Lexington, KY – The second and final USEF Elite Youth Dressage Training Session for 2012 concluded Sunday in Chino Hills, California. The two-day intensive training session was made possible by a generous donation from Kristen McDonald and the Marquis George MacDonald Foundation. The gracious hosts of the Western U.S. session were David and Alisa Wilson, owners of W Farms.
The invitation-only training session served as an opportunity for top youth riders from the Western U.S. to work directly with USEF Youth Dressage Coach Jeremy Steinberg to fine tune their riding skills and also discuss long term strategic planning, media training, championship selection procedures and rules. Each rider’s personal trainer attended the session, as well.
“With the donation from Kristen McDonald and the Marquis George MacDonald Foundation and the generous support offered by our host sites, Shannondale Farm [site of the Eastern and Central training session] and W Farms, I was able to spend a weekend concentrating on aspects of training and planning with some of our country’s most promising youth riders,” said Steinberg. “It was wonderful to have the majority of the trainers, parents and support systems present for the sessions. Their involvement, along with rider dedication, is a key to the transition to high performance.”
Riders in the Western U.S. training session included:
Morgan Heinrichs (Longmont, CO) riding Karen Drown’s Natasha
Genay Vaughn (Elk Grove, CA) riding Starr Vaughn Equestrian’s Donarweiss GGF
Amelia Child (Westlake Village, CA) riding Stahl Child Dressage LLC’s Rembrand and Veto
Jamie Pestana (Livermore, CA) riding her own Winzalot
Lindsey Brewin (San Ramon, CA) riding her own Vaillant
Cassidy Gallman (Poway, CA) riding her own Woden
Invitations to the training session were based on average scores from the 2012 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North and the 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions. Additionally, several discretionary spots were awarded to riders who were scouted through the USDF Youth Clinic Series or by USEF Coaches. The first USEF Elite Youth Dressage Training Session was held for the rising youth dressage stars in the East and Central U.S. at Shannondale Farm, owned by David and Julie Shannon, in Alpharetta, Georgia.
For more information please contact Hallye Griffin, USEF Director of National Dressage at hgriffin@usef.org.