May 2017 YourDressage

YOURDRESSAGE

May 2017

A United States Dressage Federation Publication

Sally Oxnard breeds Connemaras and delights in their success

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.

Get Connected

The 2017 USDF Online Stallion Guide is now LIVE! 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.

Featured article this year is, “The Hottest Bloodlines in Rio” which looks at what sport-horse pedigrees were represented in the 2016 Olympics.

We continue our look at breeding statistics from USDF’s major championships, adding Great American/USDF Regional Championshps.

Once again we have the “Index of Progeny for Advertised Stallions,” which includes progeny that have ranked 1-100 in Adequan®/USDF Year-End Awards. It also includes horses that have placed in US Dressage Finals, Great American/USDF Regional 2017 USDF Championships, and Great Online Stallion Guide American/USDF Breeders Championships from 2009-2016.

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.

The Hottest Bloodlines in Rio

Trending Stallions in the Sport Horse Arena: USDFBC Statistics

Pursit of Excellence: Regional Championship Statistics

Finals by the Numbers: US Dressage Finals Statistics

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Give us your feedback. #yourdressage

WHAT TO SEE INSIDE DEPARTMENTS YOUNG & INSPIRED: Grace Gregory's Silver Lining Elizabeth TeSelle tells the story of her daughter Grace overcoming the hardships of autism to earn her silver medal at age 21.

HORSE TALES: The Wheelbarrow Load Beth Hussey works with her horse Wolfie to take the "spook" out of him and make him conquer his fears.

MY TIME TO RIDE: Wild Card to Kentucky Kelly Slack had no intention of going to the 2016 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® but with her PRE gelding, Seron, fate took a hand and they were on their way.

HEARD AROUND THE ARENA: Rolex Three-Day Event Horse lovers descended on Lexington, Kentucky to watch the Rolex Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover.

USDF FLASHBACK: Violet Hopkins Not very well known in modern dressage, this Michigan woman had a towering impact on the sport of dressage in America.

GMO SPOTLIGHT: Fort Worth Dressage Club (FWDC) Take a look at this group member organization.

COVER STORY Breeding Connemaras Sally Oxnard started breeding Connemara ponies in 1998 and ever since has revelled in watching their successes.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

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YOUNG & INSPIRED

Grace Gregory's Silver Lining

By Elizabeth TeSelle Eiditor's Note: This article won first place in 2015 for a GMO newsletter award for first-person experience for GMOs with 75-174 members. It orignially appeared in the November 2014 Central Tennessee Dressage Assciation newsletter, The Half Halt.

M

ost riders would be thrilled to earn their silver medal sometime before they were ready for retirement. Some are able do it sooner than that. A fortunate few manage to achieve that kind of success while still young. But when Grace Gregory earned her silver in September 2014 at the age of twenty-one, it was a very special accomplishment.

Grace was diagnosed on the autism spectrum early in life, following a traumatic birth.

She also has severe dyslexia and central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). By age seven, she was still barely speaking, so when Susan, Grace’s mom, heard

about Saddle Up! Therapeutic Riding Center (hƩp://www. saddleupnashville.org/), she decided to give it a try. Founded in the late 1980s by, among others, long-time CTDA member Lynne Evans, Saddle Up! provides riding lessons to disabled and special needs children throughout Middle Tennessee.

Grace herself remembers that she liked riding because it was something different from what her friends did, and because she enjoyed its challenges. She has always been a competitive person (participating in softball, basketball, and swimming in addition to riding), and setting goals for herself keeps her focused.

An integral part of Grace’s therapy, Lynne Evans began teaching Grace privately shortly after she started at Saddle Up! Lynne says that she noticed immediately that not only did Grace have a good seat and natural feel, but that, most important, she showed “a real, true love of the horse.” As Lynne continued May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUNG & INSPIRED

to teach Grace over the next ten years, she observed that as Grace’s riding improved, her confidence in herself, and her ability to communicate with others, grew as well. To this day, Grace and Susan refer to Lynne as “Grace’s other mom,” and clearly Lynne is just as dedicated to Grace.

At age thirteen, Grace began volunteering at Saddle Up!, where she was eventually hired as a paid lesson assistant, cleaning the barn, tacking up, and assisting with lessons. Grace began jumping at a local stable, joined Pony Club, and acquired a horse of her own, who unfortunately contracted EPM after six months and had to find a new home. Her next horse, Opie, was a good fit for her. Lynne continued to teach Grace (free of charge), and helped Grace with the musical freestyle she and Opie performed at the Pony Club National Rally in Lexington. Grace worked at the barn where Opie lived in exchange for his board, and also rode horses and worked at Walnut Trace.

When Grace was selected to participate in Lendon Gray’s

Dressage4Kids (hƩp://www. dressage4kids.org) Youth Dressage Festival in Saugerties, NY, everyone was elated, but two hurdles presented themselves.

The first was financial: the expenses associated with the trip to the Festival were too much for her family. In stepped Theresa and Andre Jaeckle (of the Jaeckle Center in Thompson’s Station hƩp://jaecklecentre. com/), who provided the lion’s share of the funds necessary for Grace to attend. The second problem was that Opie’s arthritis had progressed to the point where he was unable to compete.

Fortunately, arrangements were made for Grace to borrow a horse in New York.

Grace was the first special needs child to attend the Saugerties Youth Festival. Although her verbal skills had improved, her writing still lagged behind that of other kids her age, making it difficult for her to complete written work. Grace was permitted to use a scribe on her written test, and her score was the highest of the several hundred kids

at the Festival. On her borrowed horse, Grace then took home the first level championship trophy (and a new saddle!) for the 15-18 age group (out of 120 riders).

Although originally skeptical that special needs children should be included, Lendon Gray has since opened up the Festival to other special needs and para kids, and has made a point of highlighting Grace’s accomplishments in press releases.

After Saugerties, it became clear that Grace needed a new horse—one who could take her further towards the accomplishment of her dreams. Again the Jaeckles stepped in, along with Drea Gunness of the Jaeckle Center. The Jaeckles sent Grace and Drea to Ocala to try more than sixty horses, and they finally settled on a six year old Hanoverian/Oldenburg mare, Latatiana (Bella), paid for entirely by the Jaeckle Center. Needless to say, the Gregorys were overwhelmed by this generosity.

Originally trained as an eventer, Bella was not an easy ride. Lynne Evans admits that

at first she thought the horse was too much for Grace, and during Grace’s first year with Bella, Lynne gave the pair lessons almost daily. Although Grace remembers being unceremoniously dumped several times (resulting in two broken helmets and a black eye!), Bella made steady progress, thanks to Lynne’s, Drea’s, and Grace’s hard work.

Grace says that as she prefers a more forward horse, she is willing to deal with the occasional negative side effects of Bella’s high energy, focusing instead on the mare’s positive attributes and willingness to work hard.

It was Lynne who suggested that Grace begin training with Tami Crawford. Susan remembers that as a difficult time, because Lynne was so loved by the family that she and Grace were reluctant to leave her, but Lynne insisted that if Grace truly wanted to succeed, Tami was the one to help her do so. At age nineteen, Grace moved to Tami’s barn to be her working student, and soon felt at home there. Lynne, who remains a close and supportive May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUNG & INSPIRED

A young Grace

friend and “second mother,” selflessly attributes much of Grace’s success to her new trainer.

For her part, Tami calls Grace’s

work ethic “amazing,” and adds that she is “an individual who can tackle anything life throws at her.”

Tami initially felt, as Lynne did,

that Bella might not be the right horse for Grace, given the mare’s sensitivity, tendency to express her opinions, and unexceptional gaits. But Grace persisted, and with Tami’s considerable help, has learned to make the most of Bella’s talents (such as collection).

In addition to a natural feel for riding, Tami says that Grace has other valuable skills. She has, in fact, “completely changed my life,” Tami says, through organizing Tami’s lessons and keeping her on task. Tami readily admits that organization has never been her forte, but now that Grace handles her schedule, Tami’s lessons and training horse rides are planned well ahead of time and clearly noted on a large board. Grace has Tami’s horses ready to go at the right time and keeps her organized at shows, as well.

When Grace applied to Lendon Grey’s Dressage4Kids Winter Intensive Training (WIT) program in Wellington, FL, Lynne Evans wrote a letter of recommendation in which she told

Lendon that “Grace will never let you down.” Since Lendon selected Grace to attend WIT not only in 2013, but again in 2014, clearly Lynne was right! WIT, a three-month program for serious young dressage riders, includes daily lessons, lots of barn chores, showing opportunities in Wellington, and clinics, workshops, and classes on all aspects of riding and horsemanship offered by the best riders, vets, and farriers in the country. This experience does not come cheaply, however.

While some of the expenses are covered by the program, many are not, and the Gregorys needed help. Over the course of several months, enough contributions were made through Facebook and website appeals to enable Grace to head down to Florida with Bella. Once there, Grace leapt in with both feet.

During her two winters in WIT, Grace kept a blog detailing her experiences (hƩp://graceriding.org/?cat=3) that makes for fascinating reading. What stands May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUNG & INSPIRED

Grace riding Bella

out the most is Grace’s persistently positive attitude. Bella had a hard time settling into the Wellington scene and reacted badly to schooling with other horses (Grace describes her as “very spirited, but a big chicken”), but even when her lessons were less than great, Grace just let it roll off her back and focused on the

next task at hand. And this laser focus paid off. Grace went to WIT the first time (January 2013) having recently earned her first level scores towards her bronze medal; at WIT she worked tirelessly on Bella’s changes, earned her second level scores at the WEF Dressage Classic, and then earned her third level scores and

her bronze early that summer.

Six months later, she earned her fourth level scores in Florida, came home and debuted at Prix St. Georges, and on September 6th of this year, earned her silver medal at the age of twenty-one.

When asked what she likes most about dressage, Grace says that it is the very “nit-pickiness” of the sport that appeals to her, because as a competitive, goal-oriented person, she appreciates the challenge of perfecting her skills and those of her horse. She says, though, that what she loves most about horses is the relationship she forms with them. Working for Tami, she grooms and tacks up many horses every day, and she enjoys getting to know them all so well that she can immediately tell if something is off just by walking by their stalls. This ability to read horses has certainly contributed to Grace’s success with Bella, whose movement from first level to Prix St. Georges in two years is, particularly considering the horse’s challenging personality, nothing short of amazing.

Grace’s goals are broad and

far-reaching. She wants, of course, to earn her gold medal, hopefully on Bella, and she would like to compete in the CDI-U25 program.

She has also become interested in judging, and plans to begin the L program in November. Lynne Evans was impressed by the clarity and helpfulness of Grace’s comments when Grace served as a judge at a recent 4-H show, and thinks she will have real talent as a judge. Grace, she says, “has a good eye.” Both she and Susan Gregory note that Grace can remember a test after going over it only a few times, and that she seems to have a visual memory that allows her to understand what she sees and communicate that understanding to others. These skills will stand her in good stead in her pursuit of another ambition—to become a teacher and trainer like Lynne and Tami, running her own facility. She is already instructing a few beginner students at Tami’s barn, and both kids and parents have raved about her abilities. Recently Grace learned that, due to the generosity of family friends, she will be going to Wellington again this winter, May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUNG & INSPIRED ANIMAL SAFETY WARNING For LEGEND Injectable Solution 4 mL and LEGEND Multi Dose Injectable Solution – Not for Intra-articular use. The Intra-articular safety of hyaluronate sodium with benzyl alcohol has not been evaluated.

with plans to improve her and Bella’s work at Prix St. Georges and make a start on Intermediare I. In addition, Grace is now taking photography classes at Nashville State Community College.

Not surprisingly, she specializes in equine photography, and a photograph she took of a fellow WIT student and her horse was published in a national Connemara magazine earlier this year.

She is also interested in learning more about videography.

Meeting Grace’s mom makes it clear that Grace has a support system that would be the envy of anyone. Susan Gregory is 100% committed to ensuring that Grace has every opportunity possible to achieve her dreams, and her enthusiasm about Grace’s accomplishments is contagious. She feels absolutely certain that “God has a plan for Grace.” In addition, Grace has enjoyed the tutelage of Lynne Evans and Tami Crawford, as well as Lendon Gray and many other trainers in Florida. She has been assisted financially by the

Jaeckles, and by all the generous people who contributed to make the WIT experience happen.

The main driver of Team Grace, though, is Grace. In her WIT blog, Grace says, “This year has shown me that I can be a dressage rider. I always dreamed to be a top dressage rider, but now I know one day sooner than later I will be.” Everyone who knows Grace has no doubt that wherever her dreams lead her, Grace will succeed. In fact, this writer came away from an interview with Grace feeling that “special needs” may, in her case, be a misnomer.

She might not write as well as some of us, but clearly she rides better than many of us, and her determination and tenacity set her apart from many other young people. Perhaps Grace’s “disability” actually has a silver lining if, indeed, her autism has forced Grace to learn early what many of us never fully embrace: that only hard work and dedication can help us achieve our goals when life throws barriers in our path.

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May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

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HORSE TALES

The Wheelbarrow Load

By Beth Hussey Eiditor's Note: This article won first place in 2016 for a GMO newsletter award for first-person experience for GMOs with fewer than 74 members. It orginally appeared in the June 2016 issue of the Columbia Dressage and Combined Training Association newsletter, Direct Rein.

Not that natural horsemanship, take two‌or, the plastic bag is vanquished but now all the neighbors think I'm crazy.

W

olfie and I are six weeks into our natural horsemanship experiment, and we have finally progressed beyond pushing him around to get him to move away from direct pressure.

He is still not as light as he could be, but he understands what is expected of him and moves his feet properly when I ask him correctly. It is not as easy as it sounds. He is a big boy and when he does what he is supposed to be I have to hump it to keep up with him and not put any stress or tenMay 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

HORSE TALES

sion on the lead rope at all, in order to prevent his thinking that I want him to stop. I end up sort of hop –running around his outside shoulder while trying to keep his forward progress unimpeded. If I get too far ahead, it stops him dead. If I get too far behind I can’t control his shoulder at all.

It’s like riding in that you have to do a million things at once and perfectly correctly, or you end up sending him the wrong signal.

It might be harder than riding; I know I’m huffing and puffing at the end of our sessions.

It is also like riding in that you always go back to the basics, every time. They are improving but not perfect, but if you wait for perfect you will never advance so after the last lesson Melanie decided it was time to address The Spook. It is no secret to any of you who have seen the pair of us that Wolfie possesses a truly impressive sideways lurch away from anything to which he suddenly takes exception. It has held us back on the show circuit, because he is more likely to freak out away from home, and it has also gotten in the way of our part-

nership, because the threat of his gigantic spook causes me to ride both more defensively and more apprehensively than I should. One of my primary goals in starting with natural horsemanship was that I hoped we could work through some of his more egregious startle-moments.

So last week Melanie told me to find some scary stuff and we would start working with those.

I had a white plastic trash bag, an umbrella, and a bright blue cooler. We tied the trash bag to the end of the training stick and showed it to Wolfie, who thought it was all the evils of this world rolled up into a crinkly squishy package and shied immediately.

We expected him to do it, and we didn’t make a big deal of it.

Instead, Melanie started pulling the bag behind her and allowing Wolfie to follow it, which with some reluctance he did. Periodically she would stop, advance the bag towards him, he would freak, and she would calmly start walking away again. He did improve in that session, but it was clear that he was actually afraid, or

concerned, and not just being stupid. We didn’t push it much farther but she said the eventual goal was to be able to flap the bag all around him and all over his head and rump and behind him with no reaction on his part at all.

Right, I thought, we’ll do that and then I will go jump him around the Rolex cross -country course.

Both seemed equally likely.

Over the last week I have been dutifully trudging around the arena, Wolfie in tow at the end of a (very loose) leadrope. I advanced the bag, he snorted, I retreated the bag, he walked...and walked...and walked...We both got pretty bored.

I started waving the bag over my head like a flag. He almost snorted-and then ignored it. Hmm, I thought. I advanced the bag again.

This time, he tried to eat it.

That was the turning point. It had ceased to be a horse-eating bag when he decided to chew on it.

The remainder of the week I have been marching around the arena like a deranged baton twirler, throwing the bag -on- stick in the air, catching it, flinging it ahead and running to get it, waving it like

a surrender flag, you name it, we do it. And when I bring it back to him, he tries to eat it. I can flop the thing on the top of his head, under his belly, behind his tail. He is so over the plastic bag.

I can only imagine the picture I have presented over the last week to anyone who might be watching. It doesn’t look like much from a distance. But the difference in his demeanor is nothing short of amazing to me. Of course, we still have the umbrella-and the cooler-and probably other plastic bags, quite different in his horsey mind from the one he has conquered. Knowing he has found the courage to eat one plastic bag though, gives him that much more self-confidence when he is next confronted with whatever terrifying thing is around the corner. eTRAK Extra

Learn more from "Desensitizing the Dressage Horse" article from the June 2016 USDF Connection magazine.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

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MY TIME TO RIDE

Wild Card to Kentucky

By Kelly Slack

W

hen the 2016 show season began, I honestly had no intention of going to the US Dressage Finals…it wasn’t even on my radar. My six-year-old PRE gelding, Seron, was still fairly new to me, as this was our first show season together. I didn’t know what an exciting ride I was in for.

I bought Seron in March of 2015, after a nearly six month hiatus from riding. I’d had a complicated surgery, for a lifelong knee problem, and was only just getting back in the saddle when I saw the ad for him, on a dressage horse website. I was smitten. I’d had an interest in the Baroque breeds for some time (I knew that they were very amateur friendly and had lots of talent for dressage), and have always loved grays! I promptly forwarded his ad to my trainer, Julie Cochran, and she agreed that he was something we should look into. As

quickly as I could, I booked our flight to Wellington, where Seron was spending the winter with his trainer, Tami Crawford.

We spent the day trying a few different horses at other farms, but we knew that Seron was the horse that we really wanted to see. As soon as we rode him, we knew he was the one! Even as a five-year-old, he was agreeable, smart, and eager to please.

On our flight back to Atlanta, Julie and I were giddy with excitement and I couldn’t wait to get the purchase finalized.

A couple of weeks later, Seron arrived in Georgia. My dream horse was a reality! But unfortunately, I’d had no more than four rides on my fabulous new horse, when I woke up one morning with excruciating abdominal pain. Turns out, I had a ventral hernia that needed surgery. I was devastated to have to take more time off from riding, and especially so since I had a brand new horse!

Fast forward six weeks, I May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

MY TIME TO RIDE

was healed up and had permission from my surgeon to start riding again. In hindsight, my time off wasn’t a bad thing, since it allowed Julie to spend those weeks riding and getting to know Seron, so that by the time I was back, she could coach and train us more effectively. I spent the remainder of 2015 taking lessons and, finally, getting to know my new horse.

Yet, as I got more confident riding Seron, I still didn’t feel like I was ready for the show ring. He was ready, but I wasn’t. We did one show very late in the 2015 season, just to see how it would go, but I knew that I wasn’t in a place to be truly competitive, until the following season.

By the time 2016 came along, I was ready to compete and make up for lost time!

We spent the season showing Training and First Levels. Our scores stayed consistently in Kelly and Seron with her trainer Julie Cochran, teammate Holly Carter, and Naida-Ann Miraz with her horse Coracao de Leao.

SusanJStickle.com photo

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

MY TIME TO RIDE

the 60s and 70s, and I decided to declare for the Adequan®/ USDF All-Breeds Awards, for The Foundation of the Pure Spanish Horse. Turns out that our scores earned us Training Level AA Champion, Training Level Open Champion, and First Level AA Reserve Champion! We also qualified for the Great American/USDF Region 3 Championships at both levels.

Before the regional championships, I decided to declare for Finals, but still wasn’t expecting to make the cut, let alone actually go.

We went to the regional championships and placed seventh out of almost 50 Adult Amateurs at Training Level, with a 70.79%, and eleventh in an equally large First Level class, with 66.91%. Our Training Level score was high enough to earn us a Wild Card invitation to Kentucky. Suddenly, the US Dressage Finals didn’t seem so out of reach! Still, there were all the logistics to consider.

How would we get there? I don’t have my own trailer. Would my

trainer be able to go with me?

Would it be ok with my husband and two boys for me to go to another horse show? Would it be worth the effort and expense to go?

After much consideration, I knew I couldn’t pass it up because it felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. All of the ups and downs of the past year had brought us to this point, and it seemed like a dream come true.

I was going to the US Dressage Finals! My teammate, Naida Mirza, also received a Wild Card at First Level, and decided to go as well. Our fabulous trainer, Julie, agreed to haul the horses and our other teammate, Holly Carter, came along to support us. On the morning of November 11, we hit the road to The Kentucky Horse Park!

Eight hours later, we finally arrived in Lexington. We unpacked, checked in, and made a run to the schooling arena, since it was starting to get dark and cold. Both of our horses handled the new surroundings and excitement like seasoned

pros! After our schooling rides, we settled them in for the night and headed to the Bluegrass Buffet Competitor Party, in the Alltech Arena. What a fun night with good food, good drinks, and lots of vendors to enjoy!

The next day was my teammate’s day to compete; I wasn’t scheduled to ride until Sunday, so I was able to enjoy the day without the stress of competing. That afternoon, I had another lovely schooling ride and was able to spend lots of time watching classes and getting a feel for how things were running.

Finally, it was Sunday, my day to compete! Seron handled the crowded warm-up ring like a champ, and my teammates and trainer were there to cheer us on. When it was my turn to go down centerline, it felt surreal to see our names on the huge electronic scoreboard. It was also a totally new, (and somewhat nerve racking!) experience to have three judges scoring my ride. Overall, we had a nice

test, but Seron was a little wary of the judge’s booth at C and, therefore, we had a bit of trouble with the geometry of our canter circles (or should I say ovals...oops). When we gave our final halt and salute, I knew it wasn’t my best ride, but we still pulled off a 66.67%. Pretty good for my big, gray six-yearold! Our score didn’t place us in the ribbons, but we landed solidly in the middle of the pack, 18 out of 31 competitors, and we won the High Score Breed Award for the Foundation of the Pure Spanish Horse! I was thrilled with Seron and could not have asked for a better ride.

It was a fantastic first season together, and going to US Dressage Finals was the icing on the cake.

eTRAK Extra

Learn more about the Pura Raza Espanola breed in this article from the September 2009 USDF Connection magazine

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

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B REEDING C ONNEMARAS

by Sally Oxnard

Sally on Tower Hill's Breeze. Nancy Gaffney photo.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

I

n 1994, I started riding my daughter’s Appaloosa, Charles, when her extracurricular activities began to take up her riding time. She preferred jumping, as any teenager does, but I always preferred dressage. In 1998, she left for college and I had an empty nest, and more importantly, an empty barn!

At Thanksgiving that year, I followed the advice of my aunt Patricia Lightbody and bought my first purebred Connemara mare, Tower Hill’s Carmody. Pat Lightbody was a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the American Connemara Pony Society (ACPS) and competed in upper level dressage. She owned a gelding named Erin Casco Bay, a half brother of Erin Go Bragh.

With her influence, I was easily bitten by the Connemara bug.

Carmody was a beautiful, black buckskin with a small star and lovely face. She was five years old and unstarted when she came

Sally showing Tower Hill's Carmody in hand. Carole Macdonald photo.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Tower Hill's Carmody and Paradox Pippen at three weeks old.

Paradox Caeli at three weeks old.

to the farm. That spring, Heather Smith started training her for me, and I decided to breed her.

My dressage instructor chose an Irish imported stallion, from an ACPS stallion video, named *Canal Laurinston. He was located in California and competed at Fourth Level in dressage, as well as in eventing and driving.

Meanwhile, we realized our farm needed a name, and since my husband and I are both pediatricians, the farm became Paradox Connemaras. Paradox

in September for a year or two of work, with a young Pony Club rider. Then, she would return the next time she was outgrown, or the family moved on, and be bred again. We had the delight of delivering her five foals at home, and foaling one from Cricket.

One of my chief delights is hearing from a happy owner that a foal I bred is a success.

Paradox Cricket, my first foal, is a therapeutic riding pony and a favorite among her students. Paradox Pippin (Aladdin’s Denver x

Cricket was the first of five foals born to Carmody. The filly was born in May, just as my daughter came home from college. We were all in attendance: my daughter on the milk crate reading the manual, myself in the stall with my stop watch, and my husband on the video camera. It was a textbook delivery. Carmody was a natural mother and we were hooked!

Carmody’s routine cycle was to be bred in May, foal out the following April, and then leave

Carmody ) is owned and competed by Linda Roache in Connecticut, where they became Second Level Champion at a Connecticut Dressage Association (CDA) schooling show, as well as reserve champion at a Connecticut Dressage and Combined Training Association (CDCTA) recognized show. Paradox Presto (Tre Awain Dobh McDuff x Carmody) is in dressage training in North Carolina, though currently taking a break due to a tendon injury.

Paradox Caeli (*Canal Laurinston May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

x Carmody) became a hunter pony, and a new mother, in Michigan.

I retired Carmody when she was eighteen, until I met a petite eleven-year-old at the Equine Affaire in Massachusetts, who was looking for a Connemara to ride. The young lady, Cailey Fay, came to the farm the following week and tried Carmody. She fell in love, took her home, and they earned high point Connemara at Dressage4Kids the next summer, as well as cranking out a Pony Club rating or two. She returned Carmody after eighteen months, but this past spring she borrowed her again for the Emerging Dressage Athletes Program with Lendon Grey at Pineland Farms, in Maine. I know she will go far!

My most recent foals were by big moving Connemara stallions, with the aim of producing the perfect dressage pony. One filly, Paradox Cadence (Aluinn Durango x Whistle) was born with Paradox Cadence at age three.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

Carmody and Cailey Fay with Lendon Gray June 2016 at EDAP Pinelands.

Macbradaigh's Irish Whistle and Paradox Cadence.

impulsion, presence, and some chrome. The other, more upright and very elegant, is Paradox Westerly (Kynynmont Cooper O’Grady x Tower Hill’s Breeze).

We shall see what life has in store for these two girls.

In raising eight foals, I have learned a lot; color genetics in breeding buckskins, Hoof Wall Disease genetics, which stal-

lion lines produce what in the offspring, etc. I have bought and started four mares, who have turned out to be wonderful, quick learners and great mothers. The Connemaras are very easy to collect and hard to part with, but it’s been a pleasure to see them become successful pony club mounts, hunter jumpers, dressage ponies, or just best friends!

Paradoz Zephyr at age two.

Nancy Gaffney photo

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

We’re SPRING CLEANING at the USDF Online Store Shop new items added to our clearance sale.

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HEARD AROUND THE ARENA

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Horse lovers descended on Lexington, Kentucky to watch the Rolex Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

USDF FLASHBACK

Violet Hopkins Reprinted from the June 2014 USDF Connection magazine.

T

he name Violet Hopkins is not well known in modern dressage, and as a rider Hopkins (1909-2002) achieved what might be called only modest success— no Olympic medals or other marquee competitive accomplishments. But the Michigan woman had a towering impact on the sport of dressage in America.

Perhaps it was Hopkins’ own lack of early formal riding instruction that led her to become such a crusader for dressage education.

A self-taught equestrian who grew up riding on her family’s farm, Hopkins did not receive a formal riding lesson until after college— where, serendipitously, she studied Podcast Alert

PODCAST

Check out podcast 30 about Violet Hopkins at usdf. podbean.com.

to become a teacher.

Hopkins saved enough money from her teaching paychecks to purchase her first horse, and then she began teaching riding professionally, initially at a public stable in Grosse Pointe, MI. Six years later, she was offered the position of instructor at the Bloomfield (MI) Open Hunt Club, where she remained for eleven years, doing both dressage and eventing.

When Hopkins learned that Arthur Konyot (patriarch of the famed circus family, and father of Olympian Tina) was coming to the Midwest, she arranged to study with “Pop” for a week.

Other mentors included Chuck Grant (“Historical Connection,” April), Capt. Vladimir Littauer, and Erich Bubble.

As Hopkins related in her essay “The Great Need” (at right), she believed strongly that the US needed better-trained dressage instructors.

With that goal in mind, she established her own dressage school at Tristan Oaks Farm, Union Lake, May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

USDF FLASHBACK

MI, in 1969. That same year, she helped to found the Midwest Dressage Association; she would go on to serve as one of the founding members of the USDF. For eleven years, Tristan Oaks was the site of the Violet Hopkins Seminars for Dressage Instructors, which were led by such notables as Col. Aage Sommer and Maj. Anders Lindgren.

The Hopkins seminars are the forerunner of the USDF National Dressage Symposium, the USDF FEI-Level Trainers’ Conference, and the USDF Instructor Certification Program itself.

For her efforts to develop a strong educational base for instructors and trainers, which did much to promote and enhance the sport of dressage in the US, Violet Hopkins was inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame in 1998.

Read on for Hopkins’ essay, “The Great Need,” followed by a clinic report that illustrates her commitment to “train the trainers” dressage education.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

USDF FLASHBACK

Violet Hopkins and her Grand Prix-level, off-the-track Thoroughbred, Dark Warrior, in an undated photo

The Great Need

By Violet Hopkins From Dressage & CT, July 1981. Reprinted by permission of Natasha (Mrs. Ivan) Bezugloff.

It has been my privilege during the past few years to be invited to many areas through-

out the United States, to assist people with their riding. These experiences have revealed the sad truth concerning the state of riding in this great country. It is evident that people interested in horses are seeking a better means of riding, known as dressage. To

pursue their interest they must have a good understanding of what their own development and that of their horse entails.

The only approach to forming this understanding is to seek help from a knowledgeable person. In the majority of cases people have sought help, only to be misled by so-called “instructors of dressage.�

The disturbing factor is the appalling number of people teaching who have no background to substantiate their position.

The great explosion of horse interest and the sudden birth of dressage competitions has created fertile ground for the need of instructors.

Anyone in this country can claim to be an instructor of dressage, hang out a shingle, and be in business. It is in this area that the danger of inferior information lies. In other countries there are established centers where riding is taught and good standards are presented. Persons aspiring to make a career of teaching and working with horses have the opportunity

to attend these centers to obtain knowledge and skill to qualify them for service. In this country, this kind of facility is very limited.

The alternative answer to this need is for the person desiring to pursue a career with horses to apprentice himself or herself to a well-established trainer and instructor. One who has the correct concept of laying a good basic foundation in training both horse and rider. The apprentice must be willing to spend not months, but several years learning the basic skills of good horsemanship. Qualities to be developed in this learning period are many. There must be the desire to convey to the beginning rider the necessary knowledge needed to master the skill of balance and application of aids for communication with the horse.

It is necessary that the instructor constantly improve his own skills through riding and training many horses so the depth of knowledge is constantly growing. It is [at] the grass roots levels that all substantial buildMay 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

ing must take place. Quality instruction, at this level, is what confirms the progress of horse and rider for advanced work. The majority of riders are in the grass roots category; thus they need instructors well versed in the basic procedures. For persons willing to follow this path, the opportunities are unlimited.

Gunnar Andersen Clinic for Professionals at Tristan Oaks

By Violet Hopkins From Dressage & CT, January 1974. Reprinted by permission of Natasha (Mrs. Ivan) Bezugloff.

A 1986 Hopkins Seminar

When word came out that Gunnar Andersen would be in the US visiting friends, the Midwest area decided to jump at the chance to seize the knowledge of this very fine, experienced dressage teacher and trainer. After much planning and arranging, a Clinic for Pros Only was organized and held at Tristan Oaks, the stable of Miss Violet Hopkins, May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

on October 10th and 11th, 1973.

Seven pros in the area responded to this opportunity and a schedule of private lessons for the two days was set up accordingly.

Unfortunately, one professional could not attend due to illness, but the time slot was filled by a group of four junior riders who were lucky enough to be able to work with the master.

Observation of this clinic was not, as was the participation, limited to professionals, and the spectators were numerous on both days. From their point of view, the clinic was a revealing lesson in suppling exercises and the development of rhythm in the horses performing. According to those questioned, the appearance of the horses as the lessons progressed was not only interesting, but obviously improved along the guidelines of suppleness and rhythm.

It was prearranged that each professional would come prepared to present a horse with which he or she was having a particular problem. This request was very honestly answered by the area’s teachers and trainers

participating in the lessons, and problems ranged from difficulties with flying changes, to acceptance of the bit, to elementary bending and purity of the basic paces.

Corrections varied with the problem, but Mr. Andersen’s favorite suppling exercise was noted to be the shoulder-in on the circle, and suppleness or the lack thereof seemed to be at the bottom of most training difficulties.

It was the general consensus of opinion that Gunnar Andersen was a most helpful and sincere instructor. Improvement was obvious in all the horses over the two-day clinic. In talking with individual participants, the master was described and his teaching characterized as simple and most straightforward. He dealt not with great detail, but more with the major problem. This in turn seemed to help all the small details of the difficulty in a big way. With the junior riders, who rode in a group lesson, Mr. Andersen stressed correct position of the rider and the fundamental suppling goals for their horses, which would in turn lead to natural collection. This

theme of suppleness to natural collection was carried out through the adult sessions as well. For instance, he pointed out that if a horse has a bad canter, a trainer really can’t correct that. But suppling the horse to a high degree will make the canter come through better.

As some of our readers may know, Mr. Andersen was Jessica Newberry Ransehousen’s coach for the Rome Olympics in 1960 (she and Forstrat placed 12th), but he had been training and teaching for many years before then. That was one of the most frequently repeated comments heard from participants in the clinic: that Mr. Andersen had had so much experience. Having worked with horses for over 40 years, all he has to do when he sees the problem with a horse is to think back over the years and remember what he did with a horse he worked with the same problem.

The enjoyment and satisfaction gained in the lessons were enhanced by two beautiful October days and the participants in the clinic regretted having only such a short time to work with

Mr. Andersen. The management of Tristan Oaks commented that such a clinic, for professionals only, was a necessary and valuable experience; for it goes without saying that professional dressage teachers must gain knowledge and judgment of good performance before this can be passed on to students. The area’s professionals considered the opportunity a valuable one and consider themselves fortunate to have been able to take advantage of it while Mr. Andersen was in this country for a short time. It was a most worthwhile endeavor and perhaps the Midwest area can continue with this sound, educational trend aimed at improving the quality of American dressage instruction.

For more information about the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame or to submit a nomination, visit usdf.org/halloffame.

Watch a video of Violet Hoppkins tell us "What is Dressage" here May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

GMO SPOTLIGHT

Tell us about your GMO. #GMOSpotlight

Fort Worth Dressage Club (FWDC) 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: 1987 Locality: Region 9, Texas Website: www.fortworthdressageclub.com How many members does your GMO have annually, on average?

70 members Tell us about your GMO. The Fort Worth Dressage Club (FWDC) was established in 1986.

Dressage enthusiasts in Fort Worth and surrounding areas had been members of The Dallas Dressage Club for many years, but it was a long drive for meetings and events. A group of us (founding members) met and decided to see if there was any interest in forming a new GMO, in Fort Worth. We put out flyers in feed stores, tack shops, and stables, as well as using word of mouth, and set a meeting date at a local restaurant. We expected a few people to show up but the room was full! So that was the start of FWDC. At the onset, we decided to be an educational club, but also a social club, and to welcome riders from all backgrounds, on all breeds of horses, and at all levels. After all, it is the west and there were lots of Quarter Horses, Paints, and crosses. At that time, there weren’t that many Warmbloods.

Through the years, we have grown and strived to meet our members’ needs and wants. Many of our members do not show in recognized shows, but like participating in schooling shows. So, we offer schooling shows to include gaited dressage, Western dressage, and eventing dressage. We have reached out to all these groups and had a great response.

In the past, we have hosted the USDF Region 9 Adult Clinic Series with

Hilda Gurney, and also the Region 9 summer meetings.

At our recognized show, we give back to community by donating funds received for one of our larger classes to Wings of Hope, a therapeutic riding organization.

From speaking to members, we have found that they want educational events close to home, group activities, low cost riding opportunities, and to meet other riding enthusiasts and further their’s and their horse’s dressage abilities.

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

We do an annual two-day (over one weekend) recognized Level 3 show. This offers classes for open, youth, and professionals. We also started an annual, low-cost clinic at which a professional in the area offers a full day of instruction for $50 a ride. This has become very popular and is always full. We have a member that donates her beautiful facility for the day, and everyone brings a dish for the potluck lunch. We are extending it to two days this year. Many of the professionals in the area are happy to do this, and it gives members who can’t afford the higher priced clinicians, who come to the area, a chance to ride at a low cost and get valuable feedback.

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

GMO SPOTLIGHT

What type of educational events does your GMO offer?

We often have speakers at our meetings; a veterinarian comes every year, feed representatives, farriers, and members who have gone to special training sessions or programs. We had a professional come and explain how to correctly fill out a recognized show entry form. We have had Pilates and Yoga instructors speak on exercises for riders. One member went to Germany for a training program and spoke of his experiences there. We also offer a yearly scribing clinic, with a member who scribes at all levels. She uses On the Levels training videos and sample tests. Many of her students have gone on to scribe at championships, breed shows, etc.

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

We host an annual pool party and potluck, in August. Our biggest event is our Camp - three days of riding with a professional.

We receive a grant from The Dressage Foundation for ten members who have volunteered throughout

the year. They arrive on a Thursday, to a wonderful facility donated to FWDC for the weekend, and they receive private lessons Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Then, they have a group lesson Sunday. They are served breakfast and lunches, stabling is provided, and they get to enjoy a Saturday night video and pizza night- all for under $300. It is our most fun, and educational, activity of the year- a fantastic learning experience, great fellowship, and always full. A big thank you to The Dressage Foundation for their grant!

Any Additional Comments?

FWDC puts on an end of year Awards Banquet and Silent Auction to benefit our scholarship fund. Our scholarship fund is for members who have volunteeredthey are eligible to receive $300 every two years to further their dressage education. We have ribbons for members in all dressage disciplines- gaited, western, and eventing. We have had to move three times, as the crowd just gets bigger and bigger. It is a fun evening and lots of special awards are given out,

including most supportive significant other, most improved, and anything else we can think of.

Several FWDC members carpool to go the annual Region 9 Summer Meeting. FWDC also has several members who fly, or drive, to our Great American/USDF Region 9 Championships to volunteer. Always educational to see all the qualified riders in the region compete! Also, many of us have gone as a group to the World Cup and World Equestrian Games!

FWDC hosts an extensive video library for members. We also have a monthly column in a horse magazine that goes out to a large area, and includes pictures of members and their achievements.

We send out a monthly newsletter, as well as updates on area clinics and upcoming club activities.

eTRAK Extra

Read “GMO Membership: What’s in it for You” for more about Group Member Organizations.

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Advice, Guidance, & Insight TAILORED TO THE DRESSAGE COMMUNITY

May 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE

YOUR CONNECTION TO DRESSAGE EDUCA

© John Borys Photography

© John Borys Photography

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We Want Your Story 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.

Please send your submission or any questions via e-mail at epubs@usdf.org

Learn More About Dressage Have questions about dressage and the United States Dressage Federation, use the following links to learn more.

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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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