Vernon District Riding Club By Calle Mirkowsky
W
ow! The season is sure upon us now! So much has already happened at the VDRC, and May is packed full of more equestrian activities. The Norah Ross Jumping Clinic on April 6 was well attended, especially considering it was early in the season. Norah proved to be a friendly and insightful teacher, encouraging students to pay attention to what happened a few seconds before a particular exercise so they could make proactive adjustments instead of reactive ones. While she was laid back and fun, Norah made it very clear that she expected students to show respect for both themselves and her, at one point even admonishing a few for chatting instead of paying attention to the lesson. Students were encouraged to watch what worked for other riders in terms of track and pace, using this insight to improve their own rounds. Thank you Norah, we hope to have you back again soon! If Jumping and Dressage is your thing, be sure to attend our Spring Warm-up Jumping and Dressage Practice Clinic on May 3-4. Suzanne
Wallace is entry secretary, 250-545-5573, suwallace@shaw.ca Crony Club is back in full swing, meeting Sunday mornings at the club. If you are interested in joining them please contact Kathy Velocci at 250-545-4185, rkvbc@shaw.ca Sandra Sokoloski of E-Sport Physiotherapy will be back at the club May 9-11 for another great clinic. Contact Judy Olson 250-547-8812, juditholson@telus.net Western coach Lorraine Pelletier is offering a clinic at the VDRC, May 31/June 1st, on Equine Emergency & Disaster Preparedness. Teaching how to prepare for and what to expect in a government enforced emergency/evacuation. Contact her at 250-999-5090. The deadline to enter the VDRC Hunter/Jumper Show is May 23rd. We are excited to be presenting a 3-day show format this year, and super grateful to all our sponsors enabling us to offer fun classes such as the Friday night Okanagan Restoration Nations Cup and the Fox Springs Farm Hunter Derby Saturday afternoon.
Endurance Fever Rides Through Maple Ridge By Stephanie Kwok
T
he first-ever “Green Beans” Endurance 101 Clinic and Ride in the BC Lower Mainland was held the weekend of April 12-13 in Maple Ridge. It was a tremendous success! Thirty people attended “classroom day” on Saturday, which featured an informationpacked presentation by FVER Green Beans mentor and long-time ERABC member, Terre O’Brennan. On the following day, 16 riders turned out to participate in our 16km “Green Bean Ride,” complete with three mock vet checks, in Golden Ears Park. We were treated to warm, sunny weather for both days - lucky, indeed! As clinic host and ride manager, I enjoyed the opportunity of meeting many wonderful horsey people, some of whom were completely “green” to endurance riding and some who have “been there, done that” for years or even decades! We had several attendees pitch in as volunteers, taking on a number of little tasks that made the clinic run smoothly on each day. I sincerely appreciate the mentors who helped make this first event possible; they shared their expertise and experience both during the planning stages and on the ground each day of our clinic.
Colleen is almost ready for the 9:30 am start of the first-ever Green Bean Ride.
48 • Saddle Up • May 2014
Special thanks go out to: Terre O’Brennan Christine Voglmaier Fred Voglmaier Brian Malkoske Kim Hofmarks I look forward to continuing to facilitate growth and learning of this sport in the BC Lower Mainland. Plans for group training rides are in the works, and there has been some discussion already for another introductory clinic in early autumn. If you ride in this area and are interested in learning more about endurance riding, consider joining the FVER Green Beans. Send your questions to me (Stephanie Kwok), the group administrator, at Stephanie@UnconventionalEquestrian.com.
Karin and her horse, Jenna, after a successful completion on Ride Day.
Terre O’Brennan doing pre-ride stretches at our Green Bean Ride
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