February 2018 YourDressage

YourDressage

February 2018

Tammy Martell's love of horses led her to create a place to stay for the traveling horsemen

A United States Dressage Federation Publication

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.

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What to See Inside Departments Horse Tales: Our Journey to Our USDF Gold Medal Megan Zureck tells how her wonderful support system of parents, friends, and trainer kept her on track to earn her gold medal. saddle sores: To the Fullest Diane Toeniskoetter found it hard to justify the expense of riding, but when faced with a life-changing illness, it put things in perspective.

YOUNG & INSPIRED: Inspired at the 2017 AdequanÂŽ/USDF Annual Convention Sophia Chavonelle recounts how she was inspired, and learned more about the sport of dressage at this year's convention.

Heard ARound the Arena: USDF Educational Programs Postings from the AdequanÂŽ/USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference, Young Rider Graduate Program, and L Education Program.

USDF flashback: Major Anders Lindgren This Swedish-born cavalry officer and Olympian introduced the American dressage community to a systematic method of "training the trainers" and many educational programs.

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

Cover story Bed and Barn

Tammy Martell found that there was a need for people traveling with horses to have a relaxing and convenient place to stay, while keeping their horses' needs in mind.

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Horse tales

Our Journey to Our USDF Gold Medal

By Megan Zureck with assistance from Joanna Gray-Randle Editor's Note: This article was an honorable mention for the GMO Newsletter First Person Experience Award for GMOs with fewer than 75 members. It appeared in The LIDA Estension, the Long Island Dressage Association newsletter, August/September, 2017.

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y dressage journey began at the age of nine when I purchased my first pony for the tidy sum of three-hundred dollars.

Withseveral years of riding under my belt, it soon became apparent that my abilities were exceeding my pony’s, and I was steadily outgrowing him. With my passion for dressage increasing, it was time to consider another horse. Purchased by my mother, Three Hearts entered the family.

I learned a great deal from my amazing Three Hearts, especially how to be a better rider. Three

Megan and Sam

Hearts would keep me on my toes as he could be bratty at times; but he tried as hard as he could and performed well through First Level. As Three Hearts aged, it became clear that he would be unlikely to ascend the levels, and I knew it would not be fair for me to push him any further. Three Hearts would have a home with me forever but I knew I needed a younger, more athletic horse in order to continue on with my dressage career.

I scraped together all of my savings and decided that it was time to buy a warmblood. I had put my savings aside for a down payment on a house; but, it didn’t bother me to use those funds, as I did not need a house at that precise moment. What I needed was a horse – a horse would make me happy. The horse shopping commenced and I found an Oldenburg gelding named Seydlitz H, or “Skittles”, as he was known around the barn in Pennsylvania.

He had been born in Germany and recently imported to the

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Horse tales

United States as a sale horse. I wasn’t well-versed about bloodlines or breeding then. All I knew was that he was a big warmblood and that was what I wanted. I tried him several times and performed my due diligence with a pre-purchase exam at Mid Atlantic Equine Medical Center. Soon thereafter, “Sam”, as he was now called, was on his way to Long Island, New York.

Our journey together was not always easy and not without challenges, and some of those challenges were completely out of my control. There were days where I wanted to give up, thinking that this was not what I had in mind. But I realized that this was the horse I owned and I could not afford another one; I had to find a way to achieve my goals with him. It was clear that he was physically capable of the work, though mentally appeared a different story, as he could be a bit insecure. Sam needed me to figure out a way to help him to perform the exercises and move-

ments I desired, without pushing him too hard and causing him undo anxiety.

Sam needed me to be patient with him, which is not one of my strong suits. At times, we were like the blind leading the blind as I did not know the feeling of the movements I was asking him to execute. Having never trained or ridden above First Level, I struggled with how I was going to be able to teach him to do something that I had never done before. I did not have the luxury of riding a schoolmaster and gaining an understanding of the feelings of the movements, so I had no choice. Luckily for me, I found USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalist, Joanna Gray-Randle.

As my trainer and coach, she helped me set my goals, work towards achieving them, and would not let me give up. It was never easy, but I held steadfast to my dream with Sam. Joanna helped me understand that I needed to be flexible with my timeframe to avoid burn-out; and explained

February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Horse tales

that Sam and I would figure it out with her help, and we would figure it out together, learning from each other. If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times from Joanna – “You must learn to feel.”

Sam and I truly became a team, a partnership built upon trust.

My ultimate goal was to make it to the Grand Prix Level and earn my USDF Gold Medal.

There were definitely moments where I thought that maybe this goal was too hard to achieve, and I consoled myself with the fact that not all horses make it to Grand Prix. I would occasionally let myself feel defeated by plateaus and minor set-backs.

In reality, Sam had brought me further than I could have ever imagined, always doing his best for me. Still, I questioned if it was fair for me to continue towards my dream. I was riding and training at ever increasing levels of difficulty, and doing it all for the first time. To say I did not know what to expect would be an understatement. But, with the

help of my amazing trainer/coach we would always figure out a way to help me to communicate with Sam so that he could understand.

Joanna helped to pull me out of my angst when new movements took time to become consistent, citing endless examples of normal training progression.

Sam and I both made steady progress with our daily work and regular lessons. Throughout his training, we tried various numbers of rest days per week. Sam seemed to thrive on more work, but we monitored him regularly and gave him more free time if it was warranted. It was challenging at times to fit riding into my busy schedule. I work at least eight hours a day, seven days a week.

This doesn’t account for the work I do because I have my horses on my property. There were many days where I wanted to just go home and get some rest. Getting sick was never an option; and even with broken bones, I continued to work and ride. My determination would let nothing stop

me and I kept pushing on.

Sam had some health obstacles in his way. At age six, Sam was diagnosed with equine recurrent uveitis, which is an autoimmune disorder. With the help of several veterinarians and specialists, we were able to get his condition under control. As a secondary complication, Sam developed glaucoma, ultimately leaving him blind in his left eye. Now more than ever, because of the blindness, I needed Sam to trust me and know that I would not lead him into harm’s way. I believe the fact that we went through this together increased Sam’s trust in me exponentially. Several years later, while competing at Fourth Level, Sam developed a “roar” and was diagnosed with exercise-induced left laryngeal hemiplegia. He was unable get enough air into his lungs and needed “tie back” surgery if he was to go any further in his training. The surgery required a three-month recovery time to ensure that the procedure held.

So, shortly after Hurricane Sandy,

and right before Thanksgiving, Sam had his surgery. After six weeks of stall rest, I was given the okay to tack walk him. This took the challenging form of walking only for at least three weeks, difficult on a fit, fresh, and well-rested horse, but we survived. After weeks of walking, we were able to slowly introduce trot and eventually canter work back into our routine. By April 2013, we were getting back to regular schooling work. I competed Sam at Prix St. Georges that summer and we earned our Silver Medal.

After competing through Intermediate 1 and earning my first two scores toward my USDF Gold Medal, Joanna and I decided that Sam and I would take a year off from showing and would just train without the pressure of being judged. Joanna really wanted Sam and me to get the feel for the Grand Prix test and knew it would take time to solidify a few of the movements.

We also needed to take some time so neither of us would burn

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Horse tales

out. The schooling needed to be fun and I had to remember that. A year off from showing was just what we needed. I had not planned to show Grand Prix until July of 2017 but I saw shows announced in New Jersey in June and thought I should try. I spoke with my trainer about it and she thought it was a good idea. She told me, “You’ve got to ride it for the first time, sometime. If you wait until everything is perfect,

you will never get out there.” She also helped me understand that much of what we had going into the ring was confirmed and the rest would only get better with practice and execution. So, I sent in my entries.

I have to be honest, in my wildest dreams I never thought that Sam and I would earn our final two USDF Gold Medal scores in the first two classes I competed. It still is unbelievable to me. Nine years of training and working towards a goal and we did it! The tests were by no means perfect and we have more work to do but the comments from the judges have been encouraging.

Barbara Ebner stated, “You are on your way!” and Sally O’Connor said that we had “much promise”. What more could I ask for?

The judges confirmed in those statements that what I have been doing is correct. I am so thankful that I found Joanna GrayRandle, because I know I could have never done this without her knowledge, guidance, friendship,

support and encouraging words.

She has been in my shoes and she always assured me that what I was going through was normal. She was also always willing and flexible to work around my hectic schedule so I could get my lessons in. Joanna tells me often that she is so proud of me. She has reminded me over the years to look at how far I have come rather than at how far I still have to go. We hugged, smiled and cried in celebration of this accomplishment.

My Sam in an amazing horse.

He has allowed me to achieve the exciting goals of earning my USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals; and, my Silver and Bronze Freestyle Bars. I’m still a bit in awe. I owe him a huge debt of thanks for being my partner.

I am very thankful and fortunate to have a great support system of people who were always willing to put my dreams first, no matter what it took. My parents were always there watching me ride and lending support to help

take care of the horses. My boyfriend, who knew nothing about horses when he entered the relationship, went above and beyond to keep Sam and I safe. His hard work in maintaining the arena allowed Sam and I to continue our training, no matter the weather.

This wonderful support system of my parents, my boyfriend, my friends, and my trainer kept me going. They always believed in Sam and me even when I did not believe that I could do it.

Now, only one goal remains, our USDF Gold Freestyle Bar. Joanna is hard at work on my choreography, and I cannot wait to ride down the centerline next year in our Grand Prix Freestyle.

eTRAK Extra

Want to learn more about USDF Awards?

Read "Insider's Guide to USDF Awards" from the September 2015 issue of USDF Connection magazine.

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saddle sores

To the Fullest

By Diane Toeniskoetter

I

am the typical USDF member and the foundation of the dressage population here in the US—an Adult Amateur. I work full time, am married, have a family, and try to find the time to keep my horses fit to ride and compete. I manage to massage the budget to eek out extra for instruction and competitions, but it is a struggle to always measure the need versus the want. Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder with the costs often exceeding my family’s expendable income. It has never been easy to make the decision to spend hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of dollars on my passion until recently, where I decided to judge that expenditure a bit differently.

Why? In the spring of 2016, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian cancer. It changed my world significantly. It solidifies the old saying about life being way, way, Diane and Fresco

WAY too short. Looking from a different perspective, I decided to find the funds, the time, and the effort to experience this sport to the fullest.

I have owned and loved horses all my life. I got the “horse gene” from my father. Out of five children in my family, I am the only one that stuck through the work, heat, cold, dirt, and expense. I persevered to continue to ride and love horses. I currently have two, Fresco and Showtime, and I ride and train both, with the help of some very talented instructors. As with most dressage riders I have found, I am my worst critic. In fact, I usually communicate to all my instructors that I work with that correcting and critiquing my seat is paramount to me being satisfied with my lesson. Nothing is ever good enough, or I should say, there is always something on which to improve. Even when a ride just “feels right”, I always want more. I think that is why, after a lifetime of riding all kinds

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saddle sores

of horses, in all kinds of tack and environments, I settled on dressage. The relationship that evolves from such a close and intricate dance between horse and rider is intoxicating. It’s my drug, and I’m addicted.

I have had my older horse, Fresco, for 16 years, since he was three years old. He is still going strong, and I continue to train and teach him new things, like piaffe, passage, and perfecting our canter pirouettes. However, I’m concerned that his age might soon limit my choices to continue maintaining his fitness level and our experiences. I’m thankful that just before my diagnosis, I had one of those rides that will be forever remembered with him; a feeling of a true partnership. It was blissful, and came at just the right time to place 4th in the Adult Amateur Prix St. Georges at the Region 4 Great American Insurance Group/ USDF Regional Dressage Championships. It definitely allowed Diane and Fresco

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saddle sores

Fresco at Regionals

me to check that goal off my list, to successfully compete as an FEI Level rider. My next goal will be to compete Showtime towards achieving the same outcome.

This past year and a half, since my illness, I have slowly but surely come back from the abyss. With the help of my loving family, friends, and most assuredly my two horses, I have regained my strength and revel in the decision to experience more without added worry. Don’t get me wrong, I am not risking my livelihood or my family’s financial

stability. I’m adopting the attitude of branching out and having fun with each new opportunity and experience, and not sweating the small stuff! I am excited to continue to participate in 2018, and hope to be a solid competitor for next year’s championships. eTRAK Extra

Read about more riders that were determined to get back in the saddle in the May 2011 issue of USDF Connection.

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YOUNG & INSPIRED

Inspired at the 2017 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention

By Sophia Chavonelle

fore. Jackie was an excellent host, and made sure to offer many Editor's Note: Sophia is a USDF variations to make each exercise Youth Convention Scholarship easier or harder! The morning fitWinners ness sessions are a brilliant addition to the convention that I hope y dad and I arrived on more people attend in the future.

Wednesday, November 29, After fitness, my dad and and planned out our week, that in- I went for breakfast and then cluded both the Adequan®/USDF headed to the Region 8 meeting.

Annual Convention and as much It was great to see all of our sumsightseeing as we could manage. mer friends again! My perspecThe Bluegrass State is untive of the meeting was different like any other I have been to. As from last year’s, in that I was now soon as our plane was beneath a proxy for the State of Maine the clouds, all you could see for Dressage Association (SMDA), miles and miles were horse farms, meaning that I held votes in rolling hills, blackboard fences, representation of SMDA during and small paddock sheds, with the Board of Governors General specks of white, bay, and chestnut Assemby (BOG). In the USDF dotting the fields.

Region 8 meeting, we discussed On Thursday, activity bevarious issues that involved our gan at 6am, with a “Stretch and region individually.

Strengthen” session with Jackie After the Region 8 meeting, Beasley. We started with easy my dad and I were free for the yoga poses and sun salutations, afternoon and raced straight for then moved to focus on the core the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP). and glutes. The exercises made I had been to the Lexington area me feel so much better after the before, as a groom at the US long day of traveling the day beDressage Finals presented by

M

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YOUNG & INSPIRED

Adequan®, but since this was my dad’s first time in the state, I was excited to show him horse country. At KHP, we took advantage of our time to explore as much as possible. Starting at my favorite place, the Alltech Arena, we made our way around the stables, which were eerily desolate in their offseason. We then made our way toward the famous Rolex Arena and stood where so many icons had won medals, broken records, and made history. It was incredibly inspiring to stand in its enormity.

On Friday, we attended various forums and the BOG meeting.

We also had our second regional meeting of the week, where we reviewed the minutes of the committees from the day before and discussed changes made to the proposal for local show recognition. Afterward, I got my sticker as SMDA’s proxy and headed to the Competition Forum.

The Competition Forum began with a discussion about freestyles, particularly regarding the rider’s responsibilities. Next

was a discussion about the judge’s responsibility, where we were reminded that all judges represent USDF and USEF, and that they should maintain fairness to the rider, but above all else, be advocates for the horse. Also, “riders and trainers will produce what judges reward,” always.

After this forum, I worked on some homework (yay), and then attended my very first BOG! Beginning at 1:30 “sharp,” Margaret Freeman began the delegate roll call, making those who had not logged into the computer system execute the “walk of shame,” which I thankfully avoided.

While my dad and I had been looking forward to the featured education that night, our busy day had us in bed by 7pm. On our final full day, Saturday, we started out strong in the BOG, once again.

I left the BOG a bit early to attend the Youth Education Forum, “Clinics: Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Buck”, with Charlotte Bredhal-Baker and Roz Kinstler, and the Youth Open Forum.

I was surprised to hear about the struggles that some of the other regions have with increasing the youth involvement in clinics. Some voiced a concern about a lack of clinics in their area, while others had challenges getting their youth riders interested in clinics. It made me realize how lucky I am to be a part of Region 8, which has a strong network of dedicated people. Further discussion was had about the importance of monitoring online resources, such as the USDF website and youth programs pages, as well as establishing local networks of riders and trainers. I will definitely continue to think about the youth involvement on a national level.

Later in the day, Eileen Phethean held a lecture titled “Prohibited Substances in Feed and Supplements,” which was very eye-opening. From Kentucky Equine Research, Eileen has worked with top horse owners, riders, and trainers for many years; one of her biggest projects

involved cross-checking the grain and supplements for the 2016 US Olympic horses. She warned against various feed hazards and suggested to look only for medication-free, equine-only grain that has been sourced and tested as frequently as possible. She also recommended seeking the help of an equine nutritionist, feed representative, and veterinarian to determine your horse’s best feeding regimen. Eileen then went on to explain responsibility; all parties involved with the caretaking of the horse can be held accountable for any positive finding within the horse. What Eileen’s lecture came down to was this: if you give your horse a substance with the aim of changing the horse’s behavior, it is illegal. All horse folk must try to be aware of the substances that enter their horse, whether through the mouth, skin, or nose.

The next lecture was “Joint Health,” presented by Adequan® representative Allyn Mann. His presentation involved a technical

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YOUNG & INSPIRED

Save the Date evaluation of a horse’s joint, describing the intricate membranes, fluids, and cartilage. One thing that stood out to me was the age at which many horses begin to need heavier joint support: 10 years, my own horse’s upcoming age!

Next was my favorite part of the convention: the USEF Athlete Forum. The buzz all weekend was surrounding the Athlete Forum, it seemed, and I was absolutely determined to go. Headlined by Hallye Griffin, George Williams, Charlotte Bredhal-Baker, Debbie McDonald, and Christine Traurig, the meeting’s theme was high performance dressage, as well as the pipeline from youth to professional. Rule changes by the FEI, published three days before our meeting, were discussed first. Next, the audience and Hallye came up with some tricky questions to ask the people in the panel. I loved this forum! It was wonderful to see so many of the country’s top dressage athletes and supporters in one room; many great minds were working together.

After the USEF Athlete Forum

was our final event of the convention, the Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet. It was both heartwarming and encouraging to watch the multitude of riders, owners, trainers, judges, and breeders being honored by USDF. Not a single person left the banquet disappointed. Stories of the past were told, as were goals for the future, both bringing tears to the audience.

This year at the banquet, I was honored with presenting Meghan Slaughter with the Youth Volunteer of the Year award; while I did not get to meet Meghan, her story of commitment to horsemanship was inspiring and I hope I get to meet her in the future!

Thank you to Adequan® and USDF for hosting this amazing event! I met a lot of inspiring people, learned even more about our sport, and discussed ways of bettering the national joy of horses.

I cannot recommend this event more to aspiring professionals, as it is the best way to hear developments, get questions answered, and have your voice heard.

2018 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention November 28 - December 1 Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek Salt Lake City, UT February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Bed and Barn

by Tammy Martell

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I

t all started when my daughter, Jamie, began dressage lessons at age five in Pepperell, Massachusetts. It was immediately evident that Jamie was a horse girl. My husband’s job required our family to move every few years. We were a military family, and soon had to move to Washington State. The first thing on the agenda, for Jamie, was finding a riding stable.

Then, for Jamie’s tenth birthday, she got her very own horse—a Morgan named Ginger that had been doing upper level dressage. We were lucky enough with our move to have acquired a few acres, with a barn, so Ginger could live at home. Jamie still went to the stables for lessons and joined the United States Pony Club (USPC) that met there.

Within a couple years, we were moving again. This time Jamie progressed into eventing

we had to move Ginger with us, all the way from Washington to Georgia. After a lot of research, we decided to hire professionals and have Ginger shipped. It had proved to be almost impossible to find lodging for a horse, all the way across the United States.

Landing in Georgia, Jamie continued to compete in dressage but also continued in USPC. Jamie earned her C-3 Level Rating with Ginger, and earned several awards in the Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association and dressage.

As Jamie’s skills progressed, and the USPC jumping requirements increased, Jamie decided to focus on eventing. Ginger, on the other hand, said, “Whoa! I’m a dressage queen!” and a second Click here to go to the Bed and Barn website

February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

horse was soon added to the family. Rex was an off-the-track Thoroughbred, who came to be an eventing extraordinaire! As Ginger aged, she went to live at the Virginia Horse Park, became part of their Therapeutic Riding Program, and continued to compete in dressage.

I was thrilled Jamie’s riding was progressing, but I now found us on the road, traveling the show circuit. The dilemma of lodging with horses refocused. I hated leaving the horses at a stable, then traveling to a hotel. Being in the horse world yourself, you know the challenges we face. Non-horse

travelers can find a place anywhere, anytime just by pulling out their cell phones and Google searching for a hotel. Not so easy when you’re towing a trailer with horses! I always hated the exhausting process of finding a stable, unloading the horses, caring for them and then traveling another 20 or 30 minutes, to check in and unload at our hotel. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place I could just check in with our horse and stay at that same location?” Violá! The Bed and Barn Farms concept was born.

In 2009, I turned this con-

cept into a reality. I purchased a 34 acre farm in Forest City, NC, being equally spaced an hour from Charlotte and Ashville, and opened a horse hotel.

I found the perfect location, half way between the North East and Florida, 30 minutes to the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE), and best of all, only ten minutes to the Tryon International Equestrian Center (which will host the 2018 World Equestrian Games).

It was the perfect property.

First and foremost, there was the opportunity to lodge with

your horse. There was a spacious four-stall barn, directly connected to a three-bedroom, two and a half bath apartment, where guests could stay, with enough lodging space to comfortably fit eight people. I made sure Bed and Barn Farms would have all the amenities I would want in a hotel- full kitchen, laundry, WiFi, and cable. In addition, were the equine luxuries of large stalls, multiple paddocks, a full-size dressage arena, and 17 acres of wooded trails. There was even plenty of turnaround room, for even the largest horse trailer.

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After Bed and Barn Farm’s first year, I decided to diversify and boost business, so I began hosting clinics, as well as opening a tack store on property. My first clinic, I hosted the late Mark Russell. His Natural Dressage techniques were so sought after in the area that he returned twice a year, for the next four years. If any of you attended one of Mark’s clinics, you were blessed. Other clinics included topics such as “Intro to Trail Riding”, “The Healthy Horse”, and “Trailer Safety”. We

also hosted several “Ride-a-Tests”.

After hosting several clinics, I made an addition to the farm adding TAM’S – short for Tack, Antique, and Merchandise Store.

It was convenient to have the equipment for sale, onsite, that sometimes get lost or forgotten while traveling, not only for the event I was hosting, but also for the attendees that were staying. I wanted TAM’S to be more than just a tack store though, so besides carrying the latest in tack and riding apparel, I partnered

with local artisans and decided to carry their one-of-a-kind, equestrian-themed pieces of jewelry, stained and painted glassware, hand-carved wooden bowls, and iron work made from horse shoes. Also, when they were available, I’d offer up interesting variety of antiques.

This horse hotel idea, stemming from my frustration traveling with horses, became a fun venture to create a relaxing and convenient experience for the traveling rider, while making sure

the horses’ needs were not forgotten. I’m proud to say I’m a horseand show- mom who can make overnight travels with your horses convenient and hassle-free!

eTRAK Extra

Read "In It for the Long Haul" for tips for safe travels when planning to trailer your horse long distances in the September 2017 issue of USDF Connection.

February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Heard around the arena

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

USDF educational programs were in full swing early in 2018.

February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

USDF FLASHBACK

Major Anders Lindgren Reprinted from the September 2015 USDF Connection magazine.

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eflecting our sport’s European roots and the influence of many foreign trainers in American dressage, several Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame inductees were not born in this country. All cared deeply about dressage and invested much of themselves in growing the sport in the New World.

No discussion of the history of US dressage is complete without a mention of Major Anders Lindgren (1925-2010), the Swedish-born cavalry officer and Olympian who introduced the American dressage community to a systematic method of “training the trainers” and whose seminars Podcast Alert

PODCAST

Check out our podcast 91 about Major Lindgren at usdf.podbean.com.

were the forerunner to the USDF Instructor/Trainer Program, USDF instructor certification, and major USDF educational symposia including the FEI-Level Trainers Conferences and the National Dressage Symposia.

Lindgren got his equestrian start via the Swedish cavalry.

From 1954 to 1968 he taught at Strömsholm, the Swedish Army Equestrian Center. Reflecting the cavalry’s multidiscipline nature, Lindgren competed in eventing as well as dressage, and in 1959 he won the Scandinavian Eventing Championship. In 1971 he won the Swedish National Dressage Championship title, and the following year he was the reserve rider for the Swedish eventing team at the Munich Olympic Games.

He was also a longtime Grand Prix-level dressage competitor.

In 1975, Lindgren retired from the Army and began a new career as a civilian equestrian instructor/ trainer. A fellow Swede, Col. Aage Sommer, brought Lindgren to Violet Hopkins’ farm in Michigan in February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

USDF FLASHBACK

1981 for the inaugural USDF National Instructors Seminar. (Read more about Hopkins in “American Dressage Legends: Violet Hopkins,” June 2014.) Over the next ten years, Lindgren introduced nearly 1,000 US instructors to the systematic, structured approach to teaching dressage that he had learned at Strömsholm.

Lindgren taught the instructors how to create lesson plans and how to design and use specific exercises for horse and rider.

He was one of the first instructors to use cones to mark out an arena pattern for teaching a movement or exercise; his best-known patterns were later compiled in the book Major Anders Lindgren’s Teaching Exercises (Trafalgar Square, 1998). In Lindgren’s instructor seminars, demonstration riders served as students for the instructors, whose teaching performance was critiqued by Lindgren and other participants.

In a logical extension of the A young Lindgren

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USDF FLASHBACK

instructor seminars, Lindgren brought Swedish FEI “O� judge Eric Lette and Finnish Olympian Kyra Kyrklund to the US to conduct USDF National Symposia.

Lindgren also organized and taught more than 50 USDF regional instructor workshops, which followed the format of the national seminars. Dressage clubs including the New England Dressage Association, the Northern Ohio Dressage Association, and the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society regularly sponsored the workshops for their members.

As an early proponent of instructor certification, Lindgren urged the USDF to establish a formal program to certify dressage instructor/trainers in a method similar to various European equestrian trainer-licensing programs. His vision culminated in the establishment of the USDF Instructor/Trainer Program in 1990, which has since been emulated by organizations including the United States Eventing Association.

Major Lindgren aboard Eko at the 1972 Olymics

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In 2003, Lindgren was inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame.

The national and regional Lindgren seminars were widely anticipated and received substantial equestrian-press coverage. USDF Connection thanks freelance writer Patti Schofler for granting permission to reprint her coverage of the 1989 regional seminar in California, which appeared in the July 1989 issue of Dressage & CT magazine.

(Editor’s note: The photo above did not appear with the original article and is from the USDF archives.)

USDF/Lindgren Instructors’ Seminar The day the US has an academy for riding instructors, the academy’s teaching tools and philosophy likely will reflect the work of Major Anders Lindgren of Sweden, who has joined forces

Lindgren at the 1985 USDF/Hopkins instructor seminar

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with the USDF to teach teachers how to teach through a yearly series of regional seminars. Lindgren began this year’s series at Santa Rosa, California, in April, and will end in October in the Boston area.

At Santa Rosa, 12 instructors and 20 auditors participated in Phase B of this two-year program, which features Third through FEI level instruction. Introduced in the five-day program this year were sessions on freestyle, presented by “I” judge and former Olympian Alexsandra Howard of Watsonville, California.

Another addition, provided by Lindgren, was a video of Danish television coverage of dressage at the 1988 Olympics, with Lindgren’s voiceover providing insight into the Grand Prix Special rides.

The video was shown to participants and the public on the Saturday night of the program.

A graduate of the Swedish Royal Officers Academy and a student of the Swedish Army Lindgren at the 1995 USDF Symposium Equestrian Center, Strömsholm, February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

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Lindgren was short-listed for the Swedish team in 1952-60. In 1963 he became an instructor at Strömsholm under Lt. Col. Baron Hans von Blixen-Finecke. On the Swedish Warmblood gelding Eko he became Swedish national dressage champion in 1971, and the alternate member of the Swedish Olympic team in Munich in 1972. He has brought his international training and teaching to the US because “people in the US need to be informed on the international scene, on training methods they’ve never seen,” he explained.

Lindgren is a supporter of a US certification program for instructors. Ideally, he would like to see a national academy, which would allow the US to become less dependent on Europe. “You need a place where you can stay for a year or more and study with the masters. You don’t have just one facility here. The problem is, this is not a country, but a part of the world,” he said. Because of

the country’s size, the regional seminars were developed.

This her fourth regional seminar, instructor Lynn Brown of Loomis, California, observed, “A lot of instructors teach because they are successful riders, but they don’t necessarily teach well.

That’s why the concept of this program is so great.”

Phase A of the regional seminars will begin again next year and include how to get the horse on the bit, how to help students to relax and supple a horse, how to use the cavesson and long lines with a young horse, how to implement long-range planning and how to do lesson plans. Phase B includes upper-level training and improving riding techniques.

The signature of the Lindgren method is the use of small fences, buckets and plastic cones in the arena to induce students to look ahead and plan. “Look happy and look up,” Lindgren repeated throughout the seminar. “Ride with your eyes and your weight.”

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For example, two sets of two small traffic cones were placed about three feet apart on either side of X. The participating instructors “broke the line” of the track and trotted through these “gates,” then leg-yielded back to the rail. This exercise is designed to “disturb” the balance at the withers and shoulder, thereby suppling the horse.

In another example, he used cones to mark the zigs and zags for the counter-changes of hand in half-pass.

Throughout the five-day seminar, Lindgren and the participants evaluated training, teaching and planning techniques.

In the evenings, the instructors planned lessons to be taught the next day to volunteer demonstration riders, affectionately known as “guinea pigs.” The instructors, auditors, Lindgren and the riders offered their thoughts on the teachers’ communication skills, working relationships, planning, knowledge and teaching techniques.

“Students are used to my drill. Last year was torture,” said Lindgren of the lesson planning.

“At first they were unfamiliar with procedures. Then they learned how to teach. This year they have confidence.”

Howard joined the sessions as a freestyle judge and expert.

One morning was dedicated to judging, with demonstration riders performing parts of tests as the group scored them and gave comments. Howard, in turn, gave her evaluation. She also taught the participants how to choose and diagram music. At the end of the third day, she performed a Kür to Music on her Swedish Warmblood stallion Pilgrim.

Students heard more Lindgren wisdom as he demonstrated his skill with the long lines, telling an anxious mare, “My rhythm, my rhythm. You stretch on my conditions.” To an anxious handler whose horse would not move forward and kicked out, he said, “Make him know this is unacceptable. They must see that

you are not scared, but that you are logical.”

A tearful guinea pig experienced the Lindgren touch after her horse gave her a difficult time. Lindgren ended the session by hugging her and thanking her for putting herself before the group’s scrutiny.

Lisa Beckett of Palo Cedro, California, a participant at several previous Lindgren seminars, summed up this year’s seminar: “The quality of instructors has improved, as well as the instructors’ riding abilities. The difference in Anders and other international instructors is that he inspires you to become a better instructor, a better rider. Nothing is negative. It’s all positive.” s

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GMO SPOTLIGHT

Tell us about your GMO. #GMOSpotlight

Central Texas Dressage Society (CTDS) 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: 2003 Locality: Region 9, Texas Website: http://ctdsdressage.org/ How many members does your GMO have annually, on average?

175 members Tell us about your GMO. Central Texas Dressage Society (CTDS) has been active for over 25 years in Austin, Texas, and surrounding communities. We are very happy to say that we currently have founding members actively supporting the club. As with all membership driven organizations, we have had our ups and downs. Our current board has worked hard to pull CTDS in to the technology age and maintain the highest number of members in the history of the club. We were the first in our region to offer online entries and credit card payments for all our events.

CTDS host ten schooling shows, a free member clinic, a symposium, and two clinics with well-known clinicians, an annual tack swap, our annual banquet, and new for 2018, CTDS will host an L Program.

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

We have added leadline classes (walk only or walk/ trot) for our younger, inexperienced riders. We also offer, at our schooling shows,

all of the eventing dressage tests, western dressage, and Dressage Seat Equitation for AA and open division. CTDS offers a test caller program at all of our schooling shows. Funds raised by the program go to our scholarship program. New for 2018 will be our dressage jackpot class.

Every year CTDS offers a $500 scholarship to three members (AA, Open, and Junior) to use at any event we host.

What type of educational events does your GMO offer?

CTDS offers a free, member-only annual clinic. A qualified professional CTDS member donates a day of their time to instruct our AA/Jr members. CTDS also sponsors an annual symposium, with a well-known clinician, such as Anne Gribbons, Betsy Steiner, Kay Meridith, and Sarah Gieke. In conjunction with the CTDS rated shows, we host a clinic with the judge, on the following day, to get immediate feedback. We have been very fortunate to get input from Thomas Poulin, Anne Gribbons, Lilo Fore, and Dr. Chopra.

This year, for the first time, CTDS will be hosting L Program sessions.

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

CTDS does a tack swap in the summer, holds working equitation clinics hosted by local working equitation instructors, and has an annual year end banquet, with a silent auction.

February 2018 Z YOURDRESSAGE

GMO SPOTLIGHT

Additional Comments: The board members of CTDS are continually exploring opportunities to keep our members involved, make available educa-

tional opportunities, and enjoy their dressage four legged partners.

CTDS is always aware that many of our members are on a shoe string budget, and routinely subsidize

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a portion of clinic cost, to make entry fees more affordable for all our members.

CTDS is very active on social media, we have approximately

2,000 members in our FB group.

Our CTDS Facebook friends share dressage related educational articles, events, and tack/horses for sale.

The USDF Circle of Friends is essential to the mission of USDF. Your tax deductible gift will have a significant impact in helping USDF provide quality dressage education and programs.

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YourDressage is a chance to share your story with the dressage community. We are looking for personal stories about you, your horse, or horse-related experience. Your story should be 600-1000 words and should be sent as a Word document. We will need photos to go with the story, with a preference for candid shots that are clear and well composed. Please submit photos as JPEG formatted files.

Also, if you have any video(s) that we can use, related to your story, make sure to include their hyperlinks.

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Group Member Organizations Note: USDF strongly recommends all riders wear protective headgear when mounted. For complete rules regarding helmets refer to the USEF Rule Book. Click here.

Disclaimer: The United States Dressage Federation does not guarantee that all submitted stories will be published. Any opinions expressed in the pages of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Dressage Federation

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For more information, check out the USDF Member Guide available on the USDF website and app.

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