April 2018 YourDressage

YourDressage

April 2018

A United States Dressage Federation Publication

Christian Clark finds an unexpected blessing in her horse Dodger

Welcome to Your Wonderful World of Dressage YourDressage is compiled by the United States Dressage Federation, written by participants from throughout the dressage community. The articles in this publication are submitted by people like you to share and be shared by all. Experience their stories as they navigate through the wonderful world of dressage and become friends with your dressage community.

It’s YourDressage, be part of it! If you would like to submit your story see the last page of this publication.

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The 2018 USDF Online Stallion Guide is now LIVE!

2018 USDF Online Stallion Guide A Foal of Your Own Dreaming of breeding your mare?

Read our primer on the process first.

A Showcase for the Dressage Sport Horse The 2017 USDF Breeders Championship Series Finals Statistics

Achieving the End Goal The 2017 Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Championships Breed Statistics and Information

High Performance The 2017 US Dressage Finals Presented

This annual online stallion guide is released by the United States Dressage Federation for the dressage community.

The guide is available both through the USDF website and the USDF app.

by Adequan® Breed Statistics and Information

This annual online stallion guide is released by the United States Dressage Federation for the dressage community. Available through both the USDF website and the USDF app, the Online Stallion Guide includes: • • •

Featured Breeding Article, Breeding Statistics from USDF competitions, and Index of Progeny of Advertised Stallions.

This guide contains interactive links to give you all the information you need to make a favorable breeding decision. Whether interested in breeding, or looking for a breeder with offspring already on the ground, this is a great way to learn more about dressage breeders throughout North America.

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

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What to See Inside Departments Covering ground: Top Ten Tips from a USDF L Graduate with Distinction Katie Rocco shares her years of expertise in judging schooling shows and gives her tips as a USDF L Graduate.

My time to ride: Grand Prix Dreams Mimi Benton tells of her goal of having a Grand Prix horse and how she found it with Lexington WF, "Leo." YOUNG & INSPIRED: Deeper into the Sport of Dressage Katelyn Doyle attended the 2017 AdequanÂŽ/USDF Annual Convention and found that the experience opened her eyes to how much work goes into the sport of dressage.

Heard ARound the Arena: Springtime activities It is Spring! We take a look at Springtime Activities in the dressage community.

GMO SPOTLIGHT: Central Plains Dressage Society (CPDS) Take a look at this group member organization.

USDF flashback: Dr. Max Gahwyler Inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame in 2004, in recognition of his life's work in preserving and passing on the humane, classical methods of dressage training to American riders.

Cover story From Zero to My Hero

Christian Clark tells her story of finding her horse Dodger and the journey they took together.

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Covering Ground

Top Ten Tips from a USDF L Graduate with Distinction

By Katie Rocco Editor's Note: While a USDF L Graduate cannot refer to themselves as judges, since they are not licensed

by US Equestrian, for the purposes of this article, they will be referenced as a judge such for explanation.

I

t has been almost 25 years since my graduation from the USDF L Education Program and, in that time, I have re-audited the program twice, each time more impressed with how it has developed over the years. I have judged hundreds of dressage schooling shows, through which I have learned that my expectations were drastically different from the reality of what is entailed in the world of schooling shows. There really is no greater teacher than that of experience.

I want to share my insights from a long career of judging, as a USDF L Graduate, to help you get a glimpse into what you may Katie Rocco

have in store as you embark on your own judging career, or if you are considering entering the program.

1. Expect the unexpected

When I say this, I sincerely mean it. One of my first judging experiences was a D Pony Club rally. Upon arrival, the District Commissioner announced to me that the show venue had been overbooked, and we were to share the location with the National Guard, who would be simultaneously running war games. Yes, you read that correctly. So, some improvisation was required during the day, to assist the children as they dismounted from their ponies before the cannons were shot off during lunch! Fortunately, the day ended successfully, albeit very strange.

While the program may have only prepared you to judge through Second Level, often you will be required to judge above Second Level, likely even through FEI. Show managers may ask you April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Covering Ground

Katie (middle) with Leslile deGrandmaision and Joy Congdon judging for Central Vermont Dressage Association.

to judge eventing tests, western dressage, equitation, musical freestyles, pas de deux, quadrille, and the list can go on!

Sometimes, you may be asked to judge things you have never heard of before, which requires a bit of thinking on your feet.

If you are truly uncomfortable judging certain levels or disciplines, you must let management know as soon as possible.

You may be expected to judge well-known professionals, and will need to remind yourself that, in judging, there are no names and no faces. Once, I had a very famous rider ride multiple horses in front of me, each one with serious issues, including bolting, bucking, airs above ground, you name it. During each disobedience, I would cringe and tell my scribe in a very tentative voice, “four?” “three??” “two??” At the end of the day, the rider came marching across the arena to me and, while I braced for the worst, she congratulated me on my honest scoring. I nearly passed out.

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Covering Ground

Maintaining consistency and objectivity with your judging is no easy task, but in the end, you will be respected for judging honestly.

2. Create your own judging agreement

Many times, show management will have their own judging agreement for you to sign, but developing your own contract is crucial, to ensure that all parties are clear on each others’ requirements.

Include all the obvious items in your agreement; contract information, date of the show, level of rides, agreed upon number of rides, additional fees for extra rides, etc.

Often, you may be working with new shows or new management, in which case, you can offer guidelines in your agreement.

If you are not prepared or paying attention, you could find yourself getting behind schedule, before the day even begins, and morning and lunch breaks will go by the wayside, in order to catch up. Providing Katie competing her mare LaKennedy at Prix St. Georges

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Covering Ground

guidelines in your judging agreement may be helpful to management, and a lifesaver for you.

3. Get to the show early

This format may require you to adjust your pricing for the day.

5. Give verbal comments

Since you are judging schoolI recommend getting to the ing shows, many times, show show at least one half hour before management will want you to the show is set to begin. Ensure give verbal comments after each that your tests are in order, that ride. Make doubly sure that there you have extra tests in case, and has been enough time built into CHECK YOUR RING! This the schedule to accommodate spring, I showed up to find that comments. I recommend seven the arena’s letters were incorrectly to eight minutes per ride, to proset up, and then set up incorrectly vide adequate comments. again, in a second attempt.

In many rural areas, your comments after the test might 4. Offer ride-critique-rides be the only feedback that riders Ride-critique-rides are popu- receive, so sometimes, you may lar formats, in which a test is want to recommend pointers to ridden, the judge provides comassist them. This is where you ments and critiques for improve- have to decide to go off script, ments, and the test is then ridden to help a rider improve their test again. This format is similar to and gain understanding and cona clinic, in that you are teaching fidence for their next ride. more than simply noting what 6. Stick to the rules as closely happened during the test. Make as you can sure that the organizer gives you All judges have harrowing at least 30 minutes per ride, and stories of their judging ordeals that they do not overbook the over the years, but when you are amount of rides during the day.

a USEF-licensed dressage judge, judging at USEF-licensed competitions, you have recourse to issues that come up while you are judging. You have show management that must follow the US Equestrian rules and a USEF Technical Delegate to assist you, if you need clarification with these rules.

I make clear, in my judging agreement, that my judging will follow as closely as possible to the US Equestrian and USEA rules.

While it may be necessary to deviate slightly from the rules at a schooling show, things can quickly get too helter-skelter, and if you don’t maintain clear rules, you may end up with a nightmare on your hands.

This will do a disservice to the competitor, as well as to the show itself. For example, if someone is told that their horse can wear boots or other illegal equipment, they may misunderstand, since you let it slide, do the same at a sanctioned event, and subsequently be eliminated.

This can be a slippery slope, and if you allow one horse and rider to bend the rules, everyone will have to

be allowed to, or you will inevitably end up as the bad guy.

7. Get your name out there

I hear more and more from new USDF L Graduates that they have difficulty finding judging opportunities. There are numerous L Graduates in the field today, so, you must find a way to get your name out there and develop your own unique reputation for judging.

You may want to consider contacting local dressage and eventing farms, equine colleges, Pony Clubs, or new show managers to introduce yourself, by offering an educational day of judging, such as a ride-critique-ride. You may also want to consider volunteering your services, as an introduction. eTRAK Extra

Want to learn more about the L Program.

Read "How the L Progarm Changed My Riding" from the Dec 2016/Jan 2017 issue of USDF Connection magazine.

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Covering Ground

8. Help others to remember what dressage stands for

Dressage is about correct training to achieve harmony between horse and rider, and just because we engage in competition, we must not lose sight of that.

Explain to riders the importance of reading the purpose and directive idea in the test. You would be surprised how many only look at the movement of the test, and where they need to be going. After reading, many riders will have a big “ah-ha” moment, when they realize that the test itself had such great guidelines.

9. Ensure that the horse always comes first

Your ring is a platform to emphasize how the horse should always come first. You will come across circumstances where you will witness various forms of borderline, or even blatant, lameness or abuse, and will need to take action.

Remember, rather than wanting to rip them off their horse, you can kindly assist them

on ways to ride their horse in a kinder, more productive way.

Combating anger with anger accomplishes nothing, but more frustration. As hard as it is, sometimes, you have a responsibility to do the right thing.

10. Take your continued education seriously

In the time that I have been a USDF L Graduate, I have taken my continued education very seriously.

I have attended symposia, re-audited the USDF L Education Program twice, volunteered to scribe for others, attended judges forums, and sat with more advanced judges, to learn from their experience. There is always something new to learn, a new way to approach judging, and ways to look at things differently. Scribing for other judges will provide you with new perspectives, as well as an opportunity to diversify your vocabulary, which can become stagnant over time. I can’t stress how important it is to stay involved with the community, and to continue to learn as much

as you can. Starting in 2017, USDF L Graduates are required to complete eight hours of judging-specific education per year.

Some may say that it is only a schooling show, but unlike sanctioned show judges, we have the ability to connect with riders who may be new to the sport, or have had bad experiences showing in the past, to help them in their riding journey. My advice is to empower riders, and in doing so, you will empower the sport. Be kind and fair, but not a pushover.

Remember to breathe, smile, and do not let unexpected events intimidate you. Everything that happens, along the way, makes you more consistent and confident, as a judge. Over time, you will develop your own tools and preparation techniques that will help you become a better judge, and you will develop your own tales of experiences. If you have recently become a USDF L Graduate, or if you are pursuing the opportunity, get ready for a great ride!

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my time to ride

Grand Prix Dreams

By Mimi Benton

I

n 2009, I bought Lexington WF, “Leo”, as a two-year-old, bred by Vanessa Carlson of Woodridge Farm, in Claremore, OK. He’s by Liberty Gold, out of Arriana, by Arrian, and the horse of my dreams. I was determined he was going to become a Grand Prix horse!

For his whole two-year-old year, he traveled to all the local schooling shows, and when he turned three, I started him.

The experience off the farm as a young horse was very important for him, as he was about to become my show horse.

When Leo turned four, we were ready for USDF-recognized shows. We started at Training Level with very high scores, and showed in one USEF Four-YearOld Test, scoring a 77.8! We also qualified at First Level that same year, and went to the Great American Insurance Group/ Mimi and Leo at the US Dressage Finals SusanJStickle.com photo

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my time to ride

USDF Region 9 Championships.

Our Training Level championship class was a bit of a disaster. He was pretty much bored, but we finished fourth in our First Level championship class, with scores in the 70s. We were leading the class up until the last three riders.

The scores were all so close.

The next year we trained hard and showed Second and Third Level. He had such a natural ability for dressage, it really was easy for him. We placed 6th at Second Level and 7th at Third Level at that year’s championships. In 2014 and 2015, we schooled and showed at Fourth Level, yet were not quite ready for that. We scored into the mid 60s, with many mistakes, proving the work was getting more difficult.

That summer, I was at a clinic at Vanessa Carlson’s farm, and she had asked me to ride her lovely, ten-year-old mare Wiebekka. I gladly accepted, with a big smile, and said that I had an extra spot Mimi and Wiebekka

on my trailer, so I could take her home. And she accepted! I went home with two horses that day.

God had a plan that day, and he knew what was about to happen.

The next few days proved to be devastating for me. My precious Leo had sustained a potentially career ending injury, both hind suspensories had damage, and would need stem cell surgery. Right away, we started on his recovery. He had to be stalled for two weeks, and hand-walked only. After that, it was walking for 30 days, slowly adding trotting, on straight lines only, and then cantering, straight lines only, for the next six months. In the mean time, I had Wiebekka to ride and train. She had not been ridden for more than five years, when I started riding her. In August 2015, I took her to her first show.

It was the Old South Prelude, in Tennessee. We qualified for Training Level, with scores up to 76%, and First Level, with scores up to 74%.

Two months later was the April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

my time to ride

Great American Insurance Group/ USDF Region 4 Championships.

She won her class at Training Level, with a score of 75%, and got Reserve Champion at First Level, with a score of 73%, earning our invitation to the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®.

We headed to the US Dressage Finals that November. It was my first time showing at the beautiful facility, and a dream come true! Wiebekka pulled off an awesome ride that earned us

third place, with a score of 72.7%, and then again at First Level, with a score of 70%! All while Leo was recovering, Wiebekka made the process a little easier. I had fallen in love with this amazing horse that loved to show and gave me her all! I just wished that Leo and I would one day accomplish the same feat.

As Leo got healthier, our work got a little harder. That next year, we trained, but I had a new and much smarter way to train.

Listening to my horse was most important. I started working with my current trainer Cathy Zappe, who is a USDF Certified Instructor at Training-Fourth Level and is also showing and training Grand Prix. She let me take the time we needed without pressure, which helped me with our training.

In April 2017, Leo and I debuted at Prix St. Georges, at the Texas Rose Horse Park. We earned our USDF Silver Medal, with the scores earned at that show, and qualified, once again, for the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 9 Championships. We had lots of mistakes and lots of room to improve. So, we went home and spent the summer training with Cathy, and returned to the same facility to show in September.

Our scores improved to 68%! At just our third time out to show, the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 9 Championships were next. With the best test Leo had ever given me, we

scored at 68.8%, earning Reserve Champion honors! It was overwhelming and very exciting, and I couldn’t believe it. All of our hard work and patience paid off!

And best of all, this also meant I was going to the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® again, but this time with my very own horse!

We worked hard and trained, and then made the drive to Lexington, KY. It was a ten hour drive for us. The first day there was our schooling day. We had to be up by 5:00 am, to ride in the Alltech Arena that morning at 6:00 am. It was a very electric place, and an amazing feeling to be riding in such a beautiful facility. My practice ride was the next day, and it was at 8:30 am. The temperature that morning was 25 degrees. I headed up to the outdoor arena, where the warm up was next to the show arena, with my heavy coat on over my shadbelly. My fingers and toes were numb when I got there. It was a good fifteen minute walk.

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my time to ride

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As I was warming him up, I was getting colder. I lost the feeling in my fingers and got very lightheaded. I had to get off- I was about to pass out and didn’t want to fall off my horse. I sat for a minute, with my head between my knees, as my friend held my horse. I had about five minutes before my test, but I pulled myself together, determined to give it my best and make it work! I took off my heavy coat and headed for the show arena. He gave me a good test, with a score in the mid 60s.

I was pleased with the ride, but knew I had to work harder for my championship class.

As I was planning out my strategy for the next day, many thoughts came into mind. The biggest revelation was that with the Alltech being heated, I wasn’t worried about my fingers freezing!

I made the walk down the long green turf, headed into what was a dream about to come true; riding my own horse at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® at an FEI Level! Unfor-

tunately, I gave myself too much time that day and was losing the energy that I had the day before.

I went in and rode my test, with a few mistakes, but still I loved every minute.

My horse worked hard for me, we persevered to get here, and I am so thankful to have him in my life. He proves to love his work and we will continue on to Grand Prix. I thank God every day for this amazing horse He has given me, and for giving me a second chance with Leo, to make my dreams come true!

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Join or renew your membership and take advantage of the 2018 Member Perks, visit

www.usdf.org/join April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUNG & INSPIRED

Deeper into the Sport of Dressage

By Katelyn Doyle

Editor's Note: Sophia is a USDF Youth Convention Scholarship Winner

W

hat a true honor, to have been selected as one of the recipients of the USDF Youth Convention Scholarship. I never dreamed that I would be back in Kentucky a second time, in one year, to attend another equestrian event. I spent two days at the 2017 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention, attending the Region 7 meeting, Board of Governor’s General Assembly (BOG) meeting, several Youth Forum meetings, and the USEF Athlete Forum meeting.

My first day, I attended the Region 7 meeting, where I saw some familiar faces from when I competed in northern California.

It was interesting to listen to the different opinions from mem-

Katelyn meeting her idol Laura Graves during the covention

bers of the California Dressage Society, judges, and barn owners about changes to the rules in our sport, and other ideas that were being considered. I was also very fortunate to have met Cassidy Gallman, the USDF Region 7 FEI Jr/YR Coordinator. She was extremely knowledgeable about the youth side of the sport, and had a wealth of information and connections to help me find clinics to attend in my area.

After the Region 7 meeting, I took some time to look at all the wonderful Group Member Organizations (GMO) baskets, that were used as door prizes at the BOG. All of the GMO baskets, created by GMOs from each region, were so impressive. You could tell people had put a lot of thought into creating themed baskets, with a horse rider in mind. I had a hard time choosing which one I wanted to win the most. Next, I spent some time browsing around vendors’ tables and spotted an Ariat jacket I had to have. My parents and I also April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUNG & INSPIRED

spent some time looking at the auction items Brooke USA had to offer, as well as learning more about the wonderful work this non-profit is doing to help working horses, donkeys, and mules.

On my second day, I sat in and observed the process of the BOG meeting. It was more of a formal and serious setting, with at least 200 people in attendance.

It was intriguing to listen to the recommendations and motions brought forward, people giving their opinion, and then everyone voting on it. At one point, when there was a verbal vote that was too close to call, everyone had to cast their vote electronically in the back of the room. People had to line up and key in their vote, on a laptop computer, with the results later revealed. I had no idea how much goes into the decisions and changes that are made to better our sport.

I left the BOG meeting and headed over to the Youth Forum Katelyn and her Connemara pony Goliath

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YOUNG & INSPIRED

sessions. Here, I learned about the Discover Dressage Emerging Athlete Program, attending clinics, and how to get the most out of them. I also learned the importance of videotaping my rides every week and watching them with my trainer. I learned this will help me see what I need to work on and, if it doesn’t get better, then I need to reevaluate.

It was also suggested to watch upper level riders, so that you can understand their language or style, and see if it works for you and your horse. There was much discussion on how to get more youth involved, as well as getting the ones already in the sport to participate in more clinics that are offered. Another helpful tip, was hearing about all the financial support opportunities for youth riders; I will definitely be checking into this. Afterward, I took some time to introduce myself to other riders and thought it was nice to meet other youth Katelyn and Goliath

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUNG & INSPIRED

riders who are as dedicated, and passionate, about dressage as I am. I really felt like I made some new friends that day.

Later that day, I attended one of my favorite meetings at the convention, the USEF Athlete Forum. I learned a lot about FEI rule changes for 2018, the International Dream Program, the importance of attending big shows, competing outside my local area, supporting my local CDI, and the future plans for our US Olympic team. At one point, I realized that not only did I have my idol, Laura Graves, sitting to the right of me, but I had a panel of US Olympic team trainers sitting in front of me, giving us recommendations on how to further advance our training towards becoming a US Olympic team member. I remember thinking to myself that I would probably never have been in the same room with all these amazing people, if I hadn’t been selected to win this scholarship. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world!

Katelyn and her horse Charley at Golden State Dressage

Although I was not sure what to expect before attending this convention, I have to say that I learned so much, met some amazing people, and am very thankful for having the opportunity to attend. The whole experience opened my eyes to how much work goes into our sport, the career opportunities I can now consider, and how I can help grow our sport, by getting more youths involved and supporting our local CDI. Thank you so much to the United States Dressage Federation for the opportunity to deepen my level of inspiration and my love for dressage.

eTRAK Extra

Read about more opportunities for youth in the July/ August 2017 USDF Connection magazine

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

From Zero to M y H ero

by Christian Clark

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

S

ome call it fate, but I would rather call him an unexpected blessing. Nearly eleven years ago, I found my heart horse, Dodger. The day started in a crowded Amish auction barn in Davies County, IN. Masses of people clamored about, bidding on tack, farm machinery, and antiques. Many were riding and driving the horses they had brought in to show for eager buyers. Others were milling about the tightly wedged bargain corrals, looking at the lame, un-started, and discarded horses.

I can remember making my way into the last aisle, which had been used for unloading and loading stock onto semi trailers. This aisle way was particularly crowded, and being my 4’11 self, I had the advantage of squeezing through, to see what the commotion was about. A large semi was backing up to the empty dock. Filled within its steel frame, I could see tufts of fur poking out of its sides. Colts were packaged snuggly together as they

waited, unsure of what was next.

Finally, the driver stepped out, slid open the door, and we all watched as colt after colt was hurried off.

I can’t say I saw him right as he stepped into the already filled pen, but I can remember him drifting his way through the herd, right to me, as the last of the frightened babies were corralled off. His eyes still showing white, never being touched by human hands, he landed in my corner, and I somehow knew, he needed to be with me. Sound too cliché? Call it what you want, but there was an instant bond.

The day went on and, eventually, the horses were all transferred from the unloading pen into two cramped pens. Everyone was now tagged and haltered, for easier bidding. During the course of two days time, I visited with Dodger as much as possible; every time, making contact to imprint upon him. In those days, I probably drove the seller nuts, April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

but I wanted to know everything he knew about Dodger and his background. There wasn’t much information for a three-monthold PMU colt, rounded up off of hundreds of Canadian acreage just days before coming to auction.

The time had finally come, and colts were led by young Amish handlers through the arena. I can remember as if it were yesterday, my racing heart and sweaty palms, as I waited for number 1304. He, of course, was the last to be auctioned. For painstaking minutes, I bid back and forth until, at last, he was mine. I ran back into the pens and watched, so I could find where he landed amidst the confusion. I wasted no time in paying my fees, and went to collect my tiny, wide-eyed boy.

Despite all he had been through, he was the easiest colt I have ever loaded. He was safe now. I had saved him from a statistically terrible fate. Over the years, he would repay in kind, as my inspiration and saving grace though many hard times.

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Christian and Dodger eventing.

Our bond grew over the years, and we began with liberty work and trick training. Dodger was both smart and witty, which is of course how he earned his name, “The Artful Dodger,” coming from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. This was a name he sure grew into, always making me laugh and keeping me sharp.

Years went by until, finally, I could begin to ride and our partnership under saddle would begin.

Again, just as in the past when loading onto a trailer, he was a breeze to start. Teaching him to lay down made this short lady’s job, of getting on bareback, much easier.

We spent most of our days guid-

Dodger as a young horse.

ing trails in Whitewater Memorial State Park, in southern Indiana, where my late husband and I ran a saddle barn, for several years. This was most certainly a change of pace for me, as I was more accustomed to the English disciplines. Growing up, I began in hunter/ jumper and later moved into dressage. I had a solid foundation and, honestly, was eager to begin again. However, running a business and caring for thirty plus horses leaves little to no room for free time.

On occasion, when we did take a break from the trails, Dodger and I began one activity he was very fond of. Cows! Oh he loves cows, and would love to gobble

them up! We learned the ropes, no pun intended, of roping and headed many cattle. Eventually, as time allowed, we made our way to our first real dressage lessons.

Not as intense as going full tilt after wiry cattle, but much more suited to us. Then, it wasn’t long until we were fully immersed in a new discipline- eventing! In the beginning, dressage had been the struggle of the three phases. Jumping was a joy to Dodger and his heart leapt at every fence, which sometimes made me question our sanity, but he was honest and I mostly remained on top.

Through the next four years, we competed, gradually making

our way up to novice, but dressage was still our biggest challenge. It wasn’t until moving north that we really began to flourish as a team, under the instruction of Jennifer Kaiser, at Forrest Hill Farm, in Lafayette, IN. I began to realize I had a very talented and capable dressage mount beneath me. It is like unlocking a new chapter in our partnership. Last year, we began at Training Level, and this year, we are beginning First Level. Talk of possible FEI, in our distant future, has sparked a flame and deep desire to learn and experience all I can with this miracle, this once in a lifetime horse. From zero to my hero, he never ceases to amaze me.

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Heard around the arena

What interesting or fun thing have you heard lately? Send it to us using #aroundthearena

It is Spring! We take a look at Springtime activities in the dressage community.

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

GMO SPOTLIGHT

Tell us about your GMO. #GMOSpotlight

Central Plains Dressage Society (CPDS) Group Member Organizations (GMOs) are the foundation of USDF and integral in bringing dressage and dressage education to the masses.

Stay connected with your local dressage community and support dressage at the local level by joining a GMO in your area today!

USDF GMO Established: 2017 Locality: Region 9, Oklahoma Website: www.centralplainsdressage.org

mance. Many schooling shows also offer clinics right after the show.

Working equitation (that has a dressage test associated with it) has been a growth area and has attracted both youth and adult riders.

How many members does your GMO have annually, on average?

125 members

What type of educational events does your GMO offer?

We have had two goal setting workshops. A Parents and Partners of Dressage Riders workshop will be held in April. We have a Horse Spa Day planned, in conjunction with a recognized western dressage show, where participants can sign up for vaccinations, chiropractic work, cranial adjustment, saddle fitting, nutrition information, and several other services.

We are partnering with a vet clinic, as well as some individuals, for this event. Clinics and shows are the main educational opportunities we offer.

Tell us about your GMO. Central Plains Dressage Society, Inc. is not even a year old yet! We have a monthly newsletter, news blasts in between, and lots of enthusiastic conversation. In 2018, we will host four two-day, and one one-day, recognized shows, as well as fifteen schooling shows, four USEF "Lite" Recognized Western Dressage Shows, an Arabian Horse Association Sport Horse Show, and two Working Equitation "B" rated shows. Judges from shows often clinic the day after, to help riders get quick feedback. We will offer both junior and adult camps this year. We have a year-end awards program, based on points, to encourage participation that creates fun competition throughout the year. Before we became a GMO, our shows produced many medalists. We pride ourselves on being friendly, and supportive of the educational process in dressage. We employ a goal oriented approach to managing the club and helping members reach their desired outcomes.

Does your GMO offer unique classes or activities that cater to youth, adult amateurs, or professionals? If so, please provide a brief description.

We will offer both junior and adult camps this year. In addition, all the recognized show judges host clinics after the shows to help people learn, advance, and receive immediate feedback about their perfor-

What type of “fun� events does your GMO offer?

We put on a "freestyle fiesta" at the end of the year, where people can dress up (or not) and perform a freestyle to a welcoming crowd. We have all levels of freestyles. The Friday before each show is dubbed FEI Friday, and riders can come and practice together and offer advice, if asked. We have had a group ride after the Goal Setting workshop and created a big quadrille! Truthfully, I think all of our events are fun.

Additional Comments Volunteers are often difficult to find, and ours tend to be non horsey people that are retired from the local university. They have proven to be loyal and dedicated because this activity is enjoyable for them. I am not sure how long we will have this type of volunteer, but we are going on about five years with a stable group.

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USDF FLASHBACK

Dr. Max Gahwyler Reprinted from the November 2015 USDF Connection magazine. Max Gahwyler passed away May 13, 2016.

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Podcast Alert

PODCAST

ow in his early nineties, Dr. Max Gahwyler doesn’t travel to the USDF annual convention any more. But many USDF members remember with fondness the many years that he did, bringing with him passionate opinions and sharing bits of his voluminous library of archival dressage texts with all interested comers at his popular convention lectures.

“Dr. Max,” as he is known to all—he’s a medical doctor by profession—is a dressage historian and scholar. From Alexander the Great to Xenophon, if you had a question about any classical horseman in history, Dr. Max probably owns his book and would happily compare and contrast theories and philosophies.

For years he was a fixture in the USDF Historical Recognition Committee, sharing generously

of his knowledge and his own memory bank.

But Gahwyler didn’t just exist in the world of the manège school. As a US Equestrian Federation “S” judge, he officiated at shows both large and small. Many dressage enthusiasts know him primarily through his books: three volumes entitled The Competitive Edge, which taught thousands of riders the basics of dressage competition and testriding.

A native of Switzerland, Gahwyler and his wife, Doris, immigrated to the US in 1952, settling in Greenwich, CT. It was in the US that he began his equestrian career. His choice of location proved fortuitous, as the Northeast was one of the first US dressage hotbeds at the time. In the 1960s,

Check out our podcast 100 about Dr. Max Gahwyler at usdf.podbean.com.

April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

USDF FLASHBACK

A young Max riding a pony

Gahwyler was one of a small group of visionaries who worked with fellow Roemer Foundation/ USDF Hall of Famer Margarita Serrell to establish the American Dressage Institute—forerunner to the USDF—in Saratoga Springs, NY. During his term as ADI president, Gahwyler was instrumental in bringing outstanding European trainers to the US, including Colonel Hans Handler, Karl Mikolka, Nuno Oliviera, Herbert Rehbein, and Richard Wätjen.

The Roemer Foundation/ USDF Hall of Fame inducted Gahwyler in 2004, in recognition of his life’s work in preserving and passing on the humane, classical methods of dressage training to American riders and a modern audience. But don’t just take our word for it. Read on for an abridged version of a Gahwyler dressage-history lecture, delivered at the 1993 USDF Annual Meeting (as the convention was then called) and published in the July 1994 issue of Dressage & CT magazine.

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USDF FLASHBACK

Dressage Yesterday, Dressage Today, Dressage Tomorrow A talk, delivered by Dr. Max Gahwyler at the 1993 USDF Annual Meeting

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e, as dressage riders, are not only participating in the endeavor of our choice, but we are also involved in determining the direction dressage will take into the 21st century. To do this, we must try to understand the circumstances which influenced and determined the development of dressage in the past, leading up to what we are doing today. Doing just this, it becomes abundantly clear that to a very large extent, dressage in America is test riding, pure and simple, particularly at the AHSA [now US Equestrian Federation] levels.

It is the tests that determine the training and movements we are learning and practicing.

Giving a clinic with rider Caroll Popp

Abridged from Dressage & CT, July 1994. Used by permission.

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This is nothing new and was already recognized by [the late US eventing-team] coach Jack Le Goff, who stated, shortly after he came to the United States, that Americans don’t want to learn how to ride but how to compete.

This trend is further pushed by the large number of recognized and unrecognized shows and innumerable awards, championships, horse-of-the-year recognitions, breed awards, and special trophies from the local riding-club level up to the national organizations like the USDF and AHSA. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with competitive dressage as long as the tests do not dictate the training and standards but are simply checks in the development of the horse. This, however, is a little bit idealistic in our country and probably not for our time. Even so, the original objective of the AHSA test is simply to help horse and rider reach FEI levels mentally and physically sound and in so doing fulfill the fundamental tenets of dressage as stated in the

introductory paragraphs of the FEI and AHSA Rule Books. But will our generation ever get away from competitive test riding?

Most likely not, particularly not as long as the cultural environment in which we are living does not change and remains highly materialistic, mechanical, and, above all, competitive. Let’s face it, dressage is and has always been an expression of the time in which it was practiced, a true mirror of the cultural period, an outlook on life of those who practiced and developed it in its time. This was recognized already a century ago by Alphonse Toussenel, who stated that if you look at how a nation uses its horses, it will show you its character and civilization.

Also today, we are definitely putting competition before knowledge and education, and very few riders make even a minor effort to study, read, and understand the concepts, approaches, and theories postulated by past and present masters. They simply don’t realize what they are missing.

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Max with his wife Doris

ooking at dressage in this unorthodox manner, we see its first appearance as an equestrian endeavor when the dark Middle Ages came to an end and the Renaissance literally exploded in Europe with a totally new outlook in literature, art, architecture, and lifestyle. In this environment, the first Academy of Equestrian Art was founded

by King Duarte I of Portugal in the early 1400s. He himself was an excellent horseman and left us two books of his concepts of riding, and in so doing became the founder of the equestrian history of his country.

The next big development happened in the early Renaissance in the 1500s in Italy. It was in 1550 that Frederico Grisone published his famous book Le Ordine di Cavalcare and put dressage for the sake of dressage on the map. Crude training methods progressively gave way to more sophisticated training techniques and the use of better-suited Iberian horses. Riders of the School of Naples were using

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practically no spurs, primarily weight aids, very little hands, soft bits, and very often the use of voice.

The objective was to obtain the best harmony, lightness, and expression of the horse in his work unrelated to utilitarian purposes.

In 1593, Salomon de la Broue from France summarized his equestrian concepts in Le Cavalerice François. He was followed

by Antoine Pluvinel, who was the instructor of Louis XIII and wrote his famous book Le Manège Royal. Somewhat later, the Duke of Newcastle published A Grand System of Horsemanship, which together with Pluvinel and de la Broue best represent the concepts of Renaissance dressage.

But time moved on, and the Renaissance changed to the Baroque and later to the Rococo, a more opulent, extravagant, and lavish period. It was François Robichon de la Guérinière who expressed this to perfection and in order to achieve this objective used more of the Iberian horses, closer to the Lipizzaners of today.

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He further changed the saddle to its modern form, leading to today’s leg position and weight aids, and introduced the shoulder-in to collect the horse from behind without pulling on the reins in front, abandoning leg-yielding as an exercise, which in his opinion was simply putting the horse on the forehand.

At the same time in Portugal, the Marquess of Marialva moved in the identical direction. His teaching is still followed today, perpetuated by many outstanding riders, the most well known probably being Mestre Joaquin Gonzales de Miranda in the early 1900s, who was actually the teacher of Nuño Oliveira. On the other end of Europe, de la Guérinière’s principles were fully embraced and perpetuated in the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, where authentic Baroque dressage is still practiced today.

In the rest of continental Europe, dressage vanished as a result of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. The British Anglo-Thoroughbred

replaced the Iberian horses, and polo, hunting, and racing became more prominent. In France, the École de Versailles and its achievements were rejected and Andalusian horses forgotten.

François Baucher presented his new method in circus performances, mainly with AngloThoroughbreds, often claiming as his inventions what had been stated by eminent equestrians long before him. Basing his approach on the domination and destruction of any resistance and personality of the horse, softening of the jaw between curb reins and spurs, it was not surprising that there was an outcry of opposition. Ultimately, Baucher gave his critics their due by retracting his teaching method only to promote his second method, which consists of a much softer hand, a snaffle bit, slow progress, and the concept of hands without legs and legs without hands, which is basically nothing new, was never controversial, and was already recommended during the RenaisApril 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

sance hundreds of years before.

The French General Alexis l’Hotte, a student of François Baucher, ultimately rejected him and finally came to the same conclusion as Gustav Steinbrecht in Germany: to ride the horse “forward and straight.” They and many others all used, to some extent, Baucher’s second method, but France was never able to develop a clear concept.

In countries such as Germany, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden, there was a longing for the “good old days” prior to the Revolution. In the 1800s, the Prussian and German monarchs asked Adolf Seidler and Louis Seeger, then in charge of the Cavalry School outside Berlin, to reestablish a more structured riding which was more reminiscent of how it used to be a hundred years ago.

Seeger, together with the Oberbereiter of the Spanish Riding School, established the cavalry program of riding, including dressage, tailor-made for German warmbloods of the time, using

the basic concepts of de la Guérinière but much less demanding and achievable by the average rider and horse. In his book, System der Reitkunst (A System of Equestrian Art), published in 1844, he outlined these concepts very clearly. Gustav Steinbrecht, who married Seeger’s daughter, continued his work, as did others including Col. Waldemar Seunig.

Then comes the 20th century, a period not yet labeled by historians but characterized by mechanization, materialism, and fierce competitiveness combined with the progressive obsolescence of the horse as a necessity. As if on command, competitive dressage appeared first as a test for officers against officers, introducing new concepts such as gaits and transitions, probably the most important innovation of the century, tying together movements and exercises that were originally performed by themselves. Of what used to be dressage, only three movements were preserved, namely passage, piaffe, and pirouette, to which later April 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

was added a circus trick, tempi changes at every stride, which is basically pacing in the canter, while everything else was relegated to the schools of Baroque dressage in Vienna and Portugal.

After World War I, it became clear that something had to be done to prevent the further deterioration of dressage. The FEI [Fédération Equestre Internationale] was founded, and its first step was trying to preserve as much as possible of what dressage used to be, leading to the definition of the first paragraph of the FEI Rule Book. Further, the systematic and clear approach of Seidler, Seeger, Steinbrecht, and others became the definition of what was right and what was wrong, and the German warmblood, for whom these rules and definitions were made, became the horse of choice for dressage, which it still is today.

Dressage moved from a military competition to a civilian sport. In 1952, for the first time, amateurs, women, and noncommissioned officers were allowed in international competition. It is at this time that test riding really

became the dressage of the 20th century. The levels of competition are being scaled down progressively, so anybody who wants to compete, competent or incompetent, can do so.

The concepts and parameters of dressage had fundamentally changed, and so had the horses. It is more important to have a horse able to do everything somehow than one who is brilliant only in some aspects. For instance, a horse superb in passage, piaffe, and the airs above the ground would have been highly esteemed in the old days, but not any more unless he can also do tempi changes, and if not, he would be useless for international competition. Very rarely do we see a horse that is really superb in all aspects.

But the 20th century still has more surprises—something that has never happened before in the history of horsemanship, to the best of my knowledge.

Did you notice that all equestrian books from centuries ago up to roughly 1960 were written exclusively by men, but 90 percent of all books coming on the market

today are written by women? Also, that the original competitive test riding done and created exclusively for cavalry officers has now become a predominantly and almost exclusively ladies’ sport? Furthermore, that the dressage organizations from the local level up to our national organization were formed by women and are run by women?

This by necessity will put a much more feminine touch on dressage over the next two or three decades.

But whether we will see the preservation of the concept of what dressage used to be or not will also be influenced by the broad lack of interest in education, theory, and knowledge combined with a certain lack of determination and dedication to really learn the basics before showing.

As it stands today, however, most of our lady riders do not realize that they are literally in the saddle in two ways: 1) when they are riding, and 2) when shaping what is going to happen with dressage. It will be most interesting to watch how they will acquit themselves of the enormous responsibility for dressage in the 21st century.

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YOUR CONNECTION TO DRESSAGE EDUCATION • COMPETITION • ACHIEVEMENT © John Borys Photography

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