Congratulations

BY TAMMY CHIPKO

  Remember my article last November, “Bringing the Hunter Back”, when I was so excited about this new USHJA High Performance Hunter program? I asked you to imagine watching a beautiful jumping horse galloping a course of fences that replicate what you might find in an open field. And to imagine watching or, even better, riding over obstacles that ask different questions like negotiating turns, a forward pace and a wide trot fence.

  We no longer have to imagine it – we are here! Spectators who typically only watch the grand prix ring are showing up at the hunter ring enthusiastically cheering on their favorite hunters. Hunters, jumpers and equitation horses alike are galloping around fields, grand prix arenas and even indoor rings demonstrating their style and handiness. Grand Prix riders such as Richard Spooner and Jeff Campf are competing against top hunter riders like John French and Jenny Karazissis as well as junior and amateur riders, such as Lucy Davis, Nicoletta Von Heidegger and me. The courses are challenging and you definitely have to ride to get around.

  So just like we understand all the rules when watching a Grand Prix (or most of them), we thought it would be beneficial to explain the rules of the International Hunter Derby.
We tip our hats to the people who have worked to bring the High Performance Hunter Program to this level and we can see the program will continue to evolve. And thank you to the generous sponsors of the USHJA International Hunter Derby, including ASG Software Solutions, Dietrich Equine Insurance, Charles Owen & Co, Dover Saddlery and Walsh Harness & Saddlery.

BY LAURA WARE   Riding in the equitation as a junior is almost like a rite of passage. All the top junior riders, regardless of how many horses they own or show, choose to keep their feet in the equitation ring, as equitation is what prepares juniors to have success in the other show rings, and eventually in the high level show jumping classes such as Amateur Owner or Grand Prix. Looking at the previous junior winners of both local and national medal finals and seeing how many of them are now top Grand Prix riders is indeed impressive.

Laura Ware, winner of the LAHJA Junior Medal in November, 2007. Photo © AC Custom Photo

  Although waking up at the crack of dawn to chase down medal points gets old (I think there’s a USEF law somewhere that states that all major medal classes must begin at or before 8 AM!), riding in the equitation ring teaches us discipline, proper position, and the ability to maintain poise and composure regardless of what is happening underneath us.

  I cannot speak for all the other riders out there, but I think that practicing position gets tedious, and, although my equitation is far from perfect, it would definitely be significantly worse if I were not being judged on it multiple times at each horse show! I am a competitive person, and being scored on my style gives me the much-needed motivation to practice it.
Several riders who exhibit strength in the equitation, as well as in the hunter and/or jumper rings, were kind enough to tell me about their opinions on and experiences in the equitation and medal classes.

  Junior rider Hilary Neff: Competing in equitation takes a lot of discipline and patience, but most importantly, it is always fun. Because this division is subjective, it can sometimes be frustrating. It is easy to feel like a judge “ripped you off”, but in the end, good ribbons and bad ribbons even out. I try to remember that the judge knows best 99.9% of the time.
It takes a long time to become a competent equitation rider, but every second is worth it in the end. Also, you have to have a strong relationship with your horse in order to be successful, which to me, is the best part of the sport.

  Amateur rider Hannah Selleck: Competing as an adult in Amateur Equitation is similar to competing as a junior, except Adult Equitation is much less competitive. There’s not the pressure to go in and get WIHS points or to have to get a certain number of points to make it to Indoors. Now I just go and ride my best, and have a good time! I’m almost enjoying the equitation more now than I ever have before. I still love doing the USEF Talent Search and I do have a goal to get my gold medal. Even though this is a pretty important goal for me, I still just go into the ring and really enjoy myself. Having the perspective of formerly competing in the equitation as a junior and now as an amateur, I can really see how important equitation is to give riders a strong foundation of basic skills like position and form. I have definitely transferred these skills from the equitation classes to the jumper ring and have found the experience of the medal finals invaluable. Note from Laura: I’m especially curious about this, as my amateur days are looming near. Yikes!

  Junior rider Tina DiLandri: By riding in the equitation, you find your best position and learn how to manipulate certain situations in the ring – it is the base of riding. Riding in the equitation classes has taught me patience. It definitely helps me succeed in the hunters and the jumpers as well.

  From competing in the equitation ring I have learned that everything is not as easy as it looks. There needs to be a true connection from the horse to the rider. You can have one of the best horses in the world, but if you don’t know how to ride it’s not going to work.

  During the George Morris seminar in Florida, he told me not to be an emotional rider. It is so true that if you overreact your horse is also going to overreact and not stay calm. If something happens, fix it in a nonchalant way and stay calm. Overall, just have fun!
Junior Rider (and article author) Laura Ware: I agree with this premise; equitation has taught me to maintain a proper position which will encourage my horse, whether hunter or jumper, to jump in the best form possible.

  A Flat Jump: However the growth of the equitation division has created an irony. An ideal equitation horse is one that jumps flat and has little feel in the air so a rider can maintain the most conventional and attractive position. This is fine; it’s nice to be able to leave the ground and feel almost nothing in the air, but having a flat-jumping horse will probably not bring success in other arenas of this sport. This is kind of ironic because the whole purpose of equitation is to prepare riders for other arenas, which demand a good-jumping horse. Plus, if you ask me, detracting from the horse’s form eliminates part of the thrill of this sport. There is no better sensation than cantering up to a perfect distance and feeling your horse explode in the air. And shouldn’t good riders be able to maintain a solid position when a horse jumps well?

  Rails: A very controversial issue that gets all of us riders and trainers and parents in a fit is the question of whether or not to penalize a downed rail in an equitation class or final. There are those who believe that a rail is a major error (the whole point of this sport is to jump over the fences without a fault) and should be penalized accordingly. Then there are those who feel that the rail should only be penalized if it is the rider’s error, since these classes do focus on the rider. I’ve always found this a bit confusing. A jumper receives four faults for a rail and a hunter will score no higher than a 50, regardless of whose fault it was. Why can’t there be a solution as simple as this for the equitation ring?

  I could go on all day about the pros and cons of this division, but the challenge of a job well done and then being judged subjectively is part of what makes it fun. Having to guess as to the results of each class keeps us on our toes (and in our heels), eager to improve our performances.

  So like my colleagues above say, remember that the good and bad ribbons even out, have goals but also have fun, learn to get connected with your horse and don’t be an emotional rider. Most of all, don’t let the subjectivity get to you – it’s all part of the lessons we learn time and again.

Laura Listens is brought to you by Laura Ware. Winner of the 2007 LAHSA Junior Medal Finals and a recipient of the 2008 WCAR Jumper Rider Grant, Laura rides with First Field Farm and often trains with Archie Cox. She is very successful in the all three disciplines on her own mounts as well as catch riding other horses.

BY KATHY KEELEY

  Moms, daughters and tack stores seem to bring out the best and the worst in our relationships. Visiting the tack store together can be a unique experience. There are those trips when it is a shared experienced with smiles, thanks, and even good fun looking at the newest hot color for riding pants. Then there are those trips that become a tug of war between parent and child. Tough on the sales staff!

  I recently visited a tack store at one of our shows and had an opportunity to watch a number of mother-daughter exchanges. Somehow the tack store has become not only a place to shop but a place where mother and daughter dynamics, both positive and negative, are on full display. We had a few supplies and a gift to pick up but mostly I think my daughter wanted to walk around checking out every section of the store. So I sat in a chair and watched.

Shopping Phases:

Pre-teen
  As I reflect on tack store shopping with daughters, I think there are three distinct phases. Pre and early teens provide the greatest challenge. These riders are caught between stages of childhood and being a teenager. They have lots of opinions and have mostly decided they know more than their parents. They can be rude, loud, demanding and full of self importance one moment but clinging, quiet and needy for parent contact the next.

  My approach to tack store shopping at this age is to avoid scenes and leave the child in the hands of another adult whose opinion the child would be more be more likely to respect. I once left my child with a clerk (prearranged plan) to outfit her for A Circuit showing. This was a time period when she never liked the color of the pants or the look of the helmet and when no color show shirt or jacket was acceptable. In short, she was being a pre-teen brat. The clerk did wonderfully, got her outfitted with humor and assistance from older riders in the store. All left the tack store smiling and without an unnecessary tug of war.

  At this age, however, I still expected manners in the store. Any scene or loud demands caused me to leave with the credit card still in my purse – no clerk or other shoppers should have to experience our children’s bad behavior. I often watch and wish more of us expected some baseline of manners or civility from this age group.

Older Teens
  The second group is the older teens – those riders with the confidence of ‘I know who I am and I know what I want.’ Shopping with them brings its own challenges since they definitely always know more than we do and seem to want only the best, latest, and most fashionable. They know what is in and what is out and will happily share that information with Mom who seems to be at least one season behind.

  This is a great age to learn about budgeting, fads vs. trends, and needs vs. wants. If they get everything they want, how do they learn about what they need vs. just what they want at the moment?

  Most are approaching a time when they will go off to college and the concept of living on a budget is a great one to learn. How many of those fads end up on the closet or horse trailer floor – how about buying things that will last more than a couple of horse shows?
Hunter and equitation classes tend to follow a rather conservative dress pattern so shopping for looking the part is often more important than shopping for the newest fad.

  This age group has fewer scenes with Mom but this is the age when they would rather go to the tack store with barn friends or the trainer – it can be a time when Mom sits out the shopping experience to leave some space for growing up. I had my own shopping buddies – other moms who were in a similar space. We made up our own trips, guessed what the girls might pick out and generally enjoyed ourselves. It was also our time to catch up, share kid stories and exchange parenting tips.

Young Adults
  The third age is the young adult amateurs – confident, calm and back to inviting the parent along to shop. They are comfortable in their own skin and actually like shopping with Mom. They probably also like the credit card in your purse since this comes off your budget and not theirs. These young women seem to know the value of what they have and understand that they don’t need as much stuff as they thought they did a couple of years before. They even pick out things, try them on and say I don’t really need that – how long have we waited to hear that phrase?

  Tack stores are an important place to communicate your values. Ask your daughter to set an example by being considerate to both the accompanying parent and the sales staff. Poor behavior towards the parent, the trainer or the sales clerk is not acceptable. Courtesy, respect and appreciation are expected in the tack store as well as the show ring.

Teachable Moments Abound

Some examples:
- Set a budget for the week of showing to demonstrate how to create a budget and live within it.
- Note rude behavior when you witness it in others and discuss it,
at a later time, with your child.
- Explain the history of equitation and why dark jacket colors are the norm. Helmets must fit correctly for safety reasons – not to protect our hair. Think of all the helpful conversations you can generate out of a shopping trip.

Watch and Listen
  Shopping trips can be good opportunities to step back and really observe our children. What are their tastes? How do they process and think about purchases? What values do they display? I would take a moment to watch and listen to opinions expressed as well as actions taken. Is it a good time to have a discussion on how their behavior is received and how it could affect their future? All parenting seems to be about strategy and finding the right moments for those many small conversations that shape our children into adults.

  In the tack store – let’s be savvy show moms with great kids.

For more tips, resources and articles for ShowMoms, visit: ShowMom.com

BY TAMMY CHIPKO

  Our West Coast representatives collectively had fabulous results last week at the Spruce Meadows Skyliner Tournament in Canada. Congratulations to everyone who competed! Some results: Canadian Utilities 1.10m 2nd, Saree Kayne & Carolina Canadian Utilities 1.20m 1st, Paris Theodasakis & Blue Bayou 7th, Julie Hancock & Playboy 1.30m Jayman Welcome 3rd, Annie Laurie Cook & Llandovery 4th, Theodore Boris & Santor 5th, Tina Dilandri & Chanel 292 1.30m Gienow Welcome 2nd, Naomi Sedgwick & Hippie De Blagny 1.40m Riddell Family Welcome 1st, Taylor Coe & Carlos 2nd, Karl Cook 5th, Mavis Spencer 6th, Alec Lawler 7th, Lucy Davis 8th, Karl Cook 11th, Chelsea Wilkinson Paramount Resources Prix de Nations Teams 1st, Team Golden State Starrz (Taylor Coe, Danielle Korsh, Chelsea Wilkinson, Morgan Caplane, & Team Captain Craig Starr) 4th, WCAR Katchups (Haley Roberson, Annie Laurie Cook, Alec Lawler, Karl Cook, & Team Captain Butch Thomas) Friends of the Meadows GP 2nd, Molly Davis & Unforgettable ATCO Group 1.10m GP 2nd, Taylor Siebel & Natsu CN 1.20m GP 1st, Paris Theodosakis & Blue Bayou 5th, Emily Livermore & Tulip 8th, Ariana Dubelko & La Luna 10th, Julie Hancock & Playboy 1.30m ATCO Noise Management Grand Prix 2nd, Theodore Boris 7th, Peggy Munkdale 8th, Annie Laurie Cook Red Deer Advocate 1.30m Grand Prix 4th, Julie Hancock 6th, Carol Bird 1.40m Mullen Group Income Fund GP 1st, Taylor Coe 2nd & 9th, Karl Cook 3rd, Danielle Korsh 8th, Richard Neal Royal & Sun Alliance 1.30m Jumpers 1st, Peggy Munkdale 4th, Theodore Boris 1.30m Red Deer Advocate Top Four 4th, Julie Hancock 1.40m Riddell Family Top Four 1st, Richard Neal 2nd, Karl Cook What a great week for the West Coast horses and riders competing in Calgary! Congratulations again and best of luck with the remainder of the tour.