David Marcus and Nicholas Fyffe of Marcus Fyffe Dressage with the Winter Intensive Training Program riders.
Dressage4Kids Winter Intensive Training Program Advances Young, Up-And-Coming Dressage Riders
By Emma Miller
For many equestrians around the world, training in Wellington is a far-off dream. But for 14 youth riders, their dream was granted after being selected to participate in Dressage4Kids’ Winter Intensive Training Program. Running from January through March, the program provides opportunities for young riders to participate in consistent and extensive training not only in riding, but in all areas of horse care, training and competition. Each day has a full schedule of learning, which includes fitness, dressage theory, horsemanship tests, riding lessons, field trips and lectures on many pertinent subjects. Designed by two-time Olympian and United States Dressage Federation Hall of Fame inductee Lendon Gray, the Winter Intensive Training Program is designed for young dressage riders aiming to enhance their education and riding skills in a structured setting. The program started in 2012 and gives its students first-hand experience and exposure to the rich equestrian culture of Welling-
ton. Since the Adequan Global Dressage Festival is nearby, participants have the option to compete in weekly shows if they wish. “I wanted to create a program where the riders are getting as full an education as they can,” Gray said. “Fitness is part of it, and they get a lecture or a field trip every day. If you’re a working student, you may get to ride more, but are you getting the fitness and all of the other knowledge about the equestrian industry?” Ranging from ages 11 to 19, the 14 youth riders who were accepted into the program either bring their horse to Wellington’s Hampton Green Farm or they can acquire a mount to lease for the season. The participants adhere to an intense daily schedule that includes barn chores and caring for their wellington the magazine | march 2017
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