checkered commemorative card with the inscription:

“Keep the Big Red Flame Burning!”

Jane Heart LLC

P.O. Box 6399

Scottsdale, AZ  85261

jane@janeheart.com

www.janeheart.com

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Publications/Media

NO SECRET SO CLOSE excerpt #4, by Claire Dorotik

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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 #4 from NO SECRET SO CLOSE:

But then I did finally get a call from a trainer interested in Cat. Not the one I want to sell. Not my Cat. But I had to show her the horse. The horses needed feed, and there was no more money for the attorney. Kerry, the same attorney that had accused me. Kerry, the same attorney that had publicly defamed me. But pay him anyway — he’s defending your mom. After all, she didn’t have any other source of income, and Cat was half hers. But, he was, by far, my best horse. He’d been such a solid performer — always there when I needed him.

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Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Publications/Media

Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy: Working in the Unconscious, by Claire Dorotik, M.A.

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While there is no debate among those who work with horses that the truth about people cannot be masked when around them. It seems that even those who seem to project one emotion will frequently be found to have another. An apparently confident person can struggle mightily with the simple task of placing a halter on a horse. And often, under circumstances such as these, those around the otherwise unchallenged person will stand back in awe of what was previously unbeknownst to them. Such is the nature of the unconscious. It is an all together present, and yet wholly ignored, facet of the human equation. Sometimes called a “gut instinct,” there have been some who have suggested its wisdom in everyday decisions, and absolute importance in the more pressing life and death situations. Malcolm Gladwell, the author of “Blink,” for one makes a very elegant case for utilizing the prescient nature of the unconscious in predicting satisfaction with all sorts of life decisions.

Yet for as much as the unconscious can offer, it is, for the most part, outside of the everyday awareness of the masses. However, that is not to say that the human system is not affected by unconscious drives, fears, and motives. Those in the field of trauma will strongly argue that in the case of overwhelming traumatic situations, while there is often no conscious memory, there remains a physiological imprint of the trauma, called a “body memory.” In a case such as this, a person will experience physiological reactions, such as increased pulse, elevated startle response, and muscle tension despite the absence of any noticeable stimuli. And here again, while the remnants of the trauma are register physiologically, and hold the truth about the trauma, they are not responded to, as consciously, the person has no reason to.

Continue reading Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy: Working in the Unconscious, by Claire Dorotik, M.A. →

Contributors/Press, Disciplines, HITS, Hunter/Equitation, Products/Services, Show Jumping

Adequan Hunter Highlights Competition at All 2011 HITS Horse Shows and the Marshall & Sterling League

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©ESI Photography. HITS' Kristen Vale and Mary Moeller congratulate Katie Milton and If You Say So after winning the Adequan Hunter Championship at the 2010 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals.

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 28, 2011) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc., manufacturers of Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan), the only FDA-approved disease modifying osteoarthritic drug treatment for equine non-infectious degenerative joint disease, will once again sponsor the popular Adequan Hunter Division at all HITS horse shows nationwide.

Luitpold Animal Health believes that the demands on show horses, particularly at the top performance level, require attention to details and a solid plan for maintaining soundness.

Adequan i.m. is the flagship equine product from Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Unlike corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which only ease the source of pain and decrease inflammation of the synovial membrane, Adequan i.m. breaks the destructive disease cycle associated with osteoarthritis. It helps to restore the natural cycle of “wear and repair” within a joint and blocks the enzymes that damage joints and restores synovial lubrication within the joint. The treatment regime of 1 intramuscular injection every 4 days for 7 treatments protects cartilage structure, inhibits cartilage damage and stimulates the natural cartilage repair process. It also decreases inflammation and relieves the pain associated with DJD.

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