Recently in Classroom Category

EN would like to thank Sarah Finkel for her write-up of the Training Sessions in Ocala.   Sarah is a junior at University of Delaware majoring in International Relations.  She rode with Danny Warrington for about 6 years before she went off to the O'Connor's last year during her college winter break. Sarah acquired her horse Deep Sea (aka The Cutest Man in the World) as a four year old and they just moved up to preliminary last fall.  Her spring goal is to do the Virginia CCI*.  Thanks for sharing, Sarah, and thanks for reading!

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Katie Bornholdt-Peery was kind enough to send us a clinic report from the Area VII Adult Riders hosted Buck Davidson clinic at Jump for Joy Farm.  I have never taken a lesson from Buck, but his students always seem to do well.  My feeling is that this has a lot to do with the program that Buck plugs his students into as much as his coaching.  The one quality I respect most about Buck is his ability to ride any horse, which is something that provides the groundwork for a great training program.  With that quick introduction and man thanks for the clinic report I'll turn things over to Katie.
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From Katie:

We were lucky enough to have Buck Davidson come to the Great (cold, wet and windy) Northwest home to Area VII the weekend of January 22-23rd! He was our guest speaker at our annual meeting and also agreed to teach a clinic for the next two days at Jump For Joy Farm in Oregon City (just outside of Portland, Oregon) hosted by the Area VII Adult Riders.

The week leading up to the clinic was fraught with crazy weather with large amounts of snow and ice in the Seattle area and in the Portland area, snow, then rain followed by flooding!! The terrible weather caused several people who were still snowed in to have to cancel their clinic plans but we did end up with 5 groups of riders from young green horses to lovely advanced horses. Despite the weather, we had a great showing of over 50 auditors who enjoyed the clinic both in the arena and from our heated clubhouse with live streaming of the clinic to the flatscreen t.v. (thanks to a techie Pony Club dad!) and great food provided by Clackamas River Pony Club.

The first day of the clinic Buck had all the groups start with work on the flat, lengthening and shortening of strides, working on control, collection and keeping the horses forward and on the aids. Once thoroughly warmed up, we started some serious gymnastic work including several verticals with step poles, up the center line 30ft apart where we were expected to keep the forward canter through the turn and all the way through the line. We progressed to oxers, bending lines, angled fences and more. For my group (experienced riders on green horses), we focused alot on holding the canter through turns, getting our horses to stop at specific points after a fence going towards the wall or a post and not worrying so much about strides in between fences but more about getting the horses to the fences correctly. There was no, 'go trot the x,' to start our rides, we got right to work on the exercises and the horses got better and better each time!



The second day was focused on coursework, continuing keeping the horse forward through the turns and straight to the fences. We started with a shorter warmup and went right to jumping a square oxer with step poles. In order for the horses to get the correct strides to the oxer, Buck placed 2 poles on the ground (about 6-8in apart) about a stride away from the fence instead of the classic 1 pole because the horses always jumped the two poles in the canter and couldn't mess up the stride to the oxer. Following the oxer, we had to stay straight with a forward canter towards the crowd of auditors going between 2 folding chairs that were placed about 15 ft from the crowd!! We could not turn until we went through the chairs. It forced us to make the turns correctly and backed our horses off enough so the turns were made smoothly and in balance.

The course progressed into some 2 strides on the diagonal, 1 strides on the long side, lots of precise turns, bending lines, plenty of square oxers (which were growing regularly!), rollbacks to a vertical on the short side then down to the 1 stride on the long side and more! Challenging and super educational! Buck made a great point that schooling lines, courses and questions way more difficult at home then you would ever see at an event would make your horse much more rideable on the courses in competition. Our green horse group finished with everyone having a beautiful final round finishing with a 3'6-3'9 oxer that all of ours horses jumped beautifully!



Buck Davidson was a fantastic clinician and really enjoyed watching the changes he made in every pair. He knew exactly when to push each horse and rider to improve them each round. On day 2, I was sitting on my horse thinking of ways to afford to go to Florida to ride with Buck :)

I came away from the clinic feeling more confident in both myself and my horse and I know that the feeling is shared with many of the other riders. I also have some valuable tools to share with my students!

Thank you to Area VII Adult Riders for bringing Buck to the Northwest!!

Courtney Comeau recently organized a clinic taught by Grant Wilson at Coyote Spring Farm in Lee, NH.  Courtney was kind enough to send us some quotes from the riders, as well as a brief overview of the clinic.  Thanks Courtney!

 

 

 

New Zealander Grant Wilson is an international show jumper based in Brussels, Belgium. His clients include Belgium Olympic three-day eventer Karin Donckers as well as a member of the Junior Belgium Show Jumping team. He competed as a member of the NZ team at the 2006 WEG in Aachen and has been competing in the international jumping circuit for the last 16 years. He currently runs a private competition and training stable in Brussels.
This is a recent Grand Prix ride for Grant in November 2011 right before his first clinic in New England. http://youtu.be/qMXe1UzUtZw

I began organizing Grant Wilson's east coast show jumping clinics in November 2011. He recently returned in January 2012 to give another clinic in this cold New England weather! We were welcomed back to the same stables; January 18-19 at Water's Edge Farm in Concord, MA,  Jan. 21 at Coyote Spring Farm in Lee,NH, Jan.22 at Green Acres Stables in NH and Jan. 23 at the University of New Hampshire.

In November we were lucky to have met eventer Corinne Ashton at Water's Edge Farm, who invited Grant to teach in Aiken this winter.  With little convincing needed to take a break from the cold New England weather, Grant will be teaching at Jenny Berryman's Southern Cross Farm in Windsor, SC 29 on January 31 - February 1, 2012.

Grant teaches all levels and ages. Group lessons contain 2-3 riders and are split to match the groups' level.  Grant emphasizes technique during the lessons and gives great advice whether you are an eventer, show jumper or hunter jumper.

 

Grant starts off his lessons with warm up exercises, for example in January he did a lot of ground pole work. He would have 2 ground poles on a 20 meter circle that were about 8 strides apart. He asked the riders to either lengthen or shorten strides in between the poles. Staying straight and in the center of each pole was a big factor in this exercise. For some of the younger riders, who were just beginning eventing or jumping, he would have them count out loud or in their head how many strides they were getting between the poles. Encouraging a feel for the striding.

Grant then goes through a couple of jumps ending in some courses.
He started off with 5 strides between two cross rails or verticals on one long side. The 5 stride was a good way to start off jumping because most horses were very fresh in the cold weather and some had not been jumping much. So with the five stride, if the horse was a bit speedy, they would have to incorporate a 15 meter circle into the line. Even just to give the horse something other to think about than going right to the next jump - they had to jump, ride a somewhat controlled circle, then go onto the next jump, as well as go on to the next jump in the course. Another main point that Grant emphasized was to keep straight after the jump as well as to approach your jump straight.

 

 

Here are some thoughts from riders in the January clinic with Grant Wilson:

"The Grant Wilson clinic was educational and systematic for both my young horse and progressive work for my more experienced horse.  Grant's demeanor and expertise make him one of my favorites and I'm looking forward to more riding opportunities!"
         -Liz Oertel, UNH

"Riding with Grant Wilson was an eye opening experience. I learned what I am capable of achieving, and that with the right training I will be able to reach all of my goals. I am 15, and have been riding for a little over two years, I have big ambitions I would like to reach, and with Grant's down-to-Earth teaching style I felt as though I have been riding with him for years. He worked a lot on technique and how to efficiently work with my horse, and corrected my mistakes. He encouraged me a lot during my lesson, and brought my confidence up greatly. I really look forward to the spring when Grant will return for another clinic."
         - Alexandra Fyffe, Coyote Spring Farm

"Grant was so great the way he worked with all levels and ages.  He remembered me and my mare.  And was able to quickly see how we had improved and/or what we still needed to work on.  His lessons are very tough yet he takes time to really explain.   And he was patient, friendly and fun with the girls (Emily and Kate).  He pushed them without scaring them.  And they came away confident and smiling."
         - Polly Gilbert, Water's Edge Farm
 
"I loved working with Grant. During my semiprivate he had us work on opening and closing our canter through various jump courses. When I went home with my horse, I was very happy to be able to recreate the same feeling I had during the clinic. I really look forward to attending another of his clinics."
        - Mary Lee, Water's Edge Farm

 

 

 

 

We love your clinic reports!  If you attend a clinic, send us your review: tips@eventingnation.com.  Here's a recap and post-clinic perspective, from an aspiring adult event rider... 

 

By Mary Getsey Bernier

I avidly follow and support the community and sport of Eventing--the horses and riders competing at all levels.  Like many aspiring riders, I stand in awe of the talented and athletic pairs who reach the highest levels of our challenging sport.  They inspire us. They break records and win prizes; they clear incredible obstacles with seemingly effortless grace.  I marvel at the true grit of those who emerge victorious through the roughest of rides, overcoming the odds.  When they jump, I jump. When they extend the trot down the diagonal, I float with them.  When they clear the water jumps, I feel the splash in my face.  I love this sport!  

For me, the here-and-now is that I'm a stay-home-Mom and horseless rider with two young kids. I have 30 years of off-and-on again riding on all sorts of horses, in some unusual circumstances in America, and abroad, along with only a handful of what one would call "formal" training.  I ride whatever horses I can, whenever I can. I strive to maintain balance as an individual, a rider, a Mom, and a wife.  When asked, I describe my riding experience and horse knowledge as a block of Swiss cheese: substantial, but with enough small holes that I work constantly to fill them with every learning opportunity I can find.  I attend local clinics, horse trials and shows, volunteer, and of course, my annual trip to the Rolex Three Day Event.  When out of the saddle, I'm the proverbial "sponge," soaking up as much as possible.  While I've ridden the separate parts of Eventing in my cumulative years of riding (cross country over all sorts of natural obstacles and terrain as a young fearless rider; some show jumping here and there; a bit of dressage), I have yet to do my first "real" competition, combining all three. My goal is to have a horse, to enjoy the process of training and riding, and to Event.

 

Colleen Rutledge Clinic, January 14-15, 2012 

I enrolled to audit a clinic with Advanced **** rider, Colleen Rutledge, over the weekend of January 14 -15.  Just days before the clinic, the phone rang--there was a horse for me to ride!!!  Thrilled, with butterflies in my stomach, I arranged kid care, and hightailed out to Turnabout Farm, in Mt. Airy, Maryland.  I had never ridden with an upper level rider instructor before, so I had no idea what to expect.  To make the opportunity even more nerve-wracking exciting, this was the first time I had ridden in over two and a half months, after fracturing three ribs last November, as well as injuring my rotator cuff, just two months prior in September (fortunately, neither injuries were riding related).  Before my down time, I had only been riding about twice a week, and had not jumped in over a year. I had no idea I'd be back in the saddle this soon--might as well dive in with both feet and start swimming, right?

 

Here we are, warming up on the flat...literally warming up! The high temp for both weekend days hovered just above 30F; I think the indoor ring temperature in the morning was a balmy 40F.  I had a short time to hack around and get to know the horse.  He was a wonderful 6 year old, with beautiful movement, a great mind, playful, and wonderfully fun!  
 

And then we started jumping...We started with a line down the center of the ring.  First, a simple vertical; then two; then three; then, three jumps followed by two strides to the fourth.  My recent time out of the saddle was showing.  I had trouble keeping my lower leg on, my leg still, I forgot to breathe, ("oh yeah, we're supposed to breathe...").  My shoulders needed to be back, my chest open, etc.  I had to remind myself to lighten up and relax.  
 

Colleen quickly pointed out I tended to freeze over the jumps. Also, I found myself either correct in my upper body position, or my lower leg contact, but wasn't keeping the two together, consistently.  Colleen could see right through me:  I was thinking too much, and trying too hard!  Time to pull it all together!  I rode on, and by the end of the hour and a half ride, I was loosening up.

 

Colleen is an excellent instructor. She communicated her instructions clearly, making me think about my riding in a new way.  In this case, the horse knocking down the pole was a result of him trying to figure out the jumping exercise.  It had been drilled into me in the past that a dropped pole was always a reflection of a jump ridden incorrectly by the rider.  When my position was correct, it was "not your problem" as Colleen explained. The horse was trying to figure out where to put his feet in between the jumps.  Colleen emphasized my job as a rider is to stay balanced, keep the rhythm, straightness, keep him ahead of my leg and forward, and let him do his job: jump.  Notice she said he was the one jumping, not me?  As I said at the end, "we're getting there!" 

 

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice...Or as I heard Jimmy Wofford say in another recent clinic I audited: "Practice doesn't make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect." 

 

We added a fourth jump to the line. Notice I rounded my shoulders and I crouched in my jumping position at the end? He popped over the last jump and my position was behind the motion. Not pretty, but it gives me a good idea of what I need to work on. Colleen pointed out I tend to round my position when I'm not secure, or when I'm thrown off-balance by the horse knocking a rail on a previous jump in a line.  I need to leave the dropped rails behind me and focus on jumping the rails ahead of me. 

 

A bit better, but always room for improvement.  

After we finished this line, we practiced over a wide jump, getting the horse to lengthen. (Where was my leg?! I think I was beginning to tire, but was still having fun!) 

 

After that, we moved on to a line of bounces, to get the horse to shorten his strides. Colleen taught us to start stretching and lengthening over the jumps first to get the horse to extend, and then move to the bounce line, to get the horse to contract. We rode both days for a bit over an hour and a half. The camera battery died at the end, so sadly no footage of those exercises. In the end I was sore, but I learned so much, and had such great FUN! 

By the end of the clinic, I had acquired so much useful information, and I left the clinic thinking about my riding in a completely different way.  More importantly, I took home lessons I felt confident I could work through on my own (such as the gymnastics, my position), until I have a chance to return and train with Colleen again.  I must work on the foundation of my riding, my position. I plan to spend more time on the flat, trotting in jumping position, working without stirrups, strengthening myself, stretching and staying flexible. I must be steady and not block the horse's movement by pinching him with my knees, or throwing him off balance by being too much ahead of the horse: a direct result of my weak lower leg, lack of calf contact, and fatigue.

 

Colleen helpfully pointed out I tend to not look at the top rail of my fences as I approach them.  How can I see what I'm jumping if I don't look at it?  Colleen explained I must focus on the top rail of the fence, on the approach, until it cleared my horse's ears.  At that point, I had less than a stride to jump, and if I didn't have it right by that time, I got what I prepared for, good or bad.  I also learned I tend to completely ignore or look beyond things that made me uncomfortable (insert whistling sound here, "la la la, nothing to see here, move along...pretend there's nothing there, just get over it....la la la").  It is funny how these things seem so blatantly obvious, but only after they are pointed out to you.  Another "light bulb" moment.  

Taking this knowledge with me was important, as I don't always have access to a trainer when I ride at home.  When you're horseless, and initially learned to ride in group lesson formats on school horses, or in an environment where you're constantly told how to ride (but not always why to ride in a certain manner), you tend to become too reliant on being told what to do, without learning what to do, instinctively.  Jumps and poles were always set up for me in a lesson, without explanation of distances.  I knew the basics of how far apart to set poles and jumps, but Colleen spent time going into detail about why the distances were set as they were, for the whichever particular exercise we were working on, at that particular moment.  While working with Colleen, I also learned I have a very good sense of "feel." I know when a ride is right; I know when it is wrong.  Having that sense of "feel" is very helpful for when I ride and practice on my own.  What I undeniably need was more time in the saddle, more mileage. Being able to take home the lessons I learned from Colleen, and not only know how to apply them, but the sequence in which to apply them with the needs of the particular horse I was working with, the "why, what, when, and how," on my own, was very important to me. 

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed the clinic. Colleen has a keen eye for evaluating each rider and horse, gauging their strengths and weaknesses and knowing just what is necessary to motivate them, setting them on the right course.  From my BN perspective, Colleen was incredibly helpful in teaching me how to work on the basics I need to master, before I am in a position to safely take myself and a horse to our first BN competition. I had a great time.  She's not only a terrific rider and competitor, but also an enthusiastic educator and excellent communicator.  The clinic was challenging, but also fun, inspiring, and simply put, she was an all-around awesome person to ride with.  I met some new horse friends, and enjoyed watching the other classes in the clinic over the two days.  The other riders who rode with me appeared to enjoy it as much as I did, having their own one-on-one moments with Colleen, to focus on their positions and horse's particular needs. 

Catch Colleen's next clinic, support her on her path to Badminton and beyond, have fun, and go ride.  For more information, visit her website and blog at:  http://colleenrutledgeeventing.com/.  Go Colleen and Shiraz!  Go Eventing!

The indoor at North Brook Farm photo via Ann Osterbauer

Lisa Marie Fergusson is no stranger to Eventing Nation. She writes terrific blogs about her journeys in eventing. When she's not on the road competing or training her own mounts, she travels to the frozen tundra good ol' Minnesota periodically to give clinics. She holds them regularly at Jan Fisk's North Brook Farm in Stillwater, MN. I met Lisa briefly several years ago at Otter Creek HT. She was just as lovely and gracious then as she is now.

Day 1: Gymnastics

I walked into the arena with my lesson-mates, Jean and Jill. Both Jean and Jill have ridden with Lisa before. The three of us were in a Novice/Training group as we had gone Training level, but were just getting back in to work for the season. We warmed up and headed down the grid line. Arena set up:

 

Gotta love Microsoft Paint

The grid was all poles the first time we trotted through. Lisa was big on position, and boy did I need it since my last lesson was back in October. Her emphasis for all of us was a nice, soft, following elbow maintaining a straight line to the bit. Keeping our upper bodies back and tall was also a reminder we all heard several thousand times, so that the horse can fully utilize its body and lift its withers to jump.  The grid was set for trotting in and Lisa built it up to Training height.

We then moved on to all those X-es you see on the right side of the diagram. Objective: Keep the same quality gait and make a dressage-like turn utilizing the outside rein around the 20 m circle of jumps instead of opening the inside rein like a jumper. This helps keep the horse straight and therefor jumping evenly off both hind legs. Let's just say my 17.2 hh all leg TB and I failed miserably. It was challenging. Start off by picking two jumps on the circle and adding more as you and your horse get in a rhythm and pick up the canter. Continue perfection. Jean was our fearless leader and she did quite well. She and her horse Cash got a little bit rolling towards then end, but Lisa kept reminding her to re-balance and focus on her turn. Charlie and I were up next. We could put 2 jumps together in some semblance of order, but it was obvious we needed to get back down to the trot and focus on turns and rideability. It was a great exercise because it really showed I don't have any outside aids going to the right. Lisa broke it down, and we were progressing. Jill and her horse Einstein were ROCKSTARS. They were in foot perfect. Absolutely inspiring to watch!

Then we started a course (see video below). This was great for my horse and I. We really need to work on our turning. Lisa was very helpful reminding us where we were going and putting little phrases in our heads to remember. Charlie and I finished with the Circle of Death Jumps, on the right lead as perfect as you can get. Video of yours truly, only because Jean and Jill declined.

Day 2: Courses

The course Lisa had set up was brilliant use of an indoor, I think. It was set to ride everything both ways, and with lots of turns, you can make many different courses without moving the jumps:


On Day 2, I was in a semi-private with Ginny Buell, and her lovely mare, Truffle. (Truffle is a home-bred of Jan Fisk). They have done a season of Novice and plan for another season of Novice this year.

I loved Day 2. Not only was my horse more rideable from the effort we put forth in the previous day's lesson, but Lisa's continual support to make my position better greatly affected my horse's way of going (for the better):

Depress those wrists! Squeeze, release, don't pull. Lift those hands! Squeeze a lot if you have to!

Show jumping is my worst phase, and I was dreading course work. We warmed up going back and forth over the blue trot and canter. As a person who really wants to feel a difference (improvement) when lessoning, this course was perfect. Not only could I focus on doing courses, I could focus on doing several different courses back to back to back. Through it all, Lisa re-created the feeling I have when I enter the show ring, that knot in my stomach. I don't know how or why, but I was glad it showed up because that meant I could work through it. Ginny and I exchanged glances when Lisa told us course #4 or 5. It was filled with about 10,342 transitions throughout the course. Another fabulous take on course work which had both horses jumping superbly at the end. Ginny had literally a PERFECT go of the last course, but unfortunately, we didn't catch it on film. Here's one of the first courses on the day:

Overall, I really enjoyed Lisa's teaching style and exercises. It's a great feeling when you feel like you've gotten your money's worth.

Many thanks to Lisa for braving the cold north in the indoor, and to Jan Fisk and everyone at North Brook for opening your doors, and to Jean Pilla for organizing these clinics. Ride on!

Go eventing.

 

 

The Training Sessions are coming! The Training Sessions are coming! Well, the February ones anyway... From the USEF Eventing High Performance FB page:

February Training Sessions with Mark Phillips: 

1-3  Ocala
6-9  Aiken
13-14  Ocala
18-19  California
20-21  Aiken (CMP &Katie Prudent)

Ocala sessions will be at Meredyth South. Enter from the gate off of 110th St.

Aiken sessions will be at Bridle Creek.

California sessions will be at Shannon Lilley's in Gilroy. 

The sessions are generally open to the public, and yours truly will try to report on the Aiken sessions. Please leave your dogs at home. Each session's schedule will be up 24 hours in advance. Recall that the Training Sessions are lessons for those on the High Performance lists. Looks to me that about half the horse/rider combinations on the HP lists will be attending sessions in Aiken. Let the games training begin!

This clinic report is a bit different than previous ones: this is a compilation of several riders' thoughts on the Colleen Rutledge holiday clinic. 

 

 

 

Photo by Bill Theyer

 

I just spent the last week at the Holiday Clinics that were provided by Colleen Rutledge. The passion that Colleen has for her horses and her sport came through loud and clear in each session on each of the 4 days of the clinic. No matter if you signed up for one day or all four, every rider learned something as did the auditors.

The sessions were held over 4 days, December 26, 27, 29 ,and 30th, 2011. The first session of each day was Beginner Novice, followed by an hour break before the Novice session with another hour break before the Training session. There were over 40 riders signed up with some sessions having a wait list. Colleen had planned on riding some of her horses in between the sessions. I am not sure how many of her horses she actually got to ride but I know she did spend a good deal of her break time finishing up with riders, talking to participants, lots of one on one time!

Each rider was evaluated individually and the differences were notable from the beginning of the session to the end. Colleen's gift to see the position of the rider and the way it is affecting the horse is uncanny. More impressive is the way she helps the rider adjust their position to better aid the horse in doing its job.

Each session Colleen did something different, at each level. If a participant rode every day, and several did, there was a different approach to the end goal. Improve the position of the rider in order to enable the horse to do its best job.

If you haven't had a chance to ride with Colleen or follow her story, I suggest you log on to her website, www.colleenrutledgeeventing.com. She will be holding more clinics in the near future. Riders of all levels can benefit from her experience and enthusiasm for the sport.
 
Leanne Denneno

 

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here are some of my thoughts I shared with Colleen - "I am just starting to get Hank out and increase both of our knowledge and experiences, your Beginner Novice level clinic was perfect.  Your way of instructing is very comfortable and to-the-point making it easy for me to apply your suggestions.  Thank you." I am hoping to be able to participate in Colleen's next clinic. 

Judy
 

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Colleen Rutledge Clinic:
 
The clinic was a really excellent learning experience for both young and adult riders alike.   Colleen was able to identify immediately the strengths and weaknesses in each horse/rider combination and to give the appropriate instructions to work to improve and/or correct these.   She did not let anything go for granted and worked from the basics on up through more sophisticated approaches.   She taught me how to trust my horse more and to let him learn to make mistakes and correct these on his own, so that he could build confidence.   She taught me how doing less on my horse's back really was equivalent to riding better, as the whole point over a jump is to be in balance and not to interfere with the horse's movement.  She encouraged us all to work on our position at home even though this is boring, as developing a good base is essential to good riding.   Very positive experience.  
 
 
Sherry Stephenson  (Eventer, BN and Novice, Member Adult Rider Association Area II)

 

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Photo by Bill Theyer

Buck Davidson gives instruction to Developing Rider Sydney Elliot at the 2011 Buck Davidson Clinic in Texas
(Photo courtesy of Luann McElduff)

 

Hello EN Readers!  It appears as though the craziness of the holiday season is finally beginning to die down, as people return from vacation and work projects begin again in earnest for the new year. At last I have a chance to write about a clinic that was truly one of my favorite experiences with an upper level rider (and not just because it happen to take place on my birthday!) - The Buck Davidson Clinic!

This clinic, organized by Kristy Limon of Excel Eventing, was held in Bellville, Texas at the established eventing facility, Pine Hill. Pine Hill hosts 100 acres of hilly fields and wooded areas perfect for practicing the different phases of the eventing sport. Since 1977, this facility has offered riders the opportunity to school and train, and has become one of Area Five's most popular riding locations.

Students at the clinic were lucky enough to have Buck's instruction just days (literally!) after he'd been awarded Preliminary Rider of the Year, Rider of the Year, Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion, Horse of the Year (for Ballynoe Castle RM) and Mare of the Year (on Absolute Liberty) at the USEA Year End Awards ceremony. Wow! To say we were all a little in awe of him is an understatement.

Buck Davidson won USEA's 2011 Rider of the Year. Are we surprised? (Photo courtesy of Flickr)

But despite all the accolades and recognition, Buck arrived at Pine Hill in Bellville, Texas with the same low-key geniality and hard working attitude that he has become known for in eventing. His focus was on the horse and rider teams attending the clinic, their training needs, and finding an effective way to help them improve!

Fortunately, the students (of all levels) were ready for some serious work! We had riders in attendance from as far away as Louisiana, both at beginning levels and recognized on the "Developing Riders" list, and all were committed to getting the most from the clinic!

Buck told us that these winter months, typically a slow season for most eventers, was the perfect time to take training back to the basics. He wanted to work primarily on position and on asking the horse to respond correctly to the rider's aids when asked to. Connection with the horse was vital, creating a situation that expected the horse to move into the connection correctly from the beginning was the goal. Buck spoke plainly about the necessity of solid riding and training basics by stating, "If you and your horse are cheating right now in training for the connection, when there is no show coming up, then what is going to happen in the middle of the show season? That's when you'll need your basics to be as correct and solid as possible, in case something unexpected happens."

Through this clinic, Buck helped us all take a step back and turn a discerning eye on the foundation of our position, on whether we were preparing our horse to jump safely and accurately, and whether we were maintaining the essential connection between our bodies and our mounts. He did this by challenging the clinic students with a series of rigorous stadium jumping grids and ever-changing cross country combinations. Each days' lessons went as follows:

 

Saturday - Stadium Jumping

Why yes, this is a gratuitous picture of me jumping at the Clinic. It's my Blog Entry, I'll do what I want! (Photo courtesy of Angie Pira)

Although Saturday's focus was on stadium jumping, Buck began his instruction with a series of flatwork exercises meant to establish balance and connection from rider to horse. He asked the students to shorten their reins in such a way that would lift and collect their horses in the front, while also pushing the horse forward from their legs at the trot. The goal was to keep their horse "in front of their leg," showing both impulsion and collection that would translate to a correct approach to fences. Riders were required to trot for this exercise, and Buck would not let anyone use speed to get their mounts moving forward into the connection. He insisted that riders set the expectation of connection, so that the horse could comply. "It's a matter of you training the horse, not the horse training you," He said.

Once he was satisfied with our trot work, we progressed to the canter, where we worked on elasticity of stride and the horses' willingness to respond to aids. Cantering in a large circle, Buck required that we collect our horses as much as possible, then move forward on an interval. This process has us expanding and contracting the frame we had with our horses, all while never losing that earlier established connection. Each time we collected, Buck wanted us to ask for lift in the chest and shoulder, then maintain that lift even as we allowed the horse to move forward into a hand-gallop.

Buck elaborates on Connection and Riding the Horse forward (Photo Courtesy of Luann McElduff)

 I'll say something here that I'm sure every eventer knows..... Flatwork is hard work! Despite the cool morning, we were all sweating by the time Buck was ready to start jumping! But our horses were supple and responsive, primed for a good day of positive grid-work.

We began simply, cantering over ground poles that were 9 feet, 8 feet, and 7 feet apart before jumping over a vertical. The poles guided the rider's collection upon approach to the jump, and using what we learned on the flat, most horses made the shortening distances easily.

The Ground Poles to Vertical Exercise!

From there, Buck began to expand on the pattern. He had students ride the poles to the vertical, then forward five strides to another set of ground poles to a short two-stride vertical combination. We then were required to ride all the way to the fence before turning around a standard. This taught us to maintain the horse's balance all the way through the end of the line, and to not allow them to bend towards the inside on a turn.  Buck didn't want us depending on the reins to turn our horse, he wanted us to use our bodies!

After we completed the expanded combination, Buck added additional gridwork, including a line of offset verticals at four stride intervals (on a continuous bending line). This was where the rider's use of their body rather than their hands to ask for the bending line truly paid off. If the student simply turned the horse's face, they overshot the bend and couldn't make the four stride requirement!

The pattern continued to expand as the students successfully completed each portion. The next line challenged the students' ability to remain precise in their steering and striding. It began with a vertical, a short two stride over a narrow brush box (minus the standards), then a forward moving three-stride over an oxer.

Students throughout the day completed the above elements in multiple combinations and at varying heights. I can safely say that everyone felt their position improving as the gridwork (and Buck's constant reminder to "Keep your horse in front of your leg! Sit up!") guided them into a better seat with more effective aids. Horses and riders alike ended the day energized with their accomplishments during the stadium lessons!

Christine McCarter completing the ground poles to Vertical exercise at the Buck Davidson Clinic

But the day didn't end after the lessons were done. That night Buck gathered with the clinic attendees at Martin Farms for a delicious homecooked meal and a Q&A session that discussed his recent year-end awards, his success with Team USA at the Pan American Games, and his outlook on obtaining personal and professional goals in the sport. Buck stressed the importance of riding as part of a team, of placing independent aspirations second to supporting fellow team members and riders.  He reminded us all that not only do successful riders need to have ironclad work ethic to produce results in eventing, they also need to commit themselves to learning from their colleagues and sharing the accountability in training for competition. Buck was obviously proud and thankful to have been a part of the amazing US team, including Michael Pollard, Hannah Burnett, Shannon Lilly, and Lynn Symansky. He heaped praise upon them for their accomplishments, while downplaying his own success. Every student in attendance that night left with a greater appreciation for the sportsmanship and camaraderie of the eventing discipline, thanks to Buck Davidson.

Sunday - Cross Country

King of the Mountain, Buck Davidson (Photo Courtesy of Luann McElduff)

Though Sunday was dedicated to practicing the cross country course, it quickly became clear that the lessons of the previous day were not to be forgotten. Like Saturday, riders were expected to begin their warm up by setting an expectation for proper connection with the horse. We revisited expanding and contracting the horses' frames in the canter, as well as practicing moving from a cross country gallop to a coffin canter and back again within a restricted amount of strides. Buck wanted the students to be able to feel and identify the gallop, the stadium canter, and the coffin canter, so they could deliberately ask for the correct rhythm at the right moment. He told us, "It's not a matter of speed, but of balance. Your horse can go as fast as you want, as long as they stay balanced and connected."

Buck discussed the ideal position when on a cross country course, telling riders to stay in the middle of the horse, sitting up with shoulders back. Proper position allows the rider to be prepared for the unexpected. He told us, "I want you to be able to look at the distance to a jump and choose the pace, so that you don't have to take the first distance you see, but could take the second or the third."

Buck then applied this exercise to a sprawling course of seven to eight cross country jumps, requiring that we approach certain fences at a gallop and others at a coffin canter. Focus was put upon the ability to change the length and balance of the horse's stride at any point on course, whether right before a jump or during a long gallop stretch.

Student Cindy Bower practices changing rhythm on course during the Buck Davidson Clinic (Photo Courtesy of Luann McElduff)

While exercising the water combination, Buck incorporated multiple turns that necessitated proper balancing of the horse through the water. He had students begin over two gallop-speed fences in the field, then slow the rhythm to a coffin canter on the approach to a two stride log jump to a bank down into the water . Once in the water, the rider then immediately turned left to canter out and over a roll-top on an ascending line.

A clinic student jumping the hill combination at the Buck Clinic

 

The same concept of balance and connection were applied once again on hilly terrain. Buck had riders jump stacked logs at the peak of a hill, ride in a controlled manner down the decline, turn to ride back up the hill and down again over a descending four stride combination, then turn again and ride another jump at the peak of the hill. All the while, the horse and rider were expected to maintain impulsion that put the horse in front of the rider's leg, but remained in balance and controlled.

Kimberly Jean rides the descending four-stride combination on the hill (Photo courtesy of Luann McElduff)

The theme continued throughout the day, over bank steps and trakehners. But no matter what we were jumping, Buck would always remind us of those vital points: Keep moving forward, maintain a connection, and seek the proper balance. Certainly words to live by, both in this sport and out!

Conclusion - Tired but Happy

Photo Courtesy of Luann McElduff

This clinic is approximately the fifth time I've ridden with Buck in the past two years, and once again I believe I walked away with both a sense of accomplishment and a great deal to work on before he sees me again. Buck's explanation of the most fundamental elements of riding are precise and technique driven, with continual reference to the consistency required to train both yourself and the horse. He never over-explains, but will verbally lay the groundwork and then let his jumping exercises speak for themselves. He is honest and kind in his critiques, and gives positive feedback whenever a rider does something correctly, which makes riding with him extremely rewarding. Even if Buck never won Rider of the Year, or helped USA clean up at the Pan America games, I would still consider him one of the most valuable assets to the eventing sport today. Not just for his extensive talent, but also for the core values he promotes within our sport: Teammwork, Dedication, and Consistancy.

Buck Davidson will be returning to Area Five again in February, and I have already sent in my deposit for my spot. Prophet and I have begun planning our training regime over the winter so we can show Buck our improvements. There is just nothing better on this earth than getting the "thumbs up" from Buck Davidson!

Go Eventing!

Mr. George H. Morris is still a bit under the weather, so this morning's sessions are being taught by top jumper rider McLain Ward. I caught the tail end of the first group, and it was great to watch. Ward placed emphasis on correct position, balance of the horse approaching fences,with an easy teaching style for riders and auditors. 

Group Two just started with work on the flat. Tune in now!  [Link]

It can be easy for those of us snowbound for the winter months to forget about horses and our riding while the weather is too dismal to do much of anything. It's not necessarily a bad thing, as a couple month break can do wonders for both our horses and ourselves. Hitting the reset button once a year prevents staleness from taking over and allows us to return to our riding and horses with a renewed zest and vigor. 

Photo via USEF

 

As Leslie told us last week, George Morris is conducting a special clinic this week, and it's being streamed online for all to see.  Coverage today starts at 5pm (EST), and will begin at 8am Wednesday through Saturday.

 

I had the privilege of grooming/watching the winter training sessions with GM nine years ago, and it was a fantastic learning experience.  I even got yelled at, as part of demonstration about "pressure" (I passed, by the way, after nearly peeing my pants).  He is very demanding, even of auditors, but he will bring out the best horseman/woman in all of us. 

Here's the link, and don't you DARE be late!

http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/GeorgeMorris2012/