Category: Articles

Painting the WEG Picture

By Whitney Campbell and Jackie McFarland

After years of hoping, bidding, planning and building, the Kentucky Horse Park gates officially closed for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, yet the economical and reputable impact the city and state experienced during the 16 days of competition still lingers. Hosted in the United States for the first time, the city and state lived up to its reputation as the acclaimed ‘Horse Capital of the World’ when hosting this international equine event. The 16 days of grueling competition included eight different disciplines of equestrian sport, challenging 632 athletes and 752 horses from 58 countries for their chance of a WEG 2010 Medal. Competition aside, from the extensive Alltech experience, fabulously painted horses, shopping galore to the demonstrations throughout the facility, the amount of attractions available for visitors was abundant.

And for Openers…
The theme of the Opening Ceremonies was based around the athleticism, versatility, spirit, and the partnership between man and horse. Spectators enjoyed demonstrations and performances by racehorses, a Friesian Dressage Drill Team, Saddlebreds and many other equestrian entertainers. The traditional parade of athletes included all 58 competing countries. Midway through the ceremonies, FEI President HRH Princess Haya declared the official Opening of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games by commenting, “For the first time, the World Equestrian Games have crossed an ocean to bring the best of our sport to another continent. We are witnessing a new beginning that will help spread the magic of horse sport and inspire young equestrian athletes to aim for the top.”

Reining in its Second WEG
Before the evening’s Opening Ceremonies, Reining, the only competing discipline that originated in the United States, was underway. Since Reining was added as a discipline at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, it has opened the doors for a broader and more diverse horse culture to participate at the Games. Judged on the athletic ability of a western type horse in a show arena, the format of competition at the games involves two days of Team Competition, a Qualifying Competition, and finally an Individual Final Competition. The team made up of Tim McQuay, Craig Schmersal, Tom McCutcheon and Shawn Flarida along with their talented quarter horses won the Team Gold. There was an unfortunate turn of events in the Individuals for Gold Medal favorite Shawn Flarida when his stirrup broke during one of his movements, resulting his hand touching the saddle and an immediate five point deduction from each judge. However his teammates Tom McCutcheon and Craig Schmersal were still able to clinch the Gold and Silver Medals in Individual Reining.

Enduring Sport
The second day of the Games held the longest continuous competition of all eight disciplines, Endurance. The 100 miles race against the clock through open terrain, trails, roads, and bridges involved five required compulsory stops for veterinarians to check the horses’ fitness and they had to pass in order to continue. The horse and rider duo that not only passes each check but then finish the fastest after the five segments wins the Gold. Out of 100 competitors, only 55 completed the entire race. Those who did finish returned the next day for the Best Conditioned Judging. This discipline separates itself from the rest not only for the longest time spent in the saddle in one ‘sitting’, but because it involves competitors from all realms of horse society. From small town trail riding housewives turned pro, to Sheiks born into the sport, once on horseback they share the same goal and the same passion for their equine partner. Having just given birth to a baby girl seven weeks earlier, French Endurance rider Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton on her fabulous horse Nobby defended their title for the Gold.

All the Moves
The fundamental training to many equestrian disciplines, the Dressage competition spanned over four days. According to the FEI Rules, Dressage is “the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education. As a result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with his rider”. Beginning with the Team Grand Prix, horse and rider from each team perform the same test, a combination of movements and gaits, designed to demonstrate the level of achievement of those qualities described above. Each team member is scored individually, and then added together for a final score in which the best scores determine medal placing. The Grand Prix Special follows team competition and is the Individual Competition complement to the previous day’s tests. Following the same format, horse and rider are judged and the pair with the highest score wins. The most anticipated and attended event in Dressage is the Grand Prix Freestyle Competition. Each rider designs and choreographs an original test incorporating music using the same movements required in the regular Grand Prix test. Often labeled dancing with hooves, this event shows off individual talents and creativity. In the Individual competition, the successful team of Steffen Peters and Ravel were the first United States Team members to earn a medal, Bronze, in a World Championship in both the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle.

A Combination of Grace and Guts
A true test that challenges a horse’s grace, endurance, precision, and overall athleticism is the Three Day Event, or Eventing, competition. Horse and rider compete in three different phases over three days involving Dressage, Cross Country, and finally Stadium Jumping. Those who score well in the Dressage test and refrain from adding time or faults to their score from cross country or stadium will likely find themselves in medal contention. The Cross Country phase of Eventing is always a crowd pleaser due to the large spectator viewing areas and the intensity of the solid obstacles on the course. This particular day at the Games brought in the most spectators, topping off at 50,818 attendees. After the Stadium phase, the German rider who started off with the lowest Dressage score, Michael Jung managed to add no time or jumping faults to that first day score claiming the Gold Medal, while 2010 Rolex Three Day Event defending champion British rider William Fox-Pitt settled for Silver.

The World’s Highest Jumping Athletes
Show Jumping challenges the horse and rider’s stamina, speed, agility, scope and precision. Over the course of several competitions Monday through Saturday (with Thursday as a day off), the rider finishing with the least number of penalties earned the Gold. Beginning with the Speed Competition, more than 120 horses and riders representing 27 countries competed on courses designed with a variety of Kentucky themes from horse racing and breeding farms to products and culture. The Americans looked promising taking the top two spots after the first day of competition but it was the German’s who took home the overall Team Gold Medal after Wednesday evening’s top 10 Team Final competition. The 30 riders with the lowest scores returned for the Individual Round on Friday.

The exciting week of show jumping culminated with the top four riders, those with the lowest scores from the week, competing on Saturday evening for the Rolex Final Four. Making it to the Final Four from a talented pool of 121 riders is quite an accomplishment and an exhibition of a great partnership with a horse. This was the first year the Games had four riders from four different continents, Philippe Le Jeune of Belgium, Eric Lamaze of Canada, Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil and Abdullah Al Sharbatly of Saudi Arabia. Each rider began their first round on course aboard their own mounts. Given the option to change only one piece of tack, and a maximum of three minutes to acclimate to the new partner, it was time for riders to display true horsemanship as they attempted the same course on each of the other rider’s mounts. Each horse and rider combination went clean in two of the four rounds. However the end result, and the only rider to jump clean all four rounds, was Belgium’s Philippe Le Jeune taking home the Gold Medal. And after five days of competition, the only horse to jump all four rounds of the Final Four clean was Lamaze’s mount Hickstead. The 14-year-old stallion was awarded Best Horse Honors for his amazing efforts.

For the first time
Amongst the multiple sessions of Show Jumping in the outdoor stadium, the Para Dressage, Vaulting and Driving disciplines also competed in outdoor and indoor facilities at the Kentucky Horse Park. The 2010 World Equestrian Games marked the first time riders with physical disabilities had the opportunity to contest their equestrian abilities while competing amongst the world’s best competitors. Participating riders were asked to complete tests involving specific movements typically seen in Dressage and also competed for individual and freestyle medals. Several countries were represented in the final results, but Great Britain and Germany were tops. British rider Sophie Wells on Pinnochio won Gold in the grade IV Individuals and the British Team were also Gold Medal winners. German rider Hannelore Brenner riding Women of the World took the Gold medal in the grade III.

Mounts and Dismounts Required
Performing gymnastics and elements of dance to music while balancing on horse cantering in a circle is certainly high-level gymnastics. In Compulsory, Freestyle and Team Competitions, vaulters are judged and scored on technique, form, difficulty, balance, security as well as consideration of the horse and the performance of designated exercises or movements. In addition, it is the only discipline holding separate competitions for males and females both in Compulsory and Freestyle Vaulting. The US Team of Devon Maitozo, Blake Dahlgren, Mary Garrett, Emily Hogye, Mari Inouye, Rosalind Ross, and Annalise VanVranken along with their horse Palantino lunged by Carolyn Bland won Gold in this event.

Driven
Horse and man partnership comes into play in the Combined Driving Event where each driver drives a team of four horses through three separate competitions. Driven Dressage requires the same test for all competitors and like ridden Dressage, is judged on the agility and movement of the horses. The 18-kilometer marathon challenges competitors across country, similar to Eventing’s Cross Country, tests the fitness, judgment, and horsemanship of the driver. The Obstacle-Cone competition is the final phase of competition where the Driver is required to drive his team through twist and bends without incurring faults. Lowest total score again determined the medals and the US Team of Chester Weber, Tucker Johnson, James Fairclough, and their fabulous teams of horse earned a Silver Medal, whereas American Tucker Johnson brought home an Individual Bronze. After driving competitively for a quarter of a century, Johnson is retiring from competition on a great note.

And there’s more…
Those who visited the Kentucky Horse Park on a general admission pass could easily fill the day with exhibits and events covering the park grounds. The trade shows offered high quality equestrian goods from apparel to tack and everything else horse, from artists to vacations.

The Equine Village provided guests the opportunity to meet breed and discipline registries as well as clinicians and other horsemanship organizations. There were daily demonstrations and clinics where several top competitors exhibited their talents and skills to spectators. The Kentucky Experience gave visitors from across the globe and even local guests the chance to see what Kentucky offers, from music, food, art, and recreation to of course the horse. The title sponsor, Alltech, created the Alltech Experience, a sprawling set-up with innovative rooms illustrating all the ways the company approached nutrition, health and performance. And that was just in the front, out back was a beer garden, areas devoted to kids, with animals of all kinds visiting from the Newport Aquarium, painted horses galore, music and more. Plus the permanent structures and exhibits at the park include several museums, a stable of breeds and several association headquarters.

Every aspect of the Kentucky Horse Park, especially hosting the magnanimous WEG is geared toward one purpose: to bring the world the majesty of the horse. Attracting the equestrian world to Lexington was a feat, and not without challenges, but certainly memorable for many. The World Equestrian Games showcased the athletes, both human and horse. The largest sporting event to come to the United States since the 2002 Winter Olympics, the 2010 WEG tallied a total of 507,022 in attendance by the final day. Hats off to the state of Kentucky who hosted an all-encompassing event that truly put the horse on a pedestal.

 

Conversations With Equestrians: Lucy Davis

Look Out for Lucy
Committed, focused, intelligent and competitive, Lucy Davis is a trainer’s dream. Both natural and exceptional, the young equestrian exemplifies talent. And furthermore, she is soft spoken, kind and zen-like. A senior in high school, Lucy competes in the Big Eq and in the Big Jumpers. She not only rides in both indoor and outdoor grand prix classes, she does it a certain sense of experience that comes with natural talent. She’s won at the highest level offered for junior jumper riders, including Indoors and Young Riders, but also ribbons against professionals.

Lucy is also lucky. She not only has supportive parents – her mom ranks way up there on the horse showmom meter – but one of her best friends, Patrick, lives at home in the barn.

We interviewed her on the eve of the ASPCA Maclay Regionals in September. Since our chat just over a month ago, she has placed 7th and 12th in two $50,000 World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix classes. Back East at Indoors she was 4th in the USEF Medal Finals at Harrisburg.

Lucy Davis and Enrico, Best Pony Rider
2005 Menlo Charity HS © JumpShot
EqSol: Your start with horses?
LD: My grandfather works in horse racing so my mom grew up around it. When she moved to Los Angeles she started riding at Sullivan Canyon – we now live there. I’ve been riding in the Canyon since I could walk, pretty much. Just for fun but I was always around it. I started taking lessons when I was five, with Chacha Levinson.EqSol: Your firsts… First blue ribbon?
LD: At the Santa Barbara National when I was six. I won a flat class on my pony, Biscuits ‘N Gravy.

EqSol: First time on a jumper?
LD: I rode in the pony jumpers when I was about 10 or 11. But when I moved to Archie (Cox), my mom wanted me to stick with hunters and eq. I was about thirteen when I got my first jumper with Archie, Mister Mind.

EqSol: First Grand Prix?
LD: It was at a fall show in Del Mar a couple of years ago. I rode True Love. I think it went well, I don’t remember. [In fact it was the $25,000 CA Horsetrader Grand Prix at the 2008 Del Mar Fall Festival, and she was second behind Stefanie Saperstein] 

EqSol: And with all this Grand Prix show jumping, you are still competing in the Big Eq?
LD: Yes, I have a bad birthday – late October – so this is my last year for most of the medal finals. I hope to qualify tonight for the ASPCA (she did, placing 15th) and also competed in the WIHS Eq Finals (this past week) and USEF Medal Final (she was 4th).

EqSol: You have worked extensively with two trainers and recently made a change. Some history?
LD: I’ve ridden with Archie since I was 12 years old, when I was ready to show more and move to horses from ponies. And I still love it after six years. Archie has an intense work ethic – he is the hardest worker I know. When I was ready to focus on the high level jumpers, I started riding with Dick Carvin. That was about three years ago.

I ride every day at home. We keep my equitation horse Patrick and some of my old hunters at our small barn in Sullivan Canyon. It’s a little horse neighborhood where most of the houses have barns and we use the community arenas and riding areas. I did take lessons at Middle Ranch (where Archie and Dick both have their home operations) on weekends when I wasn’t showing.

News flash: Since our interview in September, Lucy’s jumpers moved to Sandstone in Thousand Oaks, CA where she will be working with Gaby Salick and Markus Beerbaum. Post competing in the ASPCA Maclay Finals in Syracuse, NY in early November her next show jumping competition will be in Buenos Aires the following week!

EqSol: Dick told me you were one of the most focused individuals he has ever met. Your thoughts on that?
LD: That’s a great compliment. I am the kind of person that gets something in my head and can focus on it intensely. I guess I am lucky to have that ability but it does work against me sometimes.

EqSol: You’ve excelled in each discipline – under Archie’s tutelage you’ve earned championships in hunters on both coasts and top medal final placings in equitation, then with Dick as your coach Young Rider victories, Grand Prix starts and last year Europe…
LD: I was lucky to get the chance to go to Frankfort for the European Young Masters League last December. Each of the medalists at Young Riders got a wild card spot to compete with the top 30 European riders. I was the only one that could go.

EqSol: And didn’t you win?
LD: [smile] I did. I got lucky. I also got to tag along with Meredith Michaels Beerbaum and established a friendship. That led to this past summer’s adventure.

EqSol: Tell us more about summer 2010.
LD: I spent about a month in Germany showing with Markus and Meredith Beerbaum. It was the best summer of my life so far. I learned so much, not only about technical riding skills but also on the ground about being a horseman. What tack to use, preparing the horse for the class… it was a very focused and knowledgeable environment.

I made a lot of great friends. Stefanie Saperstein and Navona Gallegos were both there and another American from Alabama who is now a working student, Christy. There was a guy from Kuwait and a group of working students from Finland, so all together it was about 10 of us.

Competing in Europe has such a great feel. The shows have so many spectators, and not just horse people. One show the entire town came to watch, it was a big event. Equestrians are treated like pro athletes over there. I competed in three shows and it was an awesome experience all the way around. It all came together at my last show, especially with my younger horse Hannah.

EqSol: Your favorite spot in Europe?
LD: Madrid by far. I will live in Spain sometime in this lifetime.

EqSol: Your favorite equestrians?
LD: Meredith of course. The French rider Penelope Leprevost. And Laura Kraut, she’s also a really nice person.

EqSol: Now that you’ve had international experience, if there was a horse you could ride who would it be?
LD: It would probably be this fabulous horse I saw in Frankfurt ridden by Marco Kutcher, Cornet Obelinsky. A big white horse that floats over the jumps, it is just amazing to watch. And I think everyone would like a chance to ride Shutterfly. It’s probably true that only one person can ride him, but it would be fun to try. He’s 17 years old and just did the Grand Prix at Aachen. He loves his job and is definitely still in the game. Meredith and Marcus take excellent care of the horses.

Lucy Davis and Nemo 119
2010 $35,000 Blenheim Spring
Classic II Grand Prix © JumpShot
EqSol: And your jumpers?
LD: Hannah is nine-year-old mare. We bought her about a year ago and we’ve both been working on getting comfortable at the bigger heights. We’ve both blossomed and she’s really coming along. I was happy with her last night [in the World Cup Qualifier]. We had two down, but nothing disastrous – just little things we can work on. She’s been confident at the bigger jumps and I’m really proud of her. Nemo 119 is a more rambunctious and feisty type. I’ve only had him since January; he is more experienced in the bigger classes than I am. Really a sweet horse at the barn but he gives me a hard time in the ring. He really makes me work for it. He’s a character, to say the least.EqSol: What are your college plans? Horses?
LD: I graduate this year in June. I set really lofty personal goals, and I did that with college too. I don’t want to jinx anything so I’m hesitant to say where. It is so competitive these days, the counselors at school say that 80% of people who apply to the best schools are fully qualified, but only 6-9% get in.So it’s a crapshoot. Once I do go I’ll probably be on the five-year plan. I’m a perpetual learner. And yes, I’d love to ride while in college.EqSol: Your riding goals? Career goals?
LD: I want to start doing better at the Grand Prix level. I definitely need experience in small indoor rings with big jumps. It’s pretty hard actually. I’ve jumped a big course but when you put them in a tight space there’s not a lot of room for error.My dream is every aspiring rider’s dream – to go to the Olympics. And also to compete at Aachen. I went to watch this summer, it was an amazing event.I don’t think I have the patience to be a trainer. I will have to see after college. I think if I were to choose it would be film director or writer but I do want to see how far I can go with riding. If I am at a place where it is realistic to keep going and do well at some of the highest levels I will pursue it. Riding is my passion. As of now riding is a big priority. But I will go to college.

EqSol: We find that behind most superb young riders is an awesome parent or two. Tell us about yours.
LD: [smiling] My mom is definitely awesome and my dad loves it too. He comes to a lot of the horse shows but stays low key. My younger brother Clay (almost 15) is an all-around sports guy and has been coming to the shows for ten years, not necessarily happily. As much as he feigns he hates it, he’s really a softie and very supportive. My mom is totally committed, I think she has spent at least three birthdays at Harrisburg. That says a lot. She is not just there for me, but she is really curious about how it all works and always eager to learn. At the same time she stays behind the scenes, she is never overbearing. I really admire that about her. She has my old hunter Gallatea and takes lessons for fun.

Lucy Davis and Patrick
2009 Del Mar National © Rick Osteen
EqSol: And finally, who is your best friend that lives in the barn?
LD: We’ve had Patrick since he was five and now he’s eight. He’s lived at our house since the beginning and we’ve established a good relationship. He is one of the sweetest horses I have ever met. Whether you’ve had a good day or a bad day, you can go into his stall and cuddle. Patrick is a great friend.What an exciting time for you – ending your junior career and finishing high school. Already into the grand prix show jumping chapter of your riding and then college… We wish you all the best and look forward to hearing about your future successes!

Conversations With Equestrians: Bernie Traurig

By Whitney Campbell and Jackie McFarland

Bernie Traurig
Bernie Traurig’s involvement with horses began early and never faltered. From his first trail ride to his genuine backyard stables, a pre-fab garage that his father made into a stall and tack room, it seemed as if a childhood passion was destined to turn into something more serious. Dedicating most of his young rider success to his experiences at Meadowbrook Pony Club in Long Island, New York, and his trainer of four years, Captain Vladimir S. Littauer, Traurig went on to win both the AHSA (now USEF) Medal Finals and the prestigious ASPCA Medal Maclay Finals at the age of 16.

Highlights of Traurig’s career included winning over 60 Show Jumping Grand Prix events and representing the United States Show Jumping Team several times including the 1982 World Championships in Dublin, Ireland. He has competed in eight World Cup Finals. Traurig mastered the high levels of Dressage, winning 15 Grand Prix and Grand Prix special classes. He was short listed for the 1986 World Championship Trials and the 1988 Olympic Games. In 2009 he was inducted into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. Reaching the top of the sport in three of the International Equestrian Olympic disciplines: Show Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing, he is recognized as a legend in the sport. As a teacher and trainer, he is successful and sought after clinician.

After building 53 years worth of training and riding techniques and experiences with thousands of horses, Traurig is not only driven to give back to the sport but realized the infinite value of the web as a teaching tool. He developed a virtual place,EquestrianCoach.com, where quality education is accessible and affordable for every equestrian online, regardless of background, level, or geographic location.

As the monumental 2010 FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games came to a close and Lexington resumed its life post-WEG, we got a chance to catch up with Bernie Traurig, George Morris’ Associate Chef d’Equipe on the West Coast for the United States Equestrian Team. Traurig was an integral member of the USET selection committee and we got the inside scoop on his lifelong journey in the sport, the team’s overall performance at the Games, a surprise Saudi association and his perspective on the future of the sport.

EQSOL: When did you know you wanted to ride at an international level?
BT: After I won the Maclay, I started riding jumpers with Vladimir S. Littauer (one of Traurig’s mentors). When I was eighteen I had a decision to make, college or professional rider, and of course my dad wanted me to go to college. I had an opportunity to go to Gladstone, New Jersey, headquarters of the Unites States Equestrian Team. Riders stayed there, rode team horses, squads were chosen, and I also had an open door to be a working student under Frank Chapot. It took a dinner with my coach, Vladimir S. Littauer and William Steinkraus (Captain of the United States Equestrian Show Jumping Team) to convince my Dad that going to Gladstone would be my college education. I spent two and half years riding under Stephan Von Vishy, coach of the US Eventing Team, almost a year with Bert de Nemethy and from there I went into the real world.

EQSOL: What was the transition from Bernie the rider to Bernie the trainer?
BT: I was second at the Olympic Trials for the 3-day Team, and my horse injured a tendon, one week before the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo so I wasn’t able to go. Soon after I had to find a way to earn a living. I tried racehorses but it wasn’t for me. So I went into business for myself. I was newly married and young, 21, but I had a ‘sheepskin’ to hang on my shingle, I had won the Maclay and trained on the US Eventing Team. We bought a nice turnkey farm in Pennsylvania. Of course I wore a lot of hats in the beginning. I drove the van, braided for shows, taught kids, including Cynthia Hankins and Cindy Weiner (USEF judges). Michael Matz was one of my working students. We also had sale horses – I sold Idle Dice to Rodney Jenkins. I specialized in hunters and equitation that was how I made a living. I went on to jumpers later, and didn’t win my first Grand Prix until I was 27.

EQSOL: What Committees do you serve on and your role in the sport?
BT: I have served on the Show Jumping High Performance Committee for almost four years. I have been George Morris’ Associate Chef d’Equipe on the West Coast for the United States Equestrian Team and the Chairman of the West Coast Active Riders for the past five years. This year I was one of the selectors for the 2010 World Equestrian Games Team. After all these years it’s nice to be able to take your expertise and give back to the sport through these committees. When you are competing, your focus is on yourself and your career. Serving on committees is volunteer and very time consuming, more than just a few meetings here and there. Now I’m able to spend the time and I find it very rewarding. I am also proud to be accepting the CPHA (California Professional Horseman’s Award) Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2011.

George Morris and Bernie Traurig

EQSOL: Your association with Chef D’Equipe George Morris goes back many years – give us an inside look at how his mind works.
BT: His mind is like a steel trap. He is quite an incredible person. I don’t know how he does it to tell you the truth. He doesn’t take it seriously, that is too light of a term. George is completely obsessed and possessed with the job. His contract is up after the next Olympics and I don’t know of anyone who could fill his shoes. He is on board at every show that the riders are at, especially the Team riders. He can tell you how many faults and scores each rider had at each show off the top of his head. No one has better insight than he does. His experience is unmatched and he is respected by everyone – riders, directors, executive committees – every level. They rely on him to put his insight into their program. He is instrumental in guiding the riders on how to be horsemen but never interferes with their individual programs. He is a master at his job.

EQSOL: How the Selection Process works – what you did in 2010 to help choose the WEG Team?
BT: The 2010 WEG US Show Jumping Team Selectors were Molly Ashe, Mark Leone, and myself. Alternates were Robert Ridland, Katie Prudent and Ray Texel. Everyone participated in watching the riders and in the selection of the team. After the trials in Florida the long list of fifteen was chosen, and then divided into three groups. I wanted to see each group, and went to Rome and Aachen, but I missed Dublin because I was ill. There were also many conference calls amongst us. Ultimately the selectors, in consultation with George and the team vet, Tim Ober, chose the team.

EQSOL: What was your impression of the WEG and what happened there.
BT: George said to me – ‘Bernie, it could have gone either direction. We had a great team and not one thing went right after the first day.’ The competition started off with a bang but a lot of unforeseen mishaps occurred. Mario Deslauriers was coming off of a solid European Tour and Spruce Meadows. He had a great first day going quick and clean for the lead, but then the horse pulled a shoe just before his second round, which probably played a role in faults there. And he had a very unfortunate ride at the triple bar on Wednesday. Mclain Ward came off two big wins, the Hamptons and the Pfizer Million. His speed round was excellent, as expected, and the third night Sapphire looked tired and not herself. He then made a brilliant comeback and jumped world-class in the individual on Friday.

Laura Kraut had a problem early on with a carriage going by the warm up arena. Cedric lit up and she was very strong on course day one. She had one unfortunate rub in the first round of the nations cup and then came back with a clean world-class second round.

Lauren Hough’s horse got spooked outside in the warm up, and as George put it, ‘got a bee in its bonnet’ and ran out at the last oxer several times and then had to go off that. Clearly that shook her up a bit, and threw her off her game plan. A fabulous team with a solid record and perfect preparation that collectively had a lot of mishaps coming together at the wrong time.

Traurig with the Saudi Team

I talked with the Saudi’s right after it was over. I have a long history and strong connection with that team. Khaled was my boy. I trained him and the rest of the team, with the exception of Abdullah al Sharbatly who is younger, and several other Saudi’s for seven years at Albert Court in Rancho Santa Fe. I was very proud of all of them.

My association started by chance in 1987 when I met Ziyad Abdul Jawad. He was going to Pepperdine and came to me looking for a horse. He said, ‘I want to ride on the Olympic Team, but I have never jumped before.’ So we started from scratch and he did very well. He was ranked second in the country in the high Amateur Owner division and then retired to go into business with his father. He introduced me to his cousin, Fahad Zahid, whose daughter, Alya still owns and operates Albert Court Limited in Rancho Santa Fe where I trained the Saudi boys. Fahad was also extremely instrumental in my career sponsoring me with three grand prix jumpers, Maybe Forever, Eastern Sunrise, and Corsair. I went to Saudi Arabia several times, and together with Ziyad helped start the National Federation over there. That was a key chapter in my career; it was rewarding to see them do so well.

EQSOL: Talented riders – from EAP to WEG – how should we address all the levels, including grassroots?
BT: Where are we headed? Seems in the right direction as long as we keep in mind that the kids need the option of good programs, for every level of rider. The lower level rider needs help to get up to the high levels as well as giving opportunities to the top kids. We have plenty of talent in this country, but it needs direction. We have to keep up as well as beef up our focus for our youth programs and on how we can get them to the super league status. It’s happening, the Young Rider tour in Europe went very well this year, but we need to continue developing on an annual basis.

How do we define grassroots? It is pretty broad, as there are only a select group of kids that can afford to ride, train and compete at the elite levels. I used to argue that this sport wasn’t only for the elite; I didn’t come from a wealthy family, but these days it is extremely expensive to compete consistently at the best horse shows. I wouldn’t have had the means and I can’t keep my kids in the show ring. How many kids are out there that go unnoticed because they can’t afford a six-figure horse as well as to compete on that horse? Not that we don’t have some incredible talent, we most certainly do. Young Riders and George’s Mastership Program prove that, and I would like to see those kids reach super league status. But there are more.

What is the future of our sport? All the expenses shut out a lot of potential talent. It is tough to even have a barn in the backyard when a bale of hay costs almost $25. Today, the cost of the horse is so exorbitant. Even buying young horses to train and sell for profit, the cost to educate the horses at shows and the monthly costs on top make it near impossible to make any money, unless it’s a real superstar, which is rare. Is there a way we can slow it down? I hope so. I don’t know how, but I hope there’s a way for everyone to enjoy this fabulous sport.

So my hope is that some checks and balances occur. If I had a crystal ball I’d like to look ahead fifteen years and see ways for talented riders to have a chance. Bring back a little of the old ways to mix with the new. Part of the answer is sponsors – we need to continue to develop great sponsors of the sport.

From individuals to associations, many of us involved in the sport are seeking for more answers.

EQSOL: What is your advice for up and coming riders?
BT: Focus on apprenticeships with the best in the sport. Young riders need to latch onto a top person in the sport and get under their wing. Make it an education and utilize the knowledge that the pros have and absorb it. Today’s world is too quick. You can’t get an education in three months. Instead, spend a few years absorbing, training, riding and teaching. Find somebody that you respect and apprentice with them, don’t rush. And go to college, which is another essential part of education.

Bernie and his wife Cait in the Equestrian Coach studio green room

EQSOL: You have come up with your own answers to today’s world embracing technology…
BT: In 2007, I tried to figure out how to offer top-notch knowledge to the masses via the web at affordable prices. It was a long and arduous process learning and developing the content management, streaming, getting the best quality, high definition, wireless broadband, etc. Once we were on the path, it took almost a year and a half to get the site ready to launch. Finally in June of this year, we introduced EquestrianCoach.com, the online solution to affordable coaching. Our philosophy is to seek out the very best instructors in the world and bring that level of instruction to the subscriber. It’s a lot of work from concept to completed video piece. We have some great guest coaches working with us. We now have two editing bays, a green screen and full-blown plan for upcoming coaches. It’s fun, each one is a learning experience and I really enjoy it. I’m convinced that seeing it visually is the best way.

We are excited to be working with the USHJA, Pony Club, IHSA colleges, affiliate associations and individuals for member discounts. Our newest level of membership was just announced. At this new level, a member will send in their own video and in return there will be not only analysis but also video solutions to your specifics needs. The point is if you are serious and want to learn, you can access the best. It is not only one of the ways I am giving back, but one where riders have a chance to learn from top trainers annually for less than it costs to participate in a clinic.

Thank you Bernie. Those who take their expertise and offer it to all are an inspiration. From the grassroots to the Games, we appreciate your time.

 

Fall Focus – World Equestrian Games and Indoors

As we enter into November 2010, once again we have worldwide reasons to celebrate equestrian sport, including show jumpers, hunter and equitation riders from both coasts and across the ocean. Competing for the ultimate win of the year if not of their junior or professional career, many riders have ridden to recognition in the last month.

Three weeks have passed since the WEG and Capital Challenge closed. The shows go on as well as the riders. Certainly Belgian rider Phillippe Le Jeune left Kentucky with the win of a lifetime while Rodrigo Pessoa has taken the Indoor Grand Prix circuit by storm. West Coast rider Hannah Goodson-Cutt, continues to dominate the older Junior Hunter Divisions, Large and Small. Read our overview of the WEG in all its glory, including inside scoops from WEF President Michael Stone, US Show Jumping Team Selector Bernie Traurig as well as WEG Course Analyzing with Guilherme Jorge and Hap Hansen. Plus yet another West Coast junior making her mark throughout the world, Lucy Davis, and an Indoors report to date.

We wish you all a fabulous fall and hope you had a Happy Halloween!


Industry Innovators: Cavalor

By Katie Kotarak

Cavalor
The Cavalor brand is a comprehensive product line that addresses the diversity of nutritional requirements for the equine world. After 20 successful years in the European market, Cavalor decided to bring their winning grain formula to North America. Just over a year ago, the Belgium-based company made their scientifically designed feed, Cavalor Perfomix, available to the Canadian and US markets.

Since 1989, Cavalor has developed innovative ideas and approaches to equine nutrition. By combining true and applied scientific research with the experimental knowledge gained through field-testing, the result is a great product that makes a difference in the health of the horse.

“There is no product on the market like Cavalor Perfomix,” Kristine Partin, Cavalor’s California Territory Manager, explained. “It takes a lot of education to create and market a quality product like this because feed goes far beyond what is printed on the label. Cavalor grain has been put into a form that is more soluble for the horses’ digestive systems and more absorbent.” When compared to other feed, Cavalor’s puffed cereal design allows the grain to stay in the horse’s stomach for a longer period of time, allowing enzymes more time to digest the nutrients.

In addition to the digestibility of Cavalor feed being second to none, Partin wants to impart the importance of the grain’s stability, high vitamin levels and wholesome content.

“Other feeds may have the same fat and the same proteins in their product but Cavalor is healthier because instead of getting 30% out of a handful of grain, like the horses do with a domestic grain, they eat our product and absorb all of the nutrients and minerals because the ingredients are in the best, most digestible form possible,” Partin reiterated. “Cavalor Perfomix is natural; there is no sugar, no molasses, everything is pure.”

In Partin’s experience, International riders such as Jos Lansink, Eric Lamaze and Anky Van Grunsven, have fed Cavalor not only because of the grain’s content, but also because of the product’s high levels of quality control. The brand also stands apart from other grain and supplement brands because their entire line of products test cleanly during drug inspections at all levels of completion throughout the world.

“Olympic level athletes are feeding Cavalor grain because our food is consistent; they can get the same bag of food everywhere they go,” Partin said. “Whether competing in California, Sweden, Germany, Barcelona or anywhere else, riders can rest assured that they can get the same grain for their horsesbecause all of Cavalor’s products are coming from the same factory; you can’t say that for other grains.”

Jumping into a new market takes time and Cavalor’s marketing team is busy spreading the word, including discounts and deals available to interested customers. “Right now we are trying to get the product out there and known in this country. So far, so good – every month we get a little better and every day we change the rules to adjust to the new market,” Partin admitted. “We want to reach trainers and let them know we offer bulk discounts to barns who can take direct shipments of 40 bags or more.”

For more information on Cavalor feed, supplement and care products, please visit www.cavalor.com or contact Kristine Partin directly at (609) 672-0063.

Conversations With Equestrians: Stefanie Saperstein

Intro By Jackie McFarland, Story By Stephanie Saperstein

Stefanie Saperstein
A name we haven’t heard lately on the west coast is that of Stefanie Saperstein. The rising young star went overseas mid-year to soak up some serious European exposure. She is fully ensconced there, not only as a rider but a student as well.

Before she left on this incredible adventure, Stefanie sent us this exclusive, endearing piece about riding in a World Cup Qualifying class like the ones you’ll be watching this season. Enjoy the ride as she takes you along with her that night – it will bring tears to your eyes…

World Cup Qualifier – November 2009
I barely slept the night before. Fear and excitement kept me awake.

That night was a World Cup Qualifier, one of the few that Quanto and I had ever done, and considering it was one of the last of the year I knew it was going to be a challenge.

I got on Quanto to stretch him out before the class and I couldn’t help but think about what the little boy had done for me and how I owed him the same. He brought me to a level of competition that I had dreamt of my whole life, but never thought could be possible. That night I needed to forget about everything else and fight for him, as he always fights for me.

The night of competition I put on my show jacket and started to polish my boots as I listened to music and cleared my mind. I heard the announcement that the course was ready for walking and ran to give Quanto one last hug and kiss before heading to the ring.

I walked the course a few times on my own and then met up with Meredith [Michaels-Beerbaum] and Richard [Padilla] to discuss my plan. Meredith emphasized parts of the course that I needed to focus on, walking with me to tall verticals that seemed to tower over both of us.

As the class started, I stood behind the bleachers going over my plan in my head reminding myself that it doesn’t matter how different it is from the other riders’.

My sister Alexis inched towards me. The last time she saw me ride was over two years ago, so having her there further encouraged me. I took a quick picture with her, as we both smiled at my grandmother who was in the same box as my mom. I remember closing my eyes and being so thankful for the support that I have; the people and animals that will continue to love me no matter what happened that night.

When I was twelve rounds out, I caught sight of Guma (our fabulous groom) with Quanto and walked over to them. I asked Guma about how Quanto was and he gave me the same response as always, “He is ready to win.” I giggled and responded, “I hope I am ready to win” and as Guma helped me on he assured me that I was.

The warm up felt surreal and I was called up to the ring in what felt like seconds. I stood outside of the ring and retold Meredith my plan and she wished me good luck. I asked Richard if he thought I could do it and he replied, “Of course, it doesn’t matter how it looks, just get it done.” This is what he always says to me before going into the ring. For some reason knowing that I don’t have to “look good” is always so encouraging. As I was about to head in the ring Richard continued to ask; “Do you know how I know you are going to do great?” I asked him “How?” He simply smiled and told me to listen. And with that I entered the ring. As I trotted in I heard the Bob Sinclair song “Love Generation” which Richard knows is not only one of my favorite songs, but the one that reminds me the most of competing in Europe during the summers.

As the ring went silent and I picked up the canter, I had a smile on my face, and I knew that Quanto could feel it. We feed off of each other’s confidence as we ride around the course. I added in the first line to keep Quanto’s shape, which carried over to the rest of the round. I kept reminding myself of the time allowed, trying to stay tight through the turns while keeping a forward rhythm. There was a tight five to a tall plank bending to a triple bar- oxer double, and Quanto jumped so powerfully over the triple bar that I tapped him on the shoulder with my stick to help him get over the next oxer.

Everything was coming up so fast, but I never felt nervous, I felt as though I was watching myself the entire time. I steadied Quanto up for the skinny, a fence that we often struggle with and he jumped it with ease, allowing me to shape out the following lines. Each fence kept Quanto’s attention as he jumped over them and refused to touch a rail. I was one with him and it was unbelievably powerful. I was galloping to the final line and had to set Quanto up, as it was a careful triple combination and he was already moving at such a fast pace.

He came back to me so easily; it was shocking, and he jumped through it as well as any of the top horses out there. I continued moving to the final oxer in five strides and soared over the last fence, an instant that could easily have been eternity. The fact that I hadn’t had a fence down didn’t go through my mind until I heard the ‘victory’ music play after going through the timers. The feeling I had at that moment is almost impossible to explain.

I fell onto Quanto’s neck knowing that it was only the second time we had gone clear in a qualifier. As I left the ring my whole body was shaking. I looked over at Richard, I thought I was going to cry. He held back his emotions as he reminded me to go to the stewards to weigh Quanto’s boots.

A few tears escaped my eyes as my mother and sister ran to congratulate me on going clear, Meredith and Richard brought us all back to earth as they called me over to discuss my jump-off. Quanto and I had one more job left, and we couldn’t forget that. I knew that the other people that had gone clear were Nicole Simpson, Will Simpson, Richard Spooner and Rich Fellers, four of the riders that I admire most in the world. Just being in a jump off with these riders felt unreal to me, but I still wanted to give it a go.

My plan for the jump-off was to make a few inside turns and to gallop to the last fence. As I cantered into the ring I refused to think about the time that I had to catch or what I would have to do to win, all I wanted was to give Quanto the ride that he deserved. We ended up going clear again but were not as fast as Richard or Will, two riders with abilities that are awe-inspiring to me.

I saw Guma being congratulated by other grooms and I helped him put Quanto’s fourth place ribbon on. I remember Guma telling me that I was his winner for the night and that I am “with the big guys now.” I didn’t even know what to say, so I just gave him a big hug and thanked him, reminding him that none of this would be possible without him.

During the awards presentation and the victory gallop Quanto was having the time of his life. I turned him around while the flag was raised, because the excitement seemed to overwhelm him. When I was facing the people in the bleachers I made eye contact with a young girl who told me that Quanto was her favorite horse, and then her mother continued to say, “I will see you in the Olympics.” At that moment I felt that my work and the help that I had been so blessed to receive were all coming together.

Soon after, I was congratulated by my family, tackled by my sister and then whisked off to the autograph table. As I sat down, I remembered when I was younger and would ask for the autographs of some of the riders sitting next to me, and I couldn’t believe that I was actually there myself.

I signed a girl’s shoes and a boy’s shirt, but what meant the most to me was seeing my sister in the line gleaming with a poster in her hands. As she walked through the line she was telling everyone that I was her sister, and as I signed her poster she leaned over the table and told me, “I am so proud to be your big sister.”

I got up and gave her the biggest hug I could and saw my family over her shoulders. My mother was talking up a storm with everyone, but my grandmother was standing there silently staring at me with tears flowing out of her eyes.

As the autograph line ended I got up and walked straight to my grandmother, I held her in my arms as she told me in Swedish about how happy she was to be alive here with me. I kissed her over and over again, then wished her goodbye as I had to drive back to school for class on Monday.

Breeding Masters

By Erin Gilmore

What defines a successful breeder? Patience, skill, careful management and a wealth of knowledge are a given, but combining all those factors into a winning formula is an art.

We talked to two West Coast breeders who made it a point to prove that some of the very best sporthorses don’t have to fly over from Europe. Certainly not backyard operations, these ladies built names for themselves and their horses on the backs of their successful breeding programs.

Allowing for the fact that tastes vary – from fashion to wine and well-bred horses – Tish Quirk and Barbara Ellison may skew in slightly different directions, however they both possess an uncanny mix of the finesse, patience, know-how and planning that “breeds” success.

Four Sensational Generations: Lucky Lines 
When Tish and John Quirk imported the Dutch stallion Octrooi (Lucky Boy x Ilonka) and gave him the name Best of Luck over 30 years ago, she never could have predicted the world this fabulous horse would create for her.

“Everyone who saw him wanted to buy him,” remembers Tish. “Every time we imported a horse by Lucky Boy, Best of Luck’s sire, it sold immediately. They were exactly the right horses for our market, and it just made sense to continue the bloodline right here.”

Best of Luck, who passed away in 2000 at the age of 28, became an indelible foundation stallion. Throughout his career, he was a phenomenon in the show ring, and he passed his most dominant traits on to his sons, Just The Best and More Than Luck. Tish is now showing the third generation offspring. Best of Luck sired FEI dressage horses, international grand prix jumping stars, excellent hunters and top-level eventers. And in this age of rapidly advancing science, Tish has more than Google searches to back up her knowledge. She began her education as a child in the family ranching, farming and livestock breeding business and continued to learn while she was buying horses in Europe. She learned to study “the whole horse and what made him what he was,” she explains. “Bloodlines are interesting but are not the end all of the horse. What’s more important for me is to know the horses.”

Working with top breeders in Europe who knew the bloodlines for four generations back, Tish learned that “what’s on paper, results and such, is deeply affected by who owns the horse and how much they compete,” she continues. “The heart of horses is not the papers, and it’s not on the Internet.”

Along that vein, for the last 30 years Tish has spent seven days of the week out in the barn, putting her hands on the Best of Luck progeny, knowing each horse from her daily interactions. Tish not only runs her own breeding operation but also oversees the mares when they foal. As the time of birth draws near, she stays in the barn bedroom and watches the mare’s every move on the monitoring system. She is at the mare’s side when labor begins, assists in the delivery and introduces the new foal to life outside of the womb. And she is available anytime to the breeders across the country who are part of her breeding family.

With accomplishments too long to list including champions at every national show in the country, from Devon to Del Mar, Tish’s breeding program has certainly illustrated that the proof is in the progeny.

Dreams Come True: Wild Turkeys Can Jump
In just 15 years, Barbara Ellison’s Wild Turkey Farm’s Holsteiner stallions have made an unmistakable mark on the sporthorse scene.

As an amateur rider in Northern California’s Woodside, Barbara juggled horses and raising children throughout the ‘90s. But as she collected a stable of stallions and her kids grew up, her goals began to shift. After purchasing her first stallion, Wizard, in 1995, then-trainers Butch and Lu Thomas sent her a tape of Holsteiner stallion Liocalyon and things started to pick up speed. The stallions Admiral Z and Lavita quickly followed, and one day she thought, “I should start breeding these boys!” Six years later, she officially began marketing Wild Turkey Farms with a bold ad campaign that has since become a trademark.

Top notch rider Mandy Porter put the Wild Turkey jumpers on the map, most notably with the (recently retired) mare Summer, a two-time World Cup Finals competitor and 2006 Pacific Coast Horse Association Horse of the Year. She continues to campaign Wild Turkey stallions on the West Coast grand prix circuit, winning two events this summer, the Sonoma Horse Park $30,000 Grand Meadows Grand Prix and the Blenheim EquiSports’ $30,000 Copa De Amistad Grand Prix with LaMarque.

Barb also had a hand in the breeding of New Zealand rider Guy Thomas’ powerhouse stallion Peterbilt (Liocalyon x Jeribos). As the World Equestrian Games approach it is impressive to note that both Peterbilt and fellow Kiwi rider Katie McVean’s mount Dunstan Delphi are both by Liocalyon – and both horses will represent New Zealand in show jumping at WEG.

The success of her jumpers is one goal realized, and now Barbara is on the precipice of another. Ten years ago, she set in motion the dream of owning a horse farm. A native of Portland, Oregon, she’s always wanted to return to her hometown, and as her involvement with breeding deepened, she made plans to build her dream facility on 200 acres outside Portland. The new Wild Turkey Farm is now complete, and Barbara plans to be fully moved in by early next year. Among its many benefits, the new facility will have space – lots of it. Barbara looks forward to completing the move and having all of her horses in one facility, where she’ll have more time to be hands on every day.

She counts her mentors as the fellow breeders that she has built working relationships with: Hilda Baisel, DVM, Anke Magnussen at Royal Oaks and Matt Davis at Crooked Willow.

“I really believe that we can breed good horses in this country. We have the quality right here,” Barbara says. “In Europe people can go to a concentrated area and look at tons of horses. I’m hoping that as I get going, people will see that we have a lot of very nice horses, and they’ll shop on the West Coast.”

The Beat of Breeding Continues
By combining the elements of patience, skill, a good eye and extensive knowledge with a true love of horses, Tish and Barbara can rightly be upheld as examples of sporthorse breeding programs gone right. Whether active for 30 years, or half that long, these West Coast women are masters at breeding superb sporthorses.

Thank you Tish and Barb! See more at TishQuirk.com and WildTurkeyFarm.com.

Industry Innovators: EquiFit, inc

By Jackie McFarland

Alexandra Cherubini and EquiFit, inc.

Back in August of 2009 we interviewed the owner of EquiFit, inc. Alexandra Cherubini on her innovative perspective on the market. Many of you West Coast softball players and fans may remember Alexandra and her husband Camilo joining us this past June not only to present the winner of the $30,000 Copa de Amistad Grand Prix but as sponsors and participants in the Blenheim Softball Tournament. Good times had by all…

We caught up with her this week, while she was at the Hampton Classic. Always impressed with EquiFit, inc.’s approach, we asked her a few questions about the line.

EQSOL: You have a wide range of products – all innovative. Can you tell us about the inspiration for some of these items? Life influencing product – how has your life experience played a role in the product line?
AC: My family is in the medical supply and manufacturing business so I had grown up with various foams and materials around me. I had also witnessed the development of many products over the years. After college I worked in fashion PR in NYC and was determined to figure out a way to incorporate horses into my life.

I noticed the lack of technologically advanced materials in the equine industry and decided to combine the two worlds; medical and equine. It seemed crazy to me that the equine athlete was not being catered to and that materials to help protect, support and encourage high performance were not being introduced to the market.

Our first product was Shouldersback, which bridged three worlds: Equine, Medical and Fashion. Our next endeavor was the T-Boot Series, which was a completely new product for the market, utilizing materials that had not been seen previously in protective boots.

EQSOL: From concept to completion – can you talk about that process a bit with some of the innovative products you’ve developed? How do you keep up with the needs of your market, stay on top with all the brands out there and continue to create innovative products?
AC: Research and development are a big part of my job and I love that aspect. I listen and observe A LOT. I try and find what horses and riders need. We also update our existing products on a regular basis, constantly making them better and expanding on our existing line. All of our products undergo rigorous testing by a large team of riders, managers, and grooms. If the product is not solely for the Equine market, we open up our ‘test’ group to a broader field.

EQSOL: You are very active on the equestrian scene – tell us about your horse life.
AC: I’m currently showing three show horses: EquiFit Pozitano and EquiFit Skandalos in the Jumpers, and Poker Face in the Hunters. My horse life is intrinsic within my professional life, allowing first-hand experience with all the products both on the market and in development. It’s a labor of love and I consider myself lucky!

EQSOL: EquiFit, inc. is also a well-known name through your ads and sponsorships, as well as innovative marketing. Explain a bit about what goes into that plan…
AC: EquiFit is all about creativity and thinking outside of the box, whether it be in product development, searching for new materials and pragmatic solutions or in marketing and educating the consumer. Because our products do utilize such different materials than anyone else, we HAVE to reach out and educate our customers on materials used and why they are different than current offerings. We do this through print advertising, web advertising, social media and a variety of other channels.
We spend a lot of time on the ground at horse shows allowing us to gain direct customer feedback, see our product in use, work with our stores and educate riders, owners and managers about the benefits and features of our products. We feel strongly about supporting our team of riders, our customers, stores, and horse show partners. We have a great community.

Thank you Alexandra – we look forward to seeing EquiFit, inc’s name and innovative solutions continue. We wish you the best on and off the horse!

Positive Reinforcement Training

By Jackie McFarland

Click This! The Who, What, Where and Whys of Positive Reinforcement Training

Some call it Clicker Training, some call it Target Training, some don’t like to recognize it at all. But meet Shawna Karrasch, the energetic, effervescent person behind On Target Training and change your perspective. 

WHO is Shawna Karrasch?
I didn’t grow up as a horse girl. We did have horses on my grandfather’s farm. They were quarter horses and super broke and safe, safe, safe. We would have to drive to find them – it was 300 acres and so we had to go search them out.

I felt like they tolerated us and I didn’t connect with them because back then I felt like we were a burden to the horses. I decided I only wanted to be with animals where I could add to their life in some way; I didn’t want impose myself on any animal.

I actually trusted animals more than humans when I was a little girl. They were always honest and love was unconditional. It’s where I learned to trust and nurture and I really wanted it to be a two-way street.

We moved out to San Diego when I was 13 and I was pretty much a surf and ski gal. When I was going to college I took a Field Study Class on Finback Whales and biology classes and so I came home wanting to get a job at Sea World. The second summer I worked in the Animal Training Dept. and after the season they offered me a full-time position. And that’s where I stayed for the next 10 years. Through the method of Positive Reinforcement Training I worked with killer whales, dolphins, sea lions, walruses, and otters to train them to do husbandry as well as show behaviors. I also did the performances with them. It was a lot of hard work, required a lot of patience, but I did love it.

My next exposure to horses was in 1992 when Elizabeth Busch Burke gave us tickets to a Grand Prix in Del Mar. A bunch of trainers went, but I was the only one that was so taken by it. I was really intrigued. Hap Hansen caught my eye; he made it look so smooth and effortless. As I got involved I realized that the training methods used were clearly successful but didn’t use positive reinforcement methods at all. I started taking lessons, bought a horse and everything that went with it [laughs]. Interestingly, when I met Vinton Karrasch he wanted to learn more about how we trained marine mammals and I wanted to learn more about training horses.

So together we started this incredible adventure of mixing our knowledge – his of horses and mine of positive reinforcement training – and developed On Target Training, which at the time was virtually unheard of in the horse world.

WHY Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT, technically R+)?
First of all these are proven principles. It’s not a lark or even theory. Or someone’s special language or method they came up with and named. It is quite a successful system – there are several books, at Sea World we used “Behavior Principles” (Charles Ferster & Stuart Culbertson) and “A Primer to Operant Conditioning” (G. S. Reynolds). Why we used PRT at Sea World is it minimizes frustration, which can lead to aggression. With horses that’s bucking, rearing, kicking, biting or any resistance behavior. We have to remember that it isn’t our concept of what is valuable – like a pat on the neck which is nice and all but the horse has survival instincts and food is much more of a valuable reward for them.

For example, I have never seen a horse free jump – completely loose in a ring with no chute – a 3’6″ fence via a pat on the neck. But I’ve seen them do it repeatedly when the reward is of value – food.

When it becomes meaningful for the horse – it intrinsically changes the value of the relationship. It’s Pavlovian in a way. Through the repeated positive reinforcement – be it husbandry, under saddle, fear of mounting, any aspect of the horse’s daily life – you see such a difference in the horse. You actually start to see them learn how to think and because we draw attention to what is good, we change their motivation to want to do what is asked in order to receive the reward. And liking it.

A good illustration of this is a study they did when they gave animals (a variety of species) free food to eat as they wanted. And then they took that away and taught those same animals to hit a lever to earn the food. And when the scientists gave the animals both options – more often than not the animals chose to hit the lever over just going for the free food.

We tend to focus on the physical aspects – which is of course are important – but we tend to forget their psychological needs. That needs stimulating too and if we do so in a positive way we get positive results.

WHERE to use PRT?
Anywhere – it truly covers every issue. For the most minor of issues – from picking up a foot to standing still to rearing to trailer loading to jumping water. You can teach a horse to have heart with this type of training. Also anyplace – I work with horses in stalls, cross ties, paddocks, pastures, arenas – wherever they need to be.

With every behavior I work on my primary focus is always attitude. If they have a good attitude you can teach a horse anything – so a positive attitude is essential to success. It’s about trusting them and them also trusting you.

WHEN to use PRT?
John and Beezie Madden recognized the value of this training more than fifteen years ago. We hadn’t even ‘unpacked the box’ of how the method worked yet. But John had vision; he could see what was inside the box before we even opened it. He embraced the system and said please come to our farm and lets start this business. During the year we worked together, Vinton and I lived there in 1995-1996, I learned so much from John and Beezie and they from me – they taught me traditional training methods that I use all the time. And as I understand they are still utilizing the On Target Training we developed all those years ago.

That is where and when we literally wrote the book and produced the DVD, “You Can Train Your Horse To Do Anything – Clicker Training and Beyond”. And of course we taught Judgment to get over the one issue that was keeping him from becoming a top horse – jumping water. They went to Spruce Meadows and Beezie took him in the International Ring, went by the water (which he wouldn’t have done so willingly before), clicked and then started her course. Once she finished, and he jumped the water, she reinforced. It was awesome!

HOW MUCH PRT?
This system can be used alone but more importantly it can augment any training method. There are plenty of successful trainers who certainly don’t need to change the way they work. But doesn’t every horse have some issue no matter how minor or major? The horse may perform beautifully but not trailer well. Or possibly a spooking issue is keeping a horse from advancing. Any issue can be approached and overcome through Positive Reinforcement Training. And it usually doesn’t take an inordinate amount of time once they learn the basics of the method.

There are so many questions that can be answered and horses that can change through this type of work. And although I have a clear understanding of what it takes to train a top-level horse, I don’t claim to be a trainer. I am an expert in Positive Reinforcement Training and feel confident that we were not only the first to successfully use the system with horses but to date there isn’t an issue that can’t be solved through utilizing this system correctly.

So how much? As much as you are willing to see a positive change!

Thank you, Shawna – it’s both interesting and inspiring. See more at ShawnaKarrasch.com or facebook.com/horsetraining. 

Conversations With Equestrians: Warren Wilson

Jackie McFarland

California Horsetrader‘s Warren Wilson
well-established publication, the California Horsetrader is now in its 36th year.  We had a chance to chat with publisher Warren Wilson about the past, present and future.

EQSOL: Give us a brief history about you and your involvement with horses.
WW: My family moved to a ranch in San Marcos in the mid-’60s. The family’s 14-acre Pepper Hill Ranch still thrives; my mother lives there with her magnificent Quarter Horses. They are well-known performance horse lines, she has a breeding stallion named Nic Chex. She still rides and is active in the community as a horse and responsible land-use advocate.

As a kid in rural San Marcos when there wasn’t even a traffic light, my pony was literally my transportation across the hill to my friends who lived on small ranches. The area was a patchwork of avocado groves and alfalfa fields, connected by dirt trails.

Now I ride when I can, but what time I have with horses revolves mostly around my 6-year-old daughter, Lily. She hasn’t shown yet, but she’s ready – she’s cantering over poles now.

EQSOL: Can you tell us about the magazine’s beginnings?
WW: California Horsetrader was founded in 1979 by my mom, Carolyn Read, at Pepper Hill Ranch in San Marcos. She started publishing it in the tack room of our barn.
I purchased it in 1990, and launched Horsetrader.com eight years later. We created the Horsetrader Alliance in 2005 (it consists of Equiery, Horsemen’s Yankee Pedlar, Quarter Horse News, and Barrel Horse News).

EQSOL: What sparked your interest to get involved with the magazine?
WW: I have publishing in my blood. My father was an executive editor at the San Diego Evening Tribune (now the U-T) and my mother worked on several magazines. In the fifth grade, I persuaded my grade school to launch a newspaper, which we called The Richland Report. From high school through college, I gravitated to being the editor of the schools’ papers.

By the time I was 20, I was the editor of a community weekly paper, and at 23 was the managing editor of a morning daily. This was great experience on the news side of things. Then I moved into sportswriting at just the right time – covering those great San Diego Chargers of the ‘80s, the Padres in their World Series run and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

During the same time, my mother had been working hard to launch something new – a professional, easy-to-use and affordable advertising vehicle for her passion, the horse industry.

EQSOL: How would you define the magazine’s main mission?
WW: Our identity is pretty straight-forward, starting with the name – we help bring buyers and sellers together. We also help retail sales from local to national. We’re everything horses. Having content – both news and advertising – that is current and accurate, having technology that is relevant, having a sense of responsibility that goes with our being part of the fabric of the horse world, all of those missions we take seriously and we enjoy the challenge. But it comes back to bringing buyers and sellers together.

EQSOL: You are considered one of the most innovative and forward-thinking publishers in the industry. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve implemented during your time with the magazine?
WW: Different eras demand different solutions – it’s a moving target. In 1979, my mother founded the paper with the most profound innovation – she took the idea of the tack store bulletin board, packaged it into a digestible format, and was never late with an issue, twice a month. Until that point, reliable, current, free horse publications were not the norm.

From then to now, technology has made a difference. But technology is like wine – you can’t be indiscriminate in your selection of it, and you certainly can be intoxicated by it. Whether it’s the old-time fax with the roll paper or the internet and social media, innovation is all about the customer – and how will it bring buyers and sellers together.

EQSOL: Your favorite issue(s) over the years?
WW: The most recent one, always. Each issue, we put ourselves into it – not unlike a theatrical production. There’s pressure, there’s obstacles, there’s pride, there’s relief when we’re done. When the issue hits the newsstands, there’s a profound sense of accomplishment, and then it’s on to the next one. Our Horsetrader team is a remarkable group of dedicated pros – from sales to accounting to production and IT, and everywhere in between.

EQSOL: What do you see as the future of publishing?
WW: When times are flush, characters build publishing. When times are lean, publishing builds character. We’re in lean times, and there will be a culling of the herd, as always. That part is not different than any industry. What is different in the current period is that in addition to handling an economic storm, publishers must navigate through a technological challenge. That doesn’t mean to chase the bus with the latest internet craze. Part of the challenge is not technical at all; it’s a perception issue. Our advertisers remain with us for a simple reason – they see results. I think publications that have that core purpose – bringing buyers and sellers together – will thrive if they put the buyers and sellers first and understand them. It also helps to love the horse industry and publishing.

Thank you Warren for your time – we always enjoy a chance to catch up with you.