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2 Equestrian Vaulting Editor in Chief: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, Copy Editor: Katharina Woodman Photographers: Blake Dahlgren, Andrea Fuchshumer, Jorden Hobbs, Daniel Kaiser/Impressions, Carolin Kowsky Fotografie, Rana Joy Glickmann, Devon Maitozo, Jennifer Mihalyi, Kate Revell/ VaultingPhotos.com, Greg Stamos, Phoenix Suranofsky Writers and Contributors: Sheri Benjamin, Carolyn Bland, Lawrence Calderon, Craig Coburn, Jessica Cochrane, Alicen Divita, Mindy Pelz-Hall, Mari Inouye Smith, Laura Yelavich Designer: Leah Kucharek, Red Hen Design Equestrian Vaulting magazine is the official publication of the American Vaulting Association. Comments/suggestions/questions are welcome to For information on advertising rates, how to submit editorial content and more go to For address changes go to and click on Membership Updates to make the change. If you are having problems receiving your copy of the magazine or wish to receive additional copies, contact the AVA National Office (ph or No part of this publication may be reproduced either in whole or part without written permission. Copyright by American Vaulting Association Equestrian Vaulting magazine is published three times a year. AMERICAN VAULTING ASSOCIATION 1443 E. Washington Blvd. #289 Pasadena, CA Equestrian Vaulting American Vaulting Association Directory 2016 AVA VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Effective January 1, 2016 Executive Board Members President: Connie Geisler, connie_geisler@hotmail.com Executive VP: Kelley Holly, tambourine-farm@att.net Secretary: Linda Bibbler, lbibbler@gmail.com Treasurer: Jill Hobby, jill.hobby@hobbyfamily.org VP Competitions: Kathy Rynning, kathy.rynning@gmail.com VP Development: Sheri Benjamin, sbenjamin@americanvaulting.org VP Education: Carolyn Bland, whimby4@gmail.com VP Membership: Kathy Smith, rockmtnhorsepk@yahoo.com Competitions Director: Emma Seely, emmaseely17@gmail.com Education Director: Kendel Edmunds, ke5554@yahoo.com Fund Raising Director: Open Information Technology Director: Craig Coburn, craigcoburn@me.com Judges Program /Technical Committee Director: Suzanne Detol, sdetol@aol.com Marketing & Communications Director: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, megan.guimarin@gmail.com Membership Director: Dana Heger, dana.heger@gmail.com Safety & Insurance Director: Linda Bibbler, lbibbler@gmail.com Vaulting Program Development Director: Gibran Stout, ocvaulting@gmail.com Volunteerism Director: Open Equestrian Vaulting Features 5 Love Your Body! Body Positivity for Vaulters 8 Imperfect is Beautiful 12 Training for Peak Performance Lawrence Calderon 18 Pull-out Poster 20 If You Build it, They Will Come Sheri Benjamin AVA Hall of Fame Horses: Leonardo AVA Hall of Fame Horses: Jarl AVA Hall of Fame Horses: Stanford 27 AVA 2015 Horse of the Year 28 AVA 2016 Lunger of the Year Give the Gift of give the gift of Equestrian Vaulting Up to 60% Off! Up to 60% Off! Regional Supervisors Region I: Sara Nicholson, sandiegovaulting@gmail.com Region II: Sue Smith, sscherfsmith@yahoo.com Region III: Lori Robison, lori@fourwindsrc.com Region IV: Dena Madden, Madden_Dena@yahoo.com Region V: Beth Whillock, ewhillock@msn.com Region IX: Lisa Zielenske, lmzielenske@yahoo.com Region X: Peter Senn, petesenn@hotmail.com 29 AVA 2016 Mentor of the Year AVA Annual Awards AVA Annual Convention, Tucson, AZ Subscription Prices (Three issues, published Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter) Add on subscription for current AVA Vaulting Fan and Recreational Members (US only): $12 US Non-member: $18 Annual Multi-pack Pricing for All Current AVA Members and Clubs: 5-Pack EV Magazine Bundles: $50 15% off single subscription pricing! 10-pack EV Magazine Bundles: $90 25% off single subscription pricing! 20-pack EV Magazine Bundles: $140 40% off single subscription pricing! AVA NATIONAL OFFICE Craig Coburn, National Office Manager 1443 E. Washington Blvd. #289, Pasadena CA nationaloffice@americanvaulting.org Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon PST Ph: , Fax: FEI Vaulting Committee Member: Suzanne Detol, sdetol@aol.com USEF Board/Elected Athlete: Devon Maitozo, devomai@mac.com USEF Vaulting High Perf. Comm. Chair: Linda Bibbler, lbibbler@gmail.com USEF Vaulting Technical Committee Co-Chairs: Craig Coburn, craigcoburn@me.com; and Suzanne Detol, sdetol@aol.com Volume 48, Issue 1 Equestrian Vaulting Designed by: Red Hen Design, Howell, MI, redhendesign@comcast.net On the Cover: Strong and flexible! Madeline Lampard of F.A.C.E. trains her scorpion handstand with Maximillian at a recent practice in Agoura Hills, California. Photo courtesy of Devon Maitozo 20 Columns 4 From the Editor Megan Benjamin Guimarin 9 Horse Smarts Training the Equine Vaulting Athlete Carolyn Bland 10 Just for Vaulters Five Nutrition Rules for Building Healthy Bodies Mindy Pelz-Hall 14 Just for Vaulters Tabata Workouts Mary Inouye Smith 16 Through the Eyes of the Judges Little Things That Matter Craig Coburn 35 Events Calendar 2 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue 1 3

3 from the Editor By Alicen Divita feature Dear AVA family, After soon to be six years and twenty issues of Equestrian Vaulting magazine, I have decided the time has come to pass the baton to a new Editor in Chief at the end of With a little less than eight months until transition time, the AVA and I are on the hunt today for the next leader of EV magazine. Might it be you or someone you know? What skills and competencies must the editor have in their bag of tricks? n Project Management: The editor is responsible for the magazine from concept to print and must have the organizational skills to shepherd the publication from a collection of creative ideas to a physical ~36-page magazine in members mailboxes. If you re the master of the to do list and almost obsessively on top of your inbox, read on. n Volunteer Coordination: A good portion of the job is figuring out who in the vaulting world is best suited to write, photograph, or contribute to a certain article, then sending out reminders to those volunteer writers and photographers to ask for content on time. n Excellent Writing Skills: You must be a lover of the English language and adept at turning bullet points into prose. Much of editing articles for EV is actually rewriting them. Many of our best subject experts are selfprofessed non-writers, which puts the onus on the editor to turn that knowledge into readable content. EV has a wonderful copy editor, Katharina Woodman, who makes sure the magazine looks (and especially, reads) ship-shape before it goes to print, but the editor must take the first pass. n Patience and Persistence: The volunteers who contribute to EV have myriad priorities, and sometimes, getting their article or photo to the pesky editor is low on their list. The editor must have the patience to wait and the persistence to keep asking for, then tweaking and honing the content they ultimately receive. n Deep, Borderline Nerdy Knowledge of Equestrian Vaulting: This is another given. You must love and live vaulting. Most of all, you must be in tune with what the membership needs and wants to know. What s in it for the editor? n Great Resume Builder: I credit EV magazine with landing me my first post-university job in marketing. I toted recent issues of the magazine to interviews to show off my skills as an editor, project manager, and overall go-getter. It was also a great excuse to talk about vaulting without confusing people. (It always helps to have a picture!) n Bragging Rights: The AVA has one of the best (and only!) great vaulting publications in the world. In fact, the officials in the USEF offices tell us we have one of the most informative and entertaining equestrian publications ever. The new editor will be in charge of that legacy and will be able to sculpt it into something uniquely their own. n Honorarium Commensurate With Experience: Because a little extra cash never hurt anyone. To learn more about editing for EV, send an to editor@americanvaulting.org. Looking forward to hearing from many of you! Love Your Body! Body Positivity for Vaulters Body Image Madness It s a mad world out there. Everywhere you look, magazines, articles, inspirational Instagram accounts, and Pinterest boards supposedly promoting fitness and health are actually focusing on appearance, glorifying the bikini body, slim thighs, a flat belly, and toned arms. But what do these toned, slim body parts actually do? As strong, confident athletes that can stand and lift each other atop a cantering horse, we can also lift each other out of the body image madness that often surrounds us. Instead of focusing on how our bodies look, let s learn to focus on how our bodies feel and what our bodies can do! How do you feel when you are working out? How do you feel when you re pushing hard to accomplish a big fitness goal? What can your body do when you are your strongest and healthiest self? I can guarantee you, a healthy, strong body feels and performs way better than any Photoshopped bikini body out there. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Mihalyi Overcoming Our Body Image Demons It s not always easy to feel happy and confident with the way we look. I remember back in high school, when I was self conscious about the size of my arms, or overly critical of a single pound gained or lost. I remember being teased for having a small butt, or (sometimes admiringly) teased by guys who noticed I was stronger than they and their friends were. Being body positive can be even more difficult when you feel like everyone is watching you, judging you. Let me tell you this: the reality is that most people are more concerned with themselves than with you. Others often barely notice these things that we so weirdly and harshly judge about ourselves. For every part "It s bully sport and it s open fight; It will keep you busy both day and night; For the toughest kind of a game you ll find Is to make your body obey your mind." -Edgar Guest of your body you ve somehow convinced yourself needs to be longer, shorter, rounder or flatter, there is someone out there wishing for just the opposite perhaps they're even wishing for something you already have but have never thought to appreciate. Although it may seem obvious, what is most important is your health, your happiness, and the love that you feel toward yourself. Vaulters, our bodies are amazing machines that allow us to experience the world. The more we take care of them and the more we can learn to love them, the more we can enjoy doing the things we love, like vaulting! Megan Benjamin Guimarin editor@americanvaulting.org 4 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue 1 5

4 feature Kristian Roberts Team USA, Multiple Time Individual National Champion Every time you see the cover of Men's Health, Sports Fitness, ESPN magazine, or any other fitness-related publication geared toward male athletes, there is a common aesthetic theme big biceps, toned pectorals, and perfect washboard abs. I ve definitely struggled with wanting to look like these cover guys, versus focusing on the functional, perhaps less aesthetically perfect fitness and training I actually need to succeed as an athlete. I ve forced myself to realize that most images have been touched up and strategically shaded to create a more eyecatching cover shot. As a former gymnast, I learned early that performance and technique are everything. We didn't lift weights; we lifted our own bodies! This doesn't always give you big muscles, but creates density, coordination, and a power-to-weight ratio that none of those huge models could ever hope to match. So forget what society wants you to look like. They'll forget too when you show the world the performance of a lifetime! Vaulter Stories Here are a few stories from inspiring international athletes who have Kalyn Geisler Team USA, Squad and Pas de Deux National Champion For as long as I can remember, I have always been judgmental of my body. I suppose athletes are especially prone to comparing themselves to others and being highly critical of themselves. It wasn't until I had my daughter that I started to appreciate how completely awesome my body is. My body is the vessel for all my emotions; it is the source of all my willpower. It has gotten me through every experience. It contains my memories, and it is the writer of all my secret dance moves. When you think about your body in those terms, it's hard not to be proud of it. I no longer take for granted the relationship between mind and body. As a vaulter, my body is an instrument for expression, and owning my body is a fundamental part of becoming a better athlete. found a way to feel good about the skin they are in. I hope that their views can help you with our mission to empower ourselves and those around us. Kristina Boe Photo courtesy of Carolin Kowsky Fotografie Team Germany, Individual and Pas de Deux I am an athlete with all my body and soul. And I was born with a competitive mind. Going back all the way to childhood, I had been comparing myself to other people. Not only in one, but in all areas of my life. But of all those comparisons, nothing left me so insecure over the years as my body. I can't tell you why, but in no part of my life was it so difficult for me just to accept things the way they were. I think the one reason it can be difficult to accept your body is because it's hard to nail down the facts when it comes to beauty; it is a game you can t really win or lose. In sports, you get points and in school, you get grades. It's measurable. Beauty isn't. For me this was hard to handle. The other reason might be that it has so many facets. It only took one piece of the mosaic for me to be dissatisfied with the whole, to let my whole self-confidence collapse like a house of cards. What I probably struggled the most with is the fact that this is the one part of my life which is a given. I can't try harder to change the color of my eyes and I can't put effort into getting longer legs. This was hard for me to accept. Sometimes I still need to work on it. Over time, I have learned to love my body. My medical studies helped, too, because they opened my eyes to the breathtaking wonder our bodies are. I became grateful for health. Now it s enough to eat a healthy diet, listen to my body and try to do a reasonable amount of sport without causing future damage, working with, instead of against, my body. I think this is what it comes down to. So work, push the limits, and improve yourself in the ways you actually can influence. That s what gave me the ability to accept, and even love, what I can't change. Photo courtesy of Phoenix Suranofsky At-Home Body Image Exercise Many of you have seen the videos that show the undoing of airbrushing and postproduction effects used by advertising companies on models for magazines and billboard advertisements. (If you haven t, search airbrush transformation on YouTube.) Talking with the vaulters that I coach, I found that many of them were surprised when they saw these videos for the first time, revealing how much of what we see on television is actually the product of Photoshop. To be honest, I was surprised that they were surprised. How could these images be real? Have you seen anyone in your own life who actually looks like these models? Next time you have access to a magazine or really anything with a model on it grab a pen and start circling all the parts of the photo you think are airbrushed. Train your eye to notice what is not real. At the same time, take note: how many times do you see these fitness and health articles advertising function Jennifer Daniels Coach and Retired Vaulter, Certified Yoga Instructor In a sport where beautiful, fit girls run around in skin-tight uniforms, it is easy to get stuck in the comparison mode. "She has great arms!" "Wow! Look at that sixpack!" "Those legs! She's gorgeous!" I have certainly gotten stuck in the comparison rut. It has taken me a long time to begin to let go of "the perfect body" envy. In fact, it's taken me much longer than I'd like to admit! I've learned a few tricks that help me to get out of the body image cycle which always ended with me not feeling very good about myself. First, observe but try not to judge or compare. (what you can do) versus aesthetic (how something looks). Keep this in mind next time you choose your light reading. Personally, I found it is important to have some sort of physical practice to enjoy just for the sake of it. Whether it is having a moment at vaulting practice to notice how incredibly strong and flexible you have become, or somewhere else, like yoga or dance class, just noticing how good it feels to move. Put all cameras and critical eyes down, and just enjoy being active. In a sport where we are constantly trying to jump higher, stretch farther, and point our toes harder, what can you do today and every day to change the way you think about your body to inspire yourself and others around you? Let's all focus more on who we are and what we accomplish together, and less on what we look like while we re doing it. If anyone can do it, vaulters, I think it is us! If you watch the athletes in our sport, you'll notice that people come on all shapes and sizes. Even at the elite level, vaulters have different bodies yet are able to complete these amazing feats of strength, flexibility, and grace. Second, feel good in your body. That means noticing foods that leave you feeling sluggish or bloated and taking those out of your diet. It means finding the proper exercise level that leaves you feeling healthy and more in tune with what's happening in your body. For me, the more I've been able to feel good, the less I care about looking a certain way. Know that you are strong and healthy and fit. Know that fitness comes in many different shapes and sizes. Know that nothing, including vaulting, is worth losing your positive, healthy self-image. 6 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue 1 7

5 Imperfect is Beautiful By Carolyn Bland Horse Smarts Training the Equine Vaulting Athlete Imperfect is beautiful. Jessica Cochrane A lot of what I went through as a vaulter plays an important role in my work like issues surrounding perfectionism and anxiety and the pressure to perform to an exacting standard. My personal mental health challenges can be linked to the nature of competitive sport, a mindset that trickled into my day-to-day life and started to follow me around. My work really allows me to accept all of these imperfections that exist in our lives and allows others to connect if they have experienced the same anxieties over perfectionism. The most important thing is that the work allows room for change. It challenges viewers to consider something atypically beautiful or something that could be considered imperfect as even more beautiful and stronger than it ever could have been without the transformation it has gone through. Jessica Cochrane is an artist living in Sydney, Australia. She is a retired international vaulter, and competed for Team Australia at international competitions around the world. Jennifer Arnsten rides Valour in a forward walk. Three Great Exercises Walking Not a Sunday stroll but walking with activity and asking the hind legs to step as deep as possible, creating as much overstep as your horse s conformation will allow. (The hoof print from the hind leg should go past the hoof print from the corresponding front leg.) A good energetic walk makes a good energetic transition to trot and canter. Every training session, both on the lunge or under saddle, should start with a nice forward walk. Shoulder-In Riding the horse so that the shoulder (not the neck) is on a slight inside track helps balance, and especially straightness on the circle. If this concept is new to you, work with a certified dressage trainer until you can master it on your own. Practice shoulder-in and other lateral movements once you've mastered the basics. Medium Canter This really helps the horse stay fit! Make sure to GO FORWARD. Get your horse to be comfortable exerting some forward energy in a bigger canter. Later, he can relax into a good quality canter with active hind legs. When we talk about cross training and fitness with our human vaulting athletes, we all tend to know what the benefits of general fitness are, as well as being aware of the importance of blending different aspects of fitness into our athletes programs. To meet the demands of vaulting, our horse s fitness needs the same consideration. Let s think about it. What do we require of our vaulting equine athlete? Balance. The horse must be in balance while vaulters are moving their weight around atop his back. Coordination. The horse must be able to use both sides of his body equally and must be coordinated through transitions between gaits. Mental Discipline. The horse must be a good listener. He should be attuned to your aids and respond immediately. Stamina. The horse needs both short term stamina, such as being able to canter beautifully for a four-minute team freestyle, and long term stamina, such as being fit enough to continue to perform at a high level throughout a long competition day or weekend. Strong Physique. Good conformation is important, but strength can also be improved through proper riding and training. Improving these qualities takes practice and consistent training. Here are a few exercises that will help both under saddle and on the lunge: Balance Transitions between the gaits (for example, walk to trot) and within the gaits (for Carolyn Bland is a renowned vaulting and dressage trainer. She was the 2006 AVA Trainer of the Year for her extraordinary work with Mozart and F.A.M.E. and has continued to turn out exceptional vaulting horses since she joined the sport in She is the AVA's VP Education. example, collected to extended trot). Changes of direction, including figure eights, straightness across the diagonal and along the long side of the arena, and serpentines. Varying circles, either by increasing and decreasing circle size or moving a circle around the arena. Coordination Lateral movements, such as leg yields, shoulder-in, and haunches-in. Stepping over obstacles, practice working the walk, trot, and canter over caveletti and/ or jumps. Mental Discipline The same transitions that promote balance also promote mental discipline, since your horse must be listening for your next cue. Stamina Varied and disciplined dressage training under saddle is the key to stamina. Start with the basics, including walk, trot, canter, and the transitions in between, both on the circle and down the long side/diagonal. As those become more and more consistent and clear, add in alternate shapes (figure eights, serpentines, spiral in circles, etc.), and later, lateral work. Hill work is great for your horse s cardio training. Go up the hill for pushing power, down the hill for carrying power. (What goes up must come down so you ll work both either way!) Strong Physique: Consistent training under saddle and on the lunge, practicing the exercises detailed above, will build strength in the vaulting horse. 8 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue 1 9

6 Just for vaulters Five Nutrition Rules for Building Healthy Bodies Whether you are aware of it or not, the quality of the food you are eating is drastically different than it was years ago. Foods that are genetically modified, sprayed with pesticides, packaged with preservatives, and filled with synthetic additives are everywhere. In fact, over eighty percent of packaged foods in the U.S. contain dangerous chemicals that are banned in other countries. The food you eat will have a dramatic effect on how your body feels and functions. The crazy busy lifestyle has many of us rushing from event to event, grabbing the easiest food we can find. Many of these foods are contributing to your weight loss resistance, depression, anxiety, acne, fatigue, lack of mental clarity, depressed immunity, chronic pain, reoccurring injuries, and overall poor health. Bottom line, what you eat matters! So what foods should you eat? How do you eat in a way that builds your health? There are five very specific nutrition rules you need to follow to build yourself a body that feels fantastic, performs at the highest level possible, and keeps you energized all day long. 1 Read Labels Every time you pick up a food item, the first thing you should do is read the label. Most people go to the calorie and fat section, but that tells you nothing about how healthy that particular food is. The two areas you want to look at are the ingredients list and total amount of sugar. Go to the ingredients list first. As you read the list, ask yourself if the ingredients sound like something that is made in nature or something you might encounter in a high school chemistry class. For example, soy is made in nature, but soy protein isolate is a synthetic, chemical adaptation of soy that is toxic. After going through the ingredients list, check out the sugar section next. Sugar is one of the most harmful foods you can eat. It will suppress your immune system, causes you to gain weight, and can destroy your gut quickly. Sugar is so damaging to your body that the American Heart Association recommends that adult men have no more than 35 grams of sugar a day and that women and children have no more than 25 grams. To give you some perspective, a bottle of Coke has over 75 grams of sugar in it. By Mindy Pelz-Hall 2Stop Eating Fake Foods Once you start getting familiar with the ingredients that make up your foods, you will start to recognize real food from fake food. Again, anything that sounds like a chemical most likely is one. Want a quick trick for identifying fake food? Most processed food lives in the middle aisles of your grocery store. If you want the freshest food, stick to the outside peripheral area. Don t go in the middle aisles. Another trick is to ask yourself if the food item you are about to purchase could live in your pantry for months and never get stale. If the answer is yes, you might want to avoid it. 3Get an Oil Change When we went on low fat diets as a country, all chronic diseases increased. Think about it. Do we have more or less cases of cancer than years ago? Alzheimer s? Heart Disease? Diabetes? I can guarantee you the answer is more. One of the major contributing factors to the rise in these diseases is bad oils. Bad oils are canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and vegetable oil. These oils cause inflammation, make you gain weight, and put you on a fast path to poor health. If you want to be healthy, you need to change your oils. Take out the bad; add in the good. The good oils are avocado oil, coconut oil, and organic butter to name a few. Just by making this one change, your weight regulates, your energy goes Coach's up, and Eye your mental clarity comes back. 4Fresh is Best Your body needs fresh fruits and vegetables that are packed with enzymes. Enzymes help break down your food so your body can digest it better. When you are lacking enzymes in your diet, food can get stuck on the sidewalls of your digestive system and block your body s ability to get nutrients across the intestinal membrane into your blood stream. This leads to fatigue, bloating, and constipation. A golden rule we follow in my household: always eat something fresh and colorful with every meal. Add greens to your eggs in the morning, berries to your oatmeal, salad with dinner, or cut an avocado up and serve it as a side dish. 5Hydrate Properly Seventy percent of your body is water. Every cell in your body needs water. You need to be drinking water on a regular basis. It will nourish your skin, improve your mental clarity, and give you energy. There is no evidence showing the exact amount of water our bodies need each day, but a good gauge is six to nine eight-ounce glasses a day, more if you ve had a tough, sweaty workout. Drinks like Gatorade, soda, and even orange juice will destroy your health, not improve it. Gatorade has a flame retardant chemical in it that is a known carcinogen. Soda and orange juice will spike your blood sugar so high, it will leave you insulin resistant. Stick to water as your primary drink and you will never go wrong. Cheers to better health! Dr. Mindy Pelz-Hall believes the foundation for a happy, vibrant life is excellent health. At her chiropractic practice, Family Life Chiropractic, Dr. Mindy and her team have helped thousands of patients reclaim their health by integrating chiropractic, nutrition, and exercise. In addition to her work as a chiropractor, Dr. Mindy is the mother of two, including Mt. Eden vaulter Bodhi Hall, and the author of the Amazon bestseller, The Reset Factor. To contact Dr. Mindy, her at drmindypelz@gmail.com. Isabelle is the head coach at Woodside Vaulters, one of the nation s largest and most successful vaulting clubs. She has coached vaulters from Beginning Trot to Gold and is known for her innovative and incredibly well-organized coaching methodology. When she s not coaching, she s the CFO of Summit Charter Schools or spending time with her husband and two daughters. 10 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

7 Imagine you have qualified for and now want to peak at the Vaulting World Championships. What would your training look like? How does one go about putting a comprehensive training schedule together? By Lawrence Calderon feature You don t need to be a World Champion to train like one. Whether you re training to be at your best for the World Championships, National or Regional Championships, or for a special upcoming show or demonstration, the same rules apply. Train According to Your Body Type Creating a plan that fits who you are as an athlete is the most important concept. Is your body naturally flexible? Are you naturally strong? Do you have a strong core? Are you naturally an explosive athlete? All of these athletic characteristics must be accounted for when you embark on this journey. This is another way of saying, not all vaulters should train the same way. Training for elite-level vaulters can be broken down into two- or threemonth intervals. This allows for gradual changes in strength, flexibility and endurance; all of which can be enhanced. Here is my suggested time line. Rest and Recuperate (August November) Vaulters coming off a tough vaulting season should take a short break. For some, this might mean two weeks (minimum), for others, it might mean a month or more. A short break does not imply that athletes should stop being active altogether, but rather that all activity should be geared toward the athlete doing some activity they enjoy. This might mean swimming, dancing, hiking, surfing, rock climbing or some other activity to stay in shape. For some, this might mean vaulting, but with fun instead of competition in mind. Try new moves. Play around. Get out of the mindset of repetitive routines and compulsory drills... for now. Things will get serious soon enough! All competitive sports require conquering both physical and mental aspects to be successful. Allowing your body an opportunity to refresh before starting a new season is as important as training. This refresh/ down time is a concept that most vaulters, and their coaches, miss. Break Down to Build Up (November December) This is the time to work on your weakness. After your previous season, it is always good to sit down with your coach, trainers, and anyone else who can give you constructive feedback and figure out what went well during the last season and what needs to be improved. The importance of acknowledging and correcting our weaknesses is what can take an athlete to the next level. Did you have enough flexibility? Were you worn down by the end of the season? Was your diet sufficient to be at your best? These questions should be addressed and a plan should be developed at this time. For most vaulters, this time period is about breaking down and building back up. This is the time I will usually have an athlete use a combination of weight training and body weight exercises to build power. Also it is a good time to start building up core strength. Peak Performance During this time, vaulters start to train more consistently on the horse and start to drill both compulsories and freestyle moves. Because vaulters are in an active break-down process during this stage, it s important to keep vaulting moves safe. An athlete is more prone to injury at this time. and you, the athlete, must feel you have addressed any weaknesses or problematic issues from the previous season. The vaulter must feel that all their compulsory and freestyle moves are doable. reflect your training. At this time routines are smooth and well executed. By the end of December the athlete and coach should see improvement in correcting any weakness. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition (January February) In this period, vaulting repetition becomes the focus. It is also a good time to assess the strengthening regimen of the previous two months. If the strength training was successful, your coach will see the difference. If flexibility was an issue, again your coach should see the changes in your vaulting. I always recommend a toned down version of strength training through this phase to maintain the muscle strength the athlete gained. The same for gains made in increasing flexibility. Also, this is a good time to address cardiovascular conditioning. Vaulters will be more successful and have fewer injuries if they train aerobically. Remember you are on the horse for at least one minute, and if you are able to maintain a low heart rate at the end of your routine, everything will be easier. I recommend two sessions per week minimum, doing some low heart rate training, keeping your heart rate in the range, for about 30 minutes. The most important thing that comes out of this period is that your coach If you are still having a strength, flexibility or aerobic issue at this time, there is still time to work on it. However, dial back the intensity, as vaulting repetition must take over. It s nearly competition season! Competition Preparation (March April) The main goal of this time period is to be ready to compete. There are various competitions at the end of March but the main part of the season is usually during the end of April, May, and June. From a vaulting perspective, focus on perfecting your routines. Perform the drills you need to gain incremental improvements for higher scores. This is not a time to break things down! From a training perspective, if strength was a concern at the beginning of the season, it is a good idea to continue to lift weights and do body weight exercise, but at a much lower intensity. Cardiovascular exercise should continue and become relatively easier. Core exercises should also continue. Competition Season (May June) This is the heart of the competition season for most vaulters. It is where the joy of competition emerges and if you are ready, your scores will Lawrence Calderon is an applied kinesiologist based in Santa Cruz, California. He has worked with top-level Team USA vaulters for over twenty years, and has traveled with Team USA to nearly every World Championship and World Equestrian Games during that time. In addition to his work with vaulters, he works with high performance athletes training in a variety of sports, including track and field, volleyball, basketball, and more. Training for There is usually a slight lull in the competition madness toward the end of June. Depending on the date of the big event (Regionals, Nationals, World Championships, or other), there is usually time for a little time off for an athlete to recharge or do a short strength breakdown cycle. I have sent athletes back to the gym to do a three-week cycle of weights/body weight exercises knowing that they don t compete for at least six weeks. This little bit of increased muscle activity can often push an athlete to another level, as the vaulter has just spent six months honing their routine. Peak Time (July August) This is peak time. From your previous seven months of training and competing, you have an idea of what you need to do to be at your best. If you are tired, some time off (sometimes a day is all you need, sometimes you ll need three to seven days) is essential. If you have energy and your body is ready, a mini strength-training regimen, started in June, can shock the body in a good way. The important thing here is listening to your body. You ve done the training. You are ready. Now you just have to do your job in that competition (or show) arena, and you will have trained for peak performance! 12 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue photo courtesy of Greg Stamos

8 Just for vaulters The Tabata workout is gaining major popularity these days, and for good reason! Tabata is a type of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and is one of the most efficient ways to build oxygen capacity and boost your metabolism. This workout consists of short bursts of exercise with either active recovery (less intense exercise) or complete rest in between. There are tons of different variations you can do by changing the amount of time and/or exercises in each set of a Tabata workout. This time around we will do an interval time of 20:10. This means performing a particular exercise (or exercises) a t high intensity for 20 seconds, followed by a 10 second rest. This is repeated eight times, giving us a total of a four-minute workout. Try four sets of Tabatas with a one-minute rest in between each set, for a total of a 20-minute workout. By Mari Inouye Smith Tabata Workouts Single Exercise Tabata Workouts Elevated Single Arm Plank Crunches: This exercise targets the shoulders, triceps, and obliques, forcing your core to go into overdrive. Stack your feet one on top of the other and rotate your hand underneath your body, keeping your elbow close to you. Rotate the arm down and reach high for the sky. Continue to do this at a controlled pace switching sides every 20 seconds. Modified version: Put your bottom knee down on the ground (similar to a Special K or Princess on horseback). Split Leg V-Up (Straddle-Up): This movement works the inner thighs, abdominals, and hip flexors. Lie flat on your back with your legs up and squeezed together. Place your hands behind your head. Tighten your core, drawing your belly button into your spine, then split both legs into a V-position. Reach between your legs with both hands squeezing into a crunch. Repeat for 20 seconds. PLANK CRUNCHES Download the TABATA app on your phone to make things super easy. Otherwise, use a stopwatch, which is old school but also effective. SPLIT LEG V-UP (STRADDLE-UP) Multiple Exercise Tabata Workout: Circuit: 1. Plank Jacks (20 seconds) Hold a static plank with a tight core and flat spine. Jump your feet about a foot apart, then back together again. Repeat. Rest 10 seconds. 2. Bridge Hip Thrusters (20 seconds) Lie on your back, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your hips to full extension. Hold for a second and lower back down. Rest 10 seconds. 3. Jump Lunges (20 seconds) Standing upright with your hands on your hips. Jump up explosively with one foot forward and the other foot back, descending down into a lunge position with your hips tucked under and your core tight. Switch legs mid-air so that you land with the opposite foot in front on the next jump lunge. Repeat. Rest 10 seconds. 4. Inch Worm with Push-up (20 seconds) Start in downward dog. Walk your hands forward until you reach a plank position. Do a push-up, then walk your hands back toward your feet to downward dog. Repeat. Rest 10 seconds. 5. Plank Jacks (20 seconds) See description above. Rest 10 seconds. 6. Bridge Hip Thrusters (20 seconds) See description above Rest 10 seconds. BRIDGE HIP THRUSTERS 7. Jump Lunges, 2nd Set (20 seconds) Rest 10 seconds. 8. Inch Worm with Push-up, 2nd Set (20 seconds) Rest 10 seconds. PLANK JACKS Get creative! Choose any challenging exercise for a Tabata workout, and push yourself to accomplish as many reps as possible (with great form, of course!) within the time limit. You ll feel the burn and your muscles will thank you! JUMP LUNGES Mari Inouye Smith is a two-time World Championships medalist, most notably earning a squad Gold medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. She now works in the fitness industry and has dedicated her life to helping others reach their fitness goals. She recently launched her own fitness business, Critical Conditioning. Learn more about Mari by following her on 14 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

9 Through the eyes of the judges By Craig Coburn Vaulters and coaches work hard to achieve success in the competition arena. While nothing can replace disciplined training and, of course, partnering with a great vaulting horse, there are some little things vaulters can do that can make a noticeable difference to us judges. First, take time to read the rulebooks. Whether you re competing in an AVA, USEF, or FEI competition, make sure to know which rules apply to your event. In order to earn high scores, or to improve your scores, you must know what the judge is scoring! The best way to gain this knowledge is to read the rulebook. I suggest reading the AVA Rule Book and the FEI Guidelines for Vaulting. Both publications can be downloaded from the AVA website: rulebooks But beyond reading the rules, how does one read between the lines to learn which little things can make a difference? There are two ways to analyze the little things. First, consider what you can do to make a better impression. Second, figure out which deductions are the easiest to avoid. Little Things That Matter In the Compulsories Here are some basic strategies a vaulter can implement to improve scores: Be kind and gentle to your horse. We must always remember that vaulting is an equestrian sport and that the horse is your partner. Whenever you see a comment like LH or HH on a score sheet, it means that you were not harmonious with your horse and either landed heavily or hit the horse hard. Depending on how hard you hit the horse, the judge can deduct up to two points for this fault (up to three points internationally). I remember many years ago in Hidden Hills, my coach would make me dismount the horse and run laps whenever I landed heavily on our horse, Tom. You must perform in harmony with your horse in the competition arena or suffer big penalties in your scores (and end up with an unhappy horse!). Hold static compulsories for four strides. When performing the basic seat, flag and stand, even the best vaulters can lose points by not holding a static exercise for the required four strides. Each stride less than four incurs a full onepoint deduction off of the final score of the exercise. I suggest all vaulters hold static compulsory exercises for five strides just to be safe, especially in individuals where there Compulsories: Make sure to hold all static compulsories for at least four strides. is no time limit. There is no penalty for holding a compulsory for one extra stride, but the deduction is big for not holding a static exercise long enough. Horse Harmony: Work in harmony with and be soft on your horse. Do not sacrifice technique for elevation. For example, in the mill, slouching or leaning back in order to obtain the illusion of extreme elevation in the leg passes is not a good idea. The penalty for poor posture is much more severe (base score of 5.0) than struggling to raise a leg higher. Similar penalties and deductions apply in flight exercises. Execute proper technique in the swinging compulsory exercises (no arched back, no interruptions in movement) rather than struggling to give the illusion of additional elevation. In the Freestyle There are a number of things that a vaulter can do (or rather not do) to maximize scores in the competition arena. Be soft and gentle on the back of your horse or else incur significant deductions. (Notice a theme here?) Avoid a late dismount. The second most severe penalty after the deduction for falling off the horse is a late dismount. The description of a late dismount in freestyle has changed this year. Although the specific deduction for a late dismount has not changed (one point deducted from the composition or content score), the definition has changed: Dismounts: You should have safely started your dismount (or already be on the ground) by the time the bell rings. If your dismount is late, you will incur a one-point deduction from your composition or content score. In all Events, any exercise (including the dismount) commenced after the time limit [is a late dismount]. This means that if you have not already started your dismount when the bell rings, one full point will be deducted from the final composition or content score. Until this year, a vaulter used to have three strides to begin the dismount after the bell. This is no longer the case. Vaulters must have precisely timed routines and know their music well, especially at the end of the routine. Become very familiar with music queues and begin your dismount at ~55 seconds, not at the bell. Most champions land on the ground just before the final bell rings. Performance is more heavily weighted than degree of difficulty. This means that unless a vaulter can perform an exercise cleanly and safely every time in practice, it should not be performed in competition. Your performance score is based on how well you execute each move in your routine. It can be fun and exciting to perform a difficult exercise in competition but it is not worth the risk if it cannot be executed cleanly and safely. A vaulter is more likely to get a higher overall freestyle score by performing less difficult exercises well than by performing more difficult exercises poorly. If you can implement all of the little things we ve just discussed, I am confident that your scores in competition will be consistently higher. Performance: Performance is how well you perform each individual move. If you re going to do a move in your freestyle, do it well! Craig Coburn is an FEI 4* judge and has been an AVA R judge since He has judged 19 USEF/AVA National Championships and countless AVA and USEF recognized events. In his short FEI judging career, Craig has judged over 30 CVIs, including the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championships, 2014 FEI World Cup Final, 2014 Junior European World Championships and the first-ever FEI Junior World Championships in Craig is also the AVA National Office Manager and the Director of IT on the American Vaulting Association Board of Directors. All photos courtesy of Daniel Kaiser/Impressions. 16 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

10 The origin of equestrian vaulting is simple and pure. Man and horse, working in harmony. Devon Maitozo of F.A.C.E. Vaulting Club Photo courtesy of Rana Joy Glickmann 18 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

11 feature By Sheri Benjamin If You Build It, They Will Come Karin and Avenir Karin Schmidt s Mission to Make the Midwest a Vaulting Mecca Michigan s Karin Schmidt is on a mission-- to make the United States Midwest a mecca for equestrian vaulting. And she s evangelizing vaulting to make that happen. A self-professed dreamer, she says the key to her success is simply not to give up, no matter what. I live one half day at a time, says Karin. I face what s in front of me and make the most of it. Then I face the next thing. I m one of those people who just believes it s going to work out. Her journey into US vaulting started almost 17 years ago when Karin, then a stay-at-home mom, and her engineer husband Wendelin moved from Germany for an 18-month work project in Michigan. Months turned into years, and temporary work visas turned to green cards, and finally into US citizenship for the family. She brought her love for horses with her when she crossed the Atlantic. Karin is a true horsewoman, who, interestingly enough, didn t grow up owning a horse. In Germany I grew up as the horse nut in a non-horse family, so my parents never really understood nor supported my love for horses, Karin says. I spent every day of my childhood longing for horses, and figuring out how to be around horses. When she was seven, her parents did allow her to go to a local horse barn, and because vaulting was the least expensive of the equestrian sports, and because she didn t EDITOR S NOTE: Karin Schmidt is the winner of the 2016 AVA President s Award, given by President Connie Geisler in recognition of her outreach efforts in sharing vaulting with others, and nurturing the development of new AVA vaulting clubs. need her own horse to participate, she got parental permission to join in. She spent a good part of her early years around other people s horses vaulting, then dabbling in other equestrian disciplines, including jumping, dressage, and driving. She spent her working days around horses of all types, including stints in the breeding world, and even as a jockey apprentice. After moving to Michigan, Karin, who has always had a place in her heart for special needs children, started working part-time at a therapeutic riding program through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH). It was through her work there that the pieces started to fall into place when it came to vaulting. In 2004, a horse was offered to the therapeutic riding program, but he was too young and too hyperactive to be used there. At the same time, a mother with special needs children was looking for an equestrian program that continued through the Michigan winter. Karin saw a window opening and scratched together her pennies to buy Charley, her very first horse. Charley was the least suited vaulting horse EVER, recalls Karin with a laugh. But against all odds, the 15.1 Morgan became the cornerstone of a vaulting and therapeutic riding program, and still is an active participant in the programs today. Karin credits a trip to Germany in early 2005 for her vaulting program s success. I knew that I had no clue about lungeing and coaching vaulting, though I had vaulted for a few years as a child, Karin explains. So, ever resourceful, she found a vaulting coaching and trainer certification program in Germany, and went back to learn the foundations of both. As much as you think you know, there s so much to learn, Karin says. And thus, an equestrian business and a vaulting program were born. Her decidedly non-horsey husband was supportive--and clear: Your business needs to be self-sustaining. And the business was a vagabond for almost a decade, moving eight times in as many years, leasing facilities wherever it could find space, growing by hook or by crook. In 2012, just as she was told that she had to find yet another home for her program because her current barn owners were selling, Karin found a 28-acre property with a small house, and an empty, ill-suited barn building. How she and Wendelin came to own it is a story of kismet. We knew this property was available, but it was out of our price range, and the owner wouldn t budge. Just when I had all but given Legacy stables in winter up on the idea, I was in our barn when a little girl ran up to me and thrust a drawing into my hands. I looked at it it was a picture of a horse and rider with the words Don t Give Up! in big letters. I stopped breathing and asked the little girl why she had given me the picture. In childlike wonder she said to me Miss Karin, you can always try again! That Saturday, with the little girl on her mind, Karin decided to try again. This time, the seller lowered the price to a point where the Schmidts could afford the property. I wanted to share my horses with people who don t own horses, explains Karin. I wanted to give people an opportunity to have a horse/ human connection, even if they live in an apartment in a city. Today, Legacy Stables ( A Horse Lover s Playground ) houses both a for-profit business and a non-profit entity, 15 minutes from Grand Rapids. The for-profit business offers a range of riding programs including unique programs for teens, leisure riders, very small children, individuals with special needs, and groups, and is home to Own-A-Horse Camp, which gives anyone six years or older the chance to experience owning their own pony or horse for a week. The not-for-profit program, Karin s Horse Connection, encompasses both A Vaulting Connection and Therapeutic Horse Connection, and allows for fundraising and charitable work. The business owns more than 20 horses, and Karin s goal is to have all of them utilized The "Bus Stop" 20 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

12 Maree helping a rider at the wheelchair ramp for many different types of work-- both for the horses own health and the health of the business. My horses are exposed to everything vaulting, trail riding, lessons and to everyone, from small children to special needs adults, from people who are afraid of horses to experienced equestrians. This is a large part of why they re so adaptable. Karin s vaulting program could also be described as adaptable even highly experimental. The program, now 40-plus vaulters strong, focuses on beginners, most of whom can t mount at the canter. Her goal is for the vaulters to have a fabulous experience, at the same time building their bodies and minds. Simply put: have fun and get fit. We focus on fun, in a safe way, with everyone welcome, no matter what ability or what age, says Karin. Part of our secret sauce is letting go of the need for perfection at that level. Beautiful technique is for later. We teach them basic vaulting rules and let them go for it! Karin s out-of-the-box thinking and experimental mindset is evident in the stories she tells about her program, its coaches, and its vaulters. COACHING. Who says a beginning vaulting coach must have an equestrian background? One of the program s favorite beginning vaulting coaches is a former weightlifter with a background in theater. Both her fitness and theater backgrounds serve her well in her role as vaulting coach. LUNGEING. Karin believes that lungeing training is important, and she stresses both safety and responsibility. You need to be able to control your horse at all times, and be able to stop your horse within three strides, Karin says. Lungeing in the U.S. is very underrated. If we want to keep our sport alive and well, we need to pay a lot more attention to the lunger and lungeing technique. Karin starts lungers early, and has pretend vaulting competitions to help them develop their skills safely. AGE. One of Karin s best assistants is an eightyear-old. The program s fitness/workout leader is a 14-year-old. Their Young at Heart vaulting class for adults is often full. Karen s vaulters have ranged in age from two to a 72-year-old with a hip replacement who could perform a candlestick. INVENTIONS. When faced with an obstacle, invention and experimentation save the day. With so many beginning level vaulters, especially at the walk, giving a leg-up to mount is resource intensive and sometimes backbreaking work if done hour after hour, day after day. Enter Karin s bus stop. What began as a simple mounting platform for adult riders has become a place for beginning vaulters to mount at the walk. With Karin s horses trained to safely cruise by the mounting platform, this bus stop is now a way beginning vaulters can have more fun, faster, by concentrating on being on the horse instead of getting on to the horse. CANTER SOON. Karin s belief is that the sooner the vaulter gets a canter experience, the sooner he or she is hooked! I m not a huge believer in the walk/trot/canter progression, says Karin. Even super beginners, three-yearolds and adaptive vaulters can canter, with an experienced vaulter supporting them. It s all about the movement of the horse that triggers the fun. Going fast, even if it s only one round, brings people back. And the horse has fun, too! DON T CONFUSE FUN MOVES WITH COMPETITION MOVES. For beginners, Karin loves the mount from the bus stop, because it gets the vaulter on the horse quickly and safely. Once there, she s a big fan of moves starting with the basic seat, and going to moves like the candlestick, and then to additional moves that elicit total body contact between the vaulter and the horse like sitting backward and then lying down on the back of the horse. These are great photo moments as well, she says. DEMO THE EASY STUFF. Karen s program does a lot of vaulting demonstrations and expos, and in her experience, showing vaulting at the beginning level is both crowd-pleasing and great publicity that brings vaulters into the program. Moves that we, in our competition thinking, believe are boring, are so not boring to an audience who has not seen vaulting before, Karin explains. Some of the most basic moves, even at the walk, elicit crowd excitement and applause. And they don t scare the parents. DON T JUST SWIM IN YOUR OWN POND. Karin s belief that you should avoid swimming in just your own pond leads her to think outside the box to get problems solved. When she was trying to teach her new horses how to accept the mount at the canter, for example, she realized that her beginning canter vaulters and beginning horses were not the ideal combination. I realized I needed a really good mounter to teach my horses this skill, so I had advanced vaulter Patrick Stevens out for a week, helping me teach the horses about the mount. Having Patrick show them the way was our biggest breakthrough. The horses gained confidence because Patrick s mount was predictable and they felt safe. Using Karin s own successful club as the proof of concept, this vaulting evangelist embarked on a mission to grow vaulting, quickly, in the Midwest last year. I saw, early on, that vaulting in Michigan was declining. Vaulting coaches were retiring or moving on when their kids got older. It s cold in Michigan, and we are far from resources like clinicians and judges. I didn t want to be left alone, and I wanted to re-stoke the fire of vaulting in Michigan. So I asked myself, what would it take to grow vaulting in Michigan again? If you are trying to start a fire, and have just one log, that single log won t burn, Karin explained. A Vaulting Connection Team To start a fire you need a log, some twigs, and kindling as well. That s what I m working to do in Michigan. I m not starting just one vaulting club out here I ve starting five simultaneously. That s the only way we can get critical mass in this area, and the sheer numbers we need to thrive. Karin believes that training vaulting coaches, lungers and vaulters from multiple startup clubs, all at once-- sharing knowledge, experience and assets ranging from trained horses to vaulting equipment--is the key. Her highly successful outreach program to other equestrian centers in the Michigan area offers considerable start-up help including a series of six free vaulting clinics for up to three members of a new AVA club, paying for half the cost of AVA club memberships for these new clubs, consulting help to buy vaulting equipment, leasing (or even selling) trained vaulting horses to new clubs, and a personal visit to help with coaching once a month. My mantra is be a blessing to others and you will be blessed, Karin explains. That s what I experience every day. I have received help from so many people along the way, and I channel that, and pass it on. About the Author: Sheri Benjamin is the AVA s Vice President of Development. 22 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

13 2016 AVA Hall of Fame: Leonardo 2016 AVA Hall of Fame: Jarl Leonardo started as an experiment the extension of a growing relationship between Danish trainer and former world-class vaulter Lasse Kristensen and the Benjamin family. He came into their collective lives 15 years ago for just a few thousand dollars as a joint venture or should we say Joint ADventure. The Danish Warmblood came to the teeny town of Hvejsel, Denmark with the understanding that when Megan came over to Europe to train and compete, Leo was her horse. When she wasn t in Denmark, he was Lasse s horse. And just as an aside the horse s name was originally Lasse, which obviously needed to be changed. Which just goes to show you that changing a horse s name isn t such bad luck after all. Both Lasse and Megan described Leo as a lazy horse. He liked to eat and wasn t particularly fond of work. As part of Leo s cross training, Lasse once tried to get him to trot over cavelleti and cross rails. He plowed right through them. His uncollected canter was the most disjointed thing you ve ever felt, but his collected canter smooooooooth as butter. Lasse started on a mission to make Leo the best vaulting horse in the world. He worked with a dressage trainer, a rider, and horse nutrition experts, and diligently trained Leo to peak performance. Through years of CVIs, European and World Championships, Leo and Lasse and Megan worked hard to build a world-class trio. At the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, attended by more than a hundred- thousand equestrian fans worldwide, Leonardo proved that he was, indeed, the best vaulting horse in the world, with the highest vaulting horse scores at the games. Photo courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com Megan was no slouch either, leading in every one of the four rounds. In front of twelve thousand screaming spectators, she became the first US woman, and the first non-german woman, to win the world individual vaulting Gold. Leo was, indeed, The King, as he was nicknamed and his gold medal performance proved that. During Megan s first brief retirement from the sport, Leo went on to carry Mary McCormick to a 2nd place finish at CHIO Aachen, and then in 2008, he took Megan s FACE Dark Side of the Moon team to a Bronze medal finish at the World Championships in the Czech Republic. In 2010, Lasse and Megan brought Leo to the US for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, and even though he ended up unable to compete there, Leo finished off his career in California, taking the Team Blagan Pas de Deux pair (by the way that s Team Blake and Megan, for those of you not in the know) through the 2012 US Selection Trials. He then passed the baton to his good horse friend, Jarl, for Team Blagan s World Championship Bronze medal in Le Mans, France. In 2013, after Megan retired from competitive vaulting for good, Leo took a transcontinental flight back to Denmark, where he is now happily retired. He spends his days being fat and lazy, grazing in the green Danish countryside, hanging out with the Kristensen family and sometimes carrying disabled vaulters as part of Lasse s rehabilitation program for children. Sometimes Lasse will still get Leo tacked up properly and Leo will show off his World Champion style. To this day, those who have vaulted on Leo have been searching for a canter as perfect as his but even the greats pale in comparison. Congratulations to Horse Hall of Fame inductee, The King, Leonardo, and his longtime partner and owner, Megan Benjamin Guimarin. Long live The King! Jarl was a 16-year-old Danish Warmblood with big floppy ears and wonderfully kind eyes. His name, pronounced Yarl, quite literally means Earl or Duke in Danish. And a duke he was. When Lasse Kristensen brought Jarl to his stable in 2008, no one ever expected him to accomplish what he did. Jarl was a jumping horse with a strong, short canter and calm mind. Lasse knew Jarl would be consistent, but could he be great? Jarl was co-owned by Lasse Kristensen and his club, Thommysminde, and three Mt. Eden Vaulting Club families the Ioannous, the Clynes, and the Thrashers. The horse lived in Denmark, where he was part of the Thommysminde Vaulting Club. During the months when Mt. Eden vaulters came to Denmark, Jarl was all theirs. Jarl carried the Mt. Eden squad and individuals at CVIs, CHIO Aachen, and at the World Championships and World Equestrian Games. Lasse put his heart and soul into Jarl s career, sculpting him into the successful horse he became. At the 2012 CHIO Aachen, where the Mt. Eden squad placed third overall, Jarl earned a record-breaking horse score of 9.1. Following that, he carried Austrian pas de deux vaulters to the Bronze medal at CHIO Aachen, the American pair of Blake Dahlgren and Megan Benjamin to pas de deux Bronze at the 2012 World Championships in Le Mans, Elizabeth Ioannou at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, and finally, Bodhi Hall and Michelle Guo to pas de deux Gold at the 2015 Junior World Championships. Jarl passed away suddenly in 2015, cutting his career short, but leaving a legacy of success. Throughout his career, Jarl touched the lives of countless vaulters, putting up with every hug, tear, cuddle, kiss, fall, and victory. He never failed to put a smile on his vaulters faces with his sloppy eating and loving nudges. Jarl had a heart of gold and was loved by many throughout his vaulting career. He was royalty to his vaulters, and he will be truly missed. Congratulations to Jarl, an incredibly deserving 2016 Hall of Fame inductee! Photos courtesy of Andrea Fuchshumer 24 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

14 2016 AVA Hall of Fame: Stanford xena 2015 AVA HORSE of the Year Mile-High Vaulters, Owned by Jodi Rinard Stanford, affectionately known around the barn as Stan or Stan The Man, is a 17-hand Hanoverian born in Germany in As a young horse, he competed as a jumper, only making his transition to vaulting in Since then, he has earned a very special place in the hearts of vaulters around the world. To earn a spot in the AVA Hall of Fame, a horse needs 50 points. In his five short years in the ring as a vaulting horse, he earned 147 points. Here are a few of the things that he did: Stan competed in two World Equestrian Games and one Vaulting World Championship. He also competed at CHIO Aachen. He started his career by carrying Rikke Laumann of Denmark at WEG 2010 and ended his career by qualifying the Woodside squad and pas de deux for the 2015 Junior World Championships, where they won two bronze medals. Vaulters on Stan won five National Championship titles. He was the USEF Squad Horse of the Year Champion or Reserve Champion for four consecutive years. Stan performed on national television at a demonstration at Central Park in New York. He carried vaulters at every level of canter. Stan is an amazing horse who brings out the best in his vaulters. While Stan was certainly a star in the competition ring, he will be remembered for his loving behavior out of the ring. Stan is dependable, friendly, and loved. He is always in search of a shoulder to rest his head on. He is constantly on the lookout for treats lingering in pockets. Stan would not be the horse he was without the love, care and patience of his lungers, Julie Divita, Julie Young, and Krista Mack. These incredible horsewomen developed Stan into an invaluable member of the Woodside team. He had the best horse moms ever. Sadly, Stan s vaulting career has been cut short. In October of 2015, Stan suddenly fell ill. Our vet found a cancerous growth in his neck, causing Woodside to retire him effective immediately. Stan is very happily living in a pasture of grass in Woodside not far from the club, where he gets lots of love and treats on a regular basis. Congratulations, Stan and Woodside Vaulters, on earning a spot in the Hall of Fame! Photo courtesy of Jorden Hobbs 26 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

15 Jodi Rinard 2015 AVA Lunger of the Year Mile-High Vaulters Jodi Rinard 2015 AVA Mentor of the Year Mile-High Vaulters Jodi not only influences the vaulters on her own team, but anyone who interacts with her. She is accepting and welcoming to anyone and everyone around her! Caroline Shubert At a recent club meeting, Jodi said, I always want to find the person who is better at whatever I m doing than I am, so that I can learn from that person and improve. To me, that humility and constant willingness to learn is a great quality to exemplify for all of the vaulters in the club, and a crucial part of being a great mentor. Jorden Hobbs If Jodi sees an opportunity to help a vaulter realize his or her dreams, even if they are from another club, there is no stopping her. I personally have not seen or met a harder working coach or lunger than Jodi. Barbara Brooks I can t thank Coach Jedi (oops, Jodi!) enough for her ability to inspire those around her to be their best. Jana Weiner Jodi believes that vaulting is a great way to teach youth fair play, a strong work ethic, integrity, teamwork and responsibility. She plans her lessons and interactions to develop that in her vaulters. The assistant coaches are trained to put safety and fun ahead of the competitive spirit, while pushing each vaulter to do their best. She has a long-term plan of encouraging vaulters to progress to coaching and/or lungeing so that they can continue in vaulting for life. Win or lose, the thing that matters most is giving it your best. Dena Madden Photo courtesy of Jorden Hobbs My daughter shares Jodi s advice with me as a leader in my own job, based on the lessons Jodi has shared on building a strong team. Last week, I was commiserating with my family about some strained relationships at work. My daughter recommended I do what Jodi does and assume everyone likes me even if I think they don t. Treat them like friends, and soon they will be. Kimberly Tebrugge 28 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

16 2015 AVAAnnual Awards President s Award for Club Outreach A Va u lt i n g C o n n e c t i o n N o r t h e r n L a k e s Ta m b o u r i n e Va u lt e r s s Jane Garrod Memorial Scholarship awarded by the Circle of Friends M i k a e l a M a l d o n a d o Shea-Rose Vaulters s 2015 AVA Nominee for the USEF Youth Sportsmanship Award K a l e b Pat t e r s o n, Warm Beach Vaulters 2015 Teams of the Year B T e a m Mile High Vaulters Fort Lupton, CO Jim Roedel, Courtney Madden, Haley Smith, Rachael Weiner, Hannah Beehler, Ana Schult, Carlee Heger, Emma Milito, Melanie Ford Coach/Lunger: Jodi Rinard s C T e a m Mt Eden Vaulting Club Saratoga CA Morgan Lambert, Giulia Corno, Megan MacInnes, Marie Obeloer, Claire Burnett, Allison Wu, Clara Oberg Coach/Lunger: Laura Yelavich s T r o t T e a m Mile High Vaulters Fort Lupton, CO Mackenzie Barrett, Moira Hampton, Augusta Rose Lewis, Zoe Rinard, Rhianon Hampton, Danica Rinard, Sasha Miller, Faith Mannon Coach: Jodi Rinard Lungers: Jodi Rinard, DeAnn German, Jim Roedel, Dana Heger 2015 National Horse High Point Champions A Team S ta n f o r d Woodside Vaulters B Team S a m p s o n Mile-High Vaulters, Jodi Rinard C a s pa r Woodside Vaulters, Isabelle Parker C Team S u n n y B o y Mt. Eden Vaulting Club, Jan Garrod Trot Team M i s s To n g d u C h o n Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club Open 2-Phase Team F o r t u n ata Vaulters del Sol Greta Shryock Preliminary 2-Phase Team F W F V e r r u c h i Above & Beyond Vaulters, Saacha DeAmborossio Open Pas de Deux S a m p s o n Mile-High Vaulters, Jodi Rinard Preliminary Pas de Deux M at e o Mile-High Vaulters, Jodi Rinard Trot Pas de Deux A m i d a l a Mile-High Vaulters, Jodi Rinard Gold Pa l at i n e Pacific Coast Vaulters, Sydney Frankel Silver X e n a Mile-High Vaulters, Jodi Rinard Bronze F W F V e r r u c h i Above & Beyond Vaulters, Saacha DeAmborossio Copper P e p p e r J a c k Woodside Vaulters, Isabelle Parker Trot M i s s To n g d u C h o n Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club 2015 Regional Horse High Point Champions Region I P e t e r b u i lt Oak Hills Vaulters Region II P e p p e r J a c k Woodside Vaulters, Isabelle Parker Region IIi Fa i t h Warm Beach Vaulters Region Iv X e n a Mile-High Vaulters, Jodi Rinard Region v M o n C o e r Blue Sky Vaulters, Deb DeVries Region Ix P e t e Great Falls Vaulters, Jennifer Williams Region x A u n t i e E m Cedar Lodge Z o n e 1 Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Hawaii and Alaska Silver: Rachel Cathro, Cascade Vaulters Bronze: Izzy Pioli, Above and Beyond Vaulters Copper: Clementine Cimetiere, Beau Soleil Vaulters Trot: Kristen Hayenga, Redwing Vaulters Z o n e 2 Northern California, Northern Nevada Gold: Kristen Kuhn, Woodside Vaulters Silver: Quinn Bohrer-Hughes, Tambourine Vaulters Bronze: Holly Kuhn, Woodside Vaulters Copper: Stephanie Gee, Woodside Vaulters Trot: Samantha Podoll, Morning Star Vaulters Z o n e 3 Southern California, Southern Nevada, Utah, Arizona Silver: Hana Mason, Encore Equestrain Vaulters Bronze: Jace Brooks, Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club Copper: Nicole Doty, Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club Trot: Beyhan Unan, Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club 2015 AVA Zone Awards Z o n e 4 Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma Silver: Haley Smith, Mile High Vaulters Bronze: Jim Roedel, Mile High Vaulters Copper: Melanie Ford, Mile High Vaulters Trot: Hallie Dudley, Hope Reins Vaulters Z o n e 5 Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi Silver: Ahmad Finney, Cedar Lodge Copper: Abigail Gilchrist, Hilltop Farms Harmony Vaulters Trot: Capri Schmidt, Northern Lakes Vaulters Z o n e 7 West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolia, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida Silver: Kayt Shaffer, Mt. Tabor Vaulters Bronze: Elizabeth Phelps, Great Falls Vaulters Copper: Helen Mills-Selch, Triangle Equestrian Vaulting Trot: Charlotte Brown, Triangle Equestrian Vaulting 2015 AVA High Point Champions G o l d w o M e n 1. Mary McCormick, Pacific Coast Vaulters 2. Anna Erickson, Warm Beach Vaulters 3. Kristen Kuhn, Woodside Vaulters 4. Emily Rose, Pacific Coast Vaulters 5. Rachael Herrera, Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club G o l d M e n 1. Kristian Roberts, Pacific Coast Vaulters S i lv e r w o M e n 1. Carlee Heger, Mile High Vaulters 2. Rachel Cathro, Cascade Vaulters 3. Haley Smith, Mile High Vaulters 4. Janie Salisbury, Woodside Vaulters 5. Audrey E. Kiernan, Woodside Vaulters S i lv e r M e n 1. Matthew Shubert, Vaulters Del Sol 2. Jonathan Baird, Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club 3. Gregory Helm, Vaulting Visions B r o n z e W o m e n 1. Izzy Pioli, Above and Beyond Vaulters 2. Haley Brant, Vaulters Del Sol 3. Alyssa Stoddard, Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club 4. Bianca Herres, Above and Beyond Vaulters 5. Kellie Cobb, Redwing Vaulters 6. Cassandra Mauro, Steel City Vaulters B r o n z e M e n 1. Jace Brooks, Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club 2. Jim Roedel, Mile High Vaulters 3. Amanuhel Arreguin, Encore Equestrian Vaulters 4. John Pontius, Diamond Bar Vaulters 5. Andres Castillo, Diamond Bar Vaulters C o p p e r W o m e n 1. Lianne Quek, Lone Star Vaulters 2. Nicole Doty, Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club 3. Melanie Ford, Mile High Vaulters 4. Stephanie Gee, Woodside Vaulters 5. Kayla Cabanting, Diamond Bar Vaulters C o p p e r m e n 1. Tristan G Martin, Woodside Vaulters 2. Charles Smith, EVX Vaulting Club 3. Cameron Cormack, Morning Star Vaulters 4. Gabriel Carlson, A Vaulting Connection 5. Stefano Corno, Mt. Eden Vaulting Club T r o t W o m e n 1. Hallie Dudley, Hope Reins Vaulters 2. Charlotte Brown, Triangle Equestrian Vaulting 3. Kristen Hayenga, Redwing Vaulters 4. Alexa Brown, Above and Beyond Vaulters 5. Moira Hampton, Mile High Vaulters T r o t m e n 1. Marshall Collins, Complete Equestrian Vaulters 2. Joseph Espindola, Vaulters Del Sol 3. Jasper Shimmick, Woodside Vaulters 4. Frank Arreguin, Encore Equestrian Vaulters 30 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

17 Photos courtesy of Jorden Hobbs and Blake Dahlgren 2016 AVA Annual Convention Tucson, AZ 32 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

18 2016 AVA events calendar April 16 North East Washington Mountain Fest Spokane Horse Park: Spokane, WA Tamea Denault: April 17 North Valley Spring Fest Orland, CA Megan Grove: April Mozart Memorial Classic Spirit Equestrian: Somis, CA Patty Littmann: April 23 Southern Sunshine Fest Why Not An American Ark Equestrian Park: Monroe, NC Carol Land: Your upscale, yet affordable alternative!... off the shelf... or custom designs... or ultra exclusive with Original SWAROVSKI Crystals THANK YOU for letting ERVY be a part of you & your team with fashion performing! April 29-May 1 CVI Pacific Cup Gilroy Gaits: Hollister, CA Linda Bibbler: lbibbler@gmail.com May Garrod s Spring Classic Garrod Farms: Saratoga, CA Marianne Rose: marianne@mariannerose.net May Great Falls/Topaz Spring Fest Herndon, VA Jen Williams: greatfallsvaulters@gmail.com June Tambourine June Fest Tambourine Farm: Petaluma, CA Kelley Holly: tambourine-farm@att.net August FEI World Vaulting Championships Le Mans, France Laureen Johnson: laureen.johnson@usef.org May Region IV May Fest Fort Lupton, CO July 1-3 Region IX Championships Lexington, VA lmzielenske@yahoo.com September Great Falls/Topaz Fall Fest Herndon, VA Jen Williams: greatfallsvaulters@gmail.com July 16 Region V Summer Fest University of Minnesota Leatherdale Center: St. Paul, MN Beth Whillock: ewhillock@msn.com September North Valley Autumn Fest Butte Valley, CA Megan Grove: meganinharmony@gmail.com May Blue Grass Vaulting Fest Meadow Lake Equestrian Center: Lancaster, KY Janelle Blessing: blessingjanelle@gmail.com June Region IV Championships Expo New Mexico: Albuquerque, NM Nicole Collins: equichance@gmail.com June Woodside Spring Fest Portola Valley Training Center: Portola Valley, CA Linda Bibbler: lbibbler@gmail.com June Region III Championships NW Washington Fair & Event Center: Lynden, WA Kathy Seelye: kseelye@hotmail.com July 17 Keystone Fest Pennsylvania Sandra Snyder: ssnyder2@ptd.net August 5-7 USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships Murfreesboro, TN Linda Bibbler: lbibbler@gmail.com October 2 Morning Star Fest Novato Horseman s Arena: Novato, CA Carolyn Conner: cc_vaulter@yahoo.com October 7-9 Region IV Octoberfest Castle Rock, CO Nicole Collins: equichance@gmail.com October 30 Mt. Eden s Halloween Fest Garrod Farms: Saratoga, CA Marianne Rose: marianne@mariannerose.net Important Note: These events were gathered directly from the AVA website calendar. If you are a member you can add your club s events/competitions to the AVA website calendar yourself by logging into the members-only website, going to the calendar section, choosing the year, and then clicking on add an entry to the calendar at the top of the calendar section. Follow us on facebook to be always up to date! Photo by Sandra Schier Artwork courtesy of Laura Yelavich Equestrian Vaulting Unitards Equestrian Vaulting Unitards 34 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue

19 36 EquestrianVaultinG Volume 48, Issue 1