THE HORSE PARK AT WOODSIDE
  The mission of the Horse Park at Woodside is to provide opportunities for educational, recreational and competitive activities in a variety of equestrian disciplines that encourage the growth and development of youth and adults. Situated on 272 gently rolling, oak-studded acres on the border of Menlo Park and Woodside, California, the Horse Park’s facilities, terrain and beautiful setting have made it an ideal venue for equestrian activities ranging from Horse Trials to Pony Club Ratings, Dressage to Arena Polo, Hunter/Jumper Shows to Western Reining.

Help Realize the Vision
If you agree that the Horse Park at Woodside is a good use of resources and should be preserved, you can:
  • Make a tax-deductible donation to the Horse Park
  • Become a Horse Park Member
  • Volunteer your time

Your tax-deductible gift will enable the Horse Park to continue offering educational, recreational and competitive equine activities for youth and adults while caring for the land, complying with County regulations, and preserving open space and a rapidly disappearing rural equestrian lifestyle. More information and forms available at www.horsepark.org/preservation.html.


MORE MAUI - TRAINER'S INCENTIVE PROGRAM
  The race for Maui is on again at Woodside starting with the two spring shows. For the fifth year in a row, LEG will offer the Maui Trainer Incentive by sending a top trainer for a weeklong stay at the spectacular Marriott Maui Ocean Club Resort on Ka’anapali Beach. Each trainer will accrue points from the highest scoring Hunter, the highest scoring Jumper, and the highest scoring Equitation rider at each show. In addition, for the first time, LEG will offer the Maui Incentive at its three Woodside Dressage Shows.

  For details on the program and list of standings, check the LEG website http://langershows.com/special.php.


RIDING FOR READING RETURNS IN '09
  Riding for Reading returns to the horse show arena for 2009 with five events, kicked off by a successful class at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show in Houston, TX. Riding For Reading, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to promoting reading, literacy and education through equestrian sports and activities. The Riding For Reading class is open to riders from first through twelfth grade, and it is an opportunity for competitors to earn grants for their school’s library.

  Since the program began, over 500,000 students have benefited from Riding For Reading library grants. Instead of riding just for themselves, these riders represent their schools, and every rider in the class earns a grant for his or her school. In addition, they receive a bag of goodies for themselves that includes books, magazines, a Riding For Reading t-shirt, and horse treats.


2009 SEASON WELL UNDERWAY
  Langer Equestrian Group (LEG) is gearing up for another exciting year of horse showing. With four venues and multiple shows at each one, LEG is proud to offer something for every type of competitor. At the Los Angeles Equestrian Center (LAEC), LEG offers 13 shows. The popular Gold Coast Series commenced in February, with the series awards for the seven shows sponsored by Norden Insurance and Markel Insurance. Don’t miss the Colorado Summer Circuit at the Colorado Horse Park, a four show series that attracts horses and riders from more than 25 states, Mexico and Canada.

  This fall the ‘A’-rated season winds down with a flourish at the L.A. National Preview Horse Show, host to the West Coast Pony Finals, a Zone 10 Championship and the following week at the L.A. National Horse Show (November 11-15), one of the most prestigious shows in the country, culminates the West Coast’s “A” circuit with championships, medal finals, and the LA National Grand Prix (CSI-W).


CONGRATULATIONS LARRY
  Earlier this year Larry Langer was honored with the California Professional Horseman’s Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Langer is best known as the President and CEO of Langer Equestrian Group, one of the top horse show management companies in the country. Highlights of Langer’s career include serving as the Show Jumping Competition Manager for the 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta, GA), and also managing the 1992 Show Jumping World Cup Finals (Del Mar, CA).

  LEG was proud that one our long-time “family” members, Sandra McKeon was inducted into the CPHA Hall of Fame. Sandra was one of the West Coast’s earliest show jumping stars and was the first rider from California who trained with the USET.

World Cup Wrapup

Fremont Hills: A Sanctuary for Riders in Portola Valley

BY ERNA ADELSON & JACKIE MCFARLAND

  Located in pastoral Portola Valley, Fremont Hills is an equestrian haven with a grounded nature. Each of the core team - Wendy Carter, Debbi Sereni and Missy Froley - has a distinctive background in equitation, hunters, and jumpers, so they can draw from their varied experiences for teaching all levels. “When we arrive in the morning, our goal each day is to make this day better than the last. We don’t say we specialize in one discipline, better said that every one of us contributes in many ways,” Wendy explains. So students at Fremont Hills benefit from not only a fabulous facility but also get to ride with three trainers at the same location—a prime opportunity for a diverse riding education, offering riders a library of experience to attain their equestrian goals.

  Nestled between San Francisco and San Jose, Fremont Hills borders Woodside and Palo Alto and is easily accessible from Santa Cruz and Monterey. The group has 25 horses in training at the Portola Valley Training Center and eight others at nearby Bay Rose, where Wendy and Missy also train. They compete at prominent west coast ‘AA’ shows, including HITS, Blenheim, LAEC and Del Mar down south, as well as closer to home Menlo, Pebble Beach, Golden State, Brookside and Woodside. The team at Fremont Hills sees that each rider gets personal attention, providing a diverse program where each client progresses at his or her own pace. Missy commented, “We have ponies, 3’ hunters, 3’6” hunters, open horses and Grand Prix jumpers. Each of us have pieces that we’re good at, so we make a solid team.”

  The three collectively agree that as the business manager, the communication hub between trainers and management, and the one who manages the pre-show details from schedule to entries, Debbi is the glue that holds it all together. More active in horse shows in previous years, (her son Matt Sereni won the 2003 ASPCA Medal Maclay Finals), Debbi knew she wanted to be able to spend more time with family when she adopted daughter Mia, now four years old. She contacted Wendy, who was working privately at Bay Rose, and convinced Wendy and Missy to take on a big piece of the training and traveling so Debbi could stay closer to home.

  By then, Missy and Wendy had been working together for several years, moving north from Coto de Caza in 2004, and already had a successful team dynamic—they have, in fact, spent the last seven years in working partnership. Missy started riding at the age of 6 with Jerry Daniels, then rode for a while with Michael Croopnick before she found her way to Caroline Bonham. She spent her junior career with Caroline where she excelled in equitation. Graduating from the junior ranks, Missy worked for Caroline until she met Wendy at Coto De Caza Training Center. Now, “We come as a unit,” Missy jokes, referring to her professional relationship with Wendy.

  Wendy Carter grew up in Beverly Hills and also began riding at age 6, where she went on pony rides every weekend. That progressed into lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy where she credits Nancy Turrill and Joanne Postel for teaching her about the love of horses and the passion of riding, not just about winning ribbons. Wendy was lucky enough to ride with a variety of trainers through out her Junior and Amateur career, including Mike and Lolly Edrick, Bennett Kurtze, Jimmy Williams, Susie Hutchinson and Lucy Stewart, who collectively brought her success in the show ring as well as taught her how to be successful as a professional. She feels most indebted to three well-established professionals: Leslie Steele, Carleton Brooks and Scott Wilson.

  At home in Portola, work starts at a reasonable 8:00 a.m. every day with lessons from morning until late afternoon. Everyone works together sharing in the duty of daily Starbucks runs. With such a busy competition schedule, an important part of the agenda is reaching goals and making time for fun. “At horse shows clients take what they’ve learned at home to the show ring. When they come out of the ring it’s about accomplishing their goals not necessarily the ribbon.” says Missy. “Having fun is also part of it. We try to do at least one night out with everyone since there are usually around 10-15 riders with us from Fremont Hills.”

  Last year, the Fremont Hills team completed 145 days on the road, traveling to sixteen away shows, spanning northern and southern California. While they will stay closer to home in 2009, they always spend at least two weeks every year at Pebble Beach and Menlo. Past accolades include medal final champions, trips to indoors and grand prix placings, with several riders enjoying success in the show ring already this year. Missy Froley and Plein Air © Deb Dawson, other photos courtesy of Gail Morey.

   Earlier this year the United States Hunter Jumper Association, Inc. announced the 2009 USHJA Emerging Athletes Program, a unique series that offers an unprecedented opportunity for young riders at various levels to learn from some of our nation’s top show jumpers. They received an overwhelmingly fabulous response from all levels of riders. Almost three hundred applicants, many of whom have not competed in ‘A’ horse shows or have a high level horse, will be selected – twenty-four from each zone – to participate in their zone’s 2-day clinic – eight riders at 3’, eight riders at 3’6” and eight riders at 4’. The applications received to date were well prepared and showed a very hard working, dedicated group of young athletes.

Watch Olympic medalist Melanie Taylor work with riders who show talent on horses with limited abilities, young horses, difficult horses, as well as pony jumper rider participants. Additionally, participants will do all their own work from horse care to course setting, learning about the skills of riding well from the ground up.

This exceptional format makes the EAP a wonderful audit to riders and trainers who find themselves in similar situations every day - it is a chance to truly relate to the clinicians and partakers. As an auditor, one will have complete access to the techniques used to identify talented young riders competing at the grassroots level of competition in our sport, nurture budding talent regardless of the means, and support the emerging athletes that embody the future of Hunter/Jumper sports.

Forty-eight riders from Training Level 1 will then be selected to join in one of four regional clinics. The next twelve chosen from the regional clinics qualify for a week-long intensive session, culminating in a Nations Cup type competition. Finally, the top two from this session will be invited to train for 30-days with an experienced trainer.

As Committee Co-Chairman Melanie Smith states, “This is a program for emerging athletes that is only the start of something very big and important to the future of the next generation of our sport. USHJA and the members of the Emerging Athletes Committee are committed to making this program one that will provide a stepladder for young talent to reach their goals of riding on a team representing the United States someday.”

Volunteer opportunities may also be available - check here for session venues and contact the host for openings.

USHJA Contact: Melanie Fransen, mfransen@ushja.org