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2 2 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

3 Features 6 AVA 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award: Nancy Stevens-Brown Deidre Frontczak 8 AVA 2010 Mentor of the Year: Patti Skipton 9 AVA 2010 Volunteer of the Year: Priscilla G. Faulkner 10 AVA 2010 President's Award: Jan Weber 11 AVA 2010 Trainer of the Year: Ingrid Hamar 12 AVA 2010 Horse of the Year: Palatine Rosalind Ross 13 AVA's Regional Champions: A Salute! 15 AVA Summer Vaulting Camp: Live & Breathe Vaulting for Seven Days AVA Competition Awards AVA National Championships: Be There or Be Square 19 Warm Beach Vaulters: Zero to 63 in Five Years Patrick Patterson 22 AVA Medal Testing: How Do You Measure Up? Equestrian Vaulting 28 Quiz: Which Vaulting Move Should You Try Next Blake Dahlgren Columns 5 From the President Sheri Benjamin 24 Just for Vaulters The Foam Roller: Your New Best Friend Megan Benjamin and Stacey Burnett 26 Coaching Corner Vault On! Nancy Stevens-Brown 30 Horse Smarts Discover Your Lungeing Aids (and use them too!) Carolyn Bland 31 Events Calendar On our cover: AVA Trainer of the Year Ingrid Hamar with Sovira and Sundae Rush vaulters Ruby Robinson, Kimberly Palmer, and Cassidy Palmer Photo courtesy of Lynne Owen Photography Cover and pads for your barrel, Complete Barrels and Barrel Kits Quality vaulting barrels at an affordable price order online LBVaultingBarrels.com lance@lbvaultingbarrels.com or call (801) Dense padding UV and waterproof covers with integrated cossack loops Square or round handles with comfort grip wraps Available in a variety of colors Adjustable, removable legs, tall Very Sturdy, great team barrel! 3

4 Equestrian Vaulting Editor in Chief: Megan Benjamin, Copy Editor: Katharina Woodman Photographers: Primo Ponies Photography, Lynne Owen Photography, Patrick Taylor Photography Writers: Sheri Benjamin, Carolyn Bland, Nancy Stevens-Brown, Stacey Burnett, Blake Dahlgren, Deirdre Frontczak, Patrick Patterson, Rosalind Ross 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 quarterly. 4 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011 AMERICAN VAULTING ASSOCIATION 8205 Santa Monica Blvd. #1-288 West Hollywood, CA Vault On with GrettaWear! GW Photo courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography Equestrian Vaulting American Vaulting Association Directory 2011 AVA VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Board Members President: Sheri Benjamin, sbenjamin@americanvaulting.org Executive VP: Kelley Holly, tambourine-farm@worldnet.att.net Treasurer: Jodi Rinard, chestnutvaulter@yahoo.com Secretary: Jill Hobby, jill.hobby@hobbyfamily.org VP Competitions: Linda Bibbler, lbibbler@gmail.com VP Development: Jan Weber, janmweber@gmail.com VP Education: Open VP Membership: Open Board Members Jessica Ballenger, Kim Beisecker, Megan Benjamin, Carol Beutler, Robin Bowman, Bill Brown, Craig Coburn, Suzanne Detol, Priscilla G. Faulkner, Rick Hawthorne, Virginia Hawthorne, Yossi Martonovich, Frank Pace, Marianne Rose, Patti Skipton, Samantha Smith, Peggy VanHook, Bob Weber Regional Supervisors Region I: Connie Geisler, connie_geisler@hotmail.com Region II: Carolyn Conner, carolyn.conner@verizon.net Region III: Penny Maydak, pajamas14@hotmail.com Region IV: Noel Martonovich, nmartonovi@aol.com Region IX: Elizabeth Brigham, elizabethmbrigham@gmail.com Region X: Beth Whillock, ewhillock@msn.com VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE CHAIRS /SPECIAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS Adaptive Vaulting: Peter Senn, petesenn@hotmail.com Alumni: Open Annual Convention 2012: Beth Whillock AVA Blast: Lynn Stevens, lynnstevens@sbcglobal.net AVS Store: Open Barrel Initiative: Open Competition Awards: Carol Beutler, cbeutler@sbcglobal.net Competitions Secretary: Suzanne Detol, sdetol@aol.com Competitions Committee: Linda Bibbler, lbibbler@gmail.com CompWeb: Tom Oakes, oakes@swcp.com Constitution & Bylaws: Charlie Bittenbring, cbittenbring.vaulting@gmail.com Equestrian Vaulting Magazine: Megan Benjamin, mbenjamin@americanvaulting.org Forums: Paul Caskey, paul.caskey@gmail.com Friendship Team: Priscilla G. Faulkner, prisf@aol.com Grants: Jan Garrod, jan@garrodfarms.com Grievance: Bill Brown, onzacat@comcast.net Guys in Vaulting: Frank Pace, fpace@flash.net Historian: Open Horses: Open Medal Test Secretary: Suzanne Detol, sdetol@aol.com National High Point: Open Nationals 2011: Linda Bibbler, lbibbler@gmail.com and Marianne Rose, marianne@mariannerose.net Nationals Publicity: Open Nominations: Elise Beisecker, elise@gatech.edu Online Learning and Development: Open Pony Club Partnership Committee: Beth Whillock, ewhillock@msn.com Publications: Jan Weber, janmweber@gmail.com Publicity: Open Recreational Vaulting: Open Safety & Insurance: Bob Weber, bobcweber@gmail.com and Kim Beisecker, kbeiseck@vt.edu Sponsorships: Peggy VanHook, peggy.vanhook@gmail.com Summer Camp: Charlotte Horton, cdhorton1@yahoo.com and Tamea Denault, tdenault@oz.net Technical Advisor: Suzanne Detol, sdetol@aol.com Technical Committee: Kelley Holly, tambourine-farm@worldnet.att.net Trade Shows: Jan Weber, janmweber@gmail.com Vaulter Fitness: Megan Benjamin, mbenjamin@americanvaulting.org Vaulter Horsemanship: Open Virtual Vaulting Initiative: Ling Beisecker, ling1991@hotmail.com Volunteer Recognition: Carol Beutler, cbeutler@sbcglobal.net Website: Eileen Jassowski, eej@primoponies.com AVA NATIONAL OFFICE Craig Coburn, National Office Manager 8205 Santa Monica Blvd., #1-288, West Hollywood, CA nationaloffice@americanvaulting.org Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon PST Ph: , Fax: FEI Vaulting Committee Chair: Emma Seely, emmaseely17@gmail.com USEF Board Members: Sheri Benjamin, sbenjamin@americanvaulting.org and Linda Bibbler, lbibbler@gmail.com USEF Board/Elected Athlete: Devon Maitozo, devomai@mac.com USEF Director of Vaulting: Pam Lane, plane@usef.org 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 USEF Youth Council Member: Annalise VanVranken, anna@shootingstarsvaulting.com Volume 43, Issue 2 Equestrian Vaulting Designed by: Red Hen Design, Howell, MI, redhendesign@comcast.net

5 From the President AVA Board: nominations are now open I m pleased to announce that nominations are open until May 13 for 20 AVA board positions, with terms starting this coming November and ending November Serving on the AVA board is one of the most important contributions a member can make to move our organization to the next level and continue to grow vaulting in the United States. When I was first encouraged to run for the board, I remember telling folks I wasn t qualified, since I was "just a mom"and my vaulting background consisted of paying vaulting bills and occasionally mucking out a stall or two. But ALL of us can make a difference! To grow and thrive, the AVA needs a variety of board members not only experts in vaulting and experts with horses, but also those who understand business functions like finance, publicity, organizational development, project management, HR and team-building. Whether you have vaulting-related expertise or business skills, if you are willing to volunteer "for the cause", look at USA vaulting s big picture and commit to using your skills through a specific committee or initiative, we want you! The AVA board of directors consists of a total of eight executive board positions, 18 regular board slots, and six regional supervisor positions. In odd-numbered years (like this year), the bylaws mandate that we elect four of our executive board positions executive vice president, treasurer, VP competitions, VP education; half our general board positions (ten); and all six regional supervisor positions. Following are the job descriptions for each position: Executive Vice President: Provides oversight and guidance to the National Office, assuring that duties and assignments of that office are completed within the defined standards of performance; in the absence of the president he/she exercises any power or duty of the president. Oversees various committees. Treasurer: Prepares and watches over the AVA s annual budget, presents a financial statement at every board meeting, works with the National Office Manager on P&Ls and budgets, and ideally leads a small, focused finance committee that also handles tax issues and our non-profit subordinates. VP Competition: Responsible for overall management of the National Championships, and works with AVA regions to encourage and facilitate vaulting competitions at all levels. VP Education: Liaison between various committees to ensure that education covers what members need and want. Spearheads our new online learning and development program for coaches, lungers, and vaulters. General Board Positions: Each elected board member is expected to chair one committee or take on one strategic project for the association during his/her term, and we highly recommend that you be electronically savvy enough to use simple web tools (AVA Board Forums, AVA s Teamworkpm.net team collaboration tool, heavy ) to conduct board business in between board meetings with others from across the country. If you have experience on boards or in any type of project management, can manage even a small team (so you don t end up doing it all yourself!), and you care about building vaulting across the country, this is the position for you! Regional Supervisors: The regional supervisor is responsible for functioning as a liaison between the AVA and her/his region, to interpret AVA standards, and to support area growth. If you are a collaborator, a team-builder and are committed to growing vaulting in your region, this is the position for you! If you d like to run for any of the board positions above, or know of anyone who might be ideal for one of the slots, please go to the AVA Home Page and click on Board Nominations Open Now! in the News section for more details. All of us is smarter than some of us is an old saying that definitely applies to the AVA. Nominations are now open! Photo courtesy of Lynne Owen Photography Sheri Benjamin sbenjamin@americanvaulting.org 5

6 Feature AVA 2010 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: NANCY STEVENS-BROWN Perfect Practice Makes Perfect Some groups present lifetime achievement awards to those whose contributions are revered, legendary and past. But, true to the energy and spirit of vaulting, the AVA has selected as the recipient of this award a leader, clinician, and allround volunteer whose work with the sport is not only the stuff of history, but very much present to today s vaulters and wholly focused on building a stellar future. At the recent AVA recognition banquet, Nancy Stevens-Brown was presented with the AVA s Lifetime Achievement award. Nancy has been a visionary, maverick and catalyst for the growth of vaulting in the United States, says AVA Executive Vice President Kelley Holly. She brings an extraordinary energy, passion and excitement to everything she does, and has brought us forward, further, in ways we never thought possible. Award-winning coach of national champions, Nancy was also the coach of our first ever U.S. medal winners at a World Equestrian Games. Over the past 30 years, her credits include world renowned clinician, performance specialist, trainer, evangelist, magazine author, inventor ( Balance in Flight and stop-frame photography for coaching purposes), digital media queen, mistress of ceremonies, announcer, AVA historian, AVA gold medalist and former national champion (Bronze Freestyle Champion, 1976). As a three-decade member of the AVA Board of Directors, she has held many posts including Vice President of Membership, head of volunteer recognition, and of course AVA President from 2001 through EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011 Mistress of ceremonies, Nancy announces the 2010 USEF/AVA National Champions in Santa Barbara, CA. Photo courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography For 30 years, I ve seen how her absolute attention to every single detail has always set the standard and influenced the enormous success of her teams, says FEI O Judge and longtime AVA member Suzanne Detol. She has done so much to assist us in the quest for growth, perfection, and beauty; her work is immeasurable and deeply appreciated. Since 1971 Nancy Stevens-Brown has continuously coached vaulters of all levels, from camp and recreation to FEI, and the results of Nancy s coaching speak for themselves. There were years when her own Timberline teams of Soquel, California swept the National Championships so successfully that hardly any awards were left for the others. In 1984 her club won every team division, Trot through A Team, every single men s division, as well as a women s division on top of that! And of course, her Timberline team was the very first U.S. Team to win a Vaulting World Championships medal a Team Bronze in 1990 at the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Nancy had a way with every vaulter, especially men, that made vaulting cool, rewarding and fun, remembers Tom Hogye, a Timberline Vaulter from 1982 to 1986 and the father of 2010 WEG team champion Emily Hogye. Some of the boys might not have kept going, but Nancy had a unique quality to her coaching, in addition to her own participation, that challenged the men to do even better. I most certainly would not have completed a triathlon with a cold ocean swim had it not been for Nancy banging on our door at 8 a.m.

7 By Deidre Frontczak Photo courtesy of Annie Rouvillois Photos courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography Left: A gaggle of vaulters learn "The Balance of Flight" at the 2011 AVA Annual Convention clinics. Right: Nancy helps a young vaulter understand the importance of a proper handstand at a recent clinic. to get us in the water. A woman ten years our senior, she got four of us to join her on this crazy dare. No guy could back down from that. It was Nancy s words that brought me to where I am today. What she said to me, that stayed with me, was You could be good. All I know about teamwork, dedication, performance, and how to have fun at something I m passionate about all that came from Nancy, says former nine-time AVA National Gold Women s Champion and fivetime Vaulting World Championship medalist Kerith Lemon. Nancy instilled confidence in us, and taught up to strive for perfection, says Timberline alumnus Kevin Cunningham, who spent weeks videotaping former vaulters and friends for a special tribute to Nancy at the banquet. I remember Nancy saying it s not practice that makes perfect, it s perfect practice that makes perfect! That has stuck with me to this day. ( Like the American Vaulting Association s Group Page on Facebook to view the video.) Nancy and her prize-winning (leotard and knee socks clad) team at a competition in the late 1970s. Photos courtesy of Erin Peterson Following the team s success in Stockholm, Nancy began shifting her focus to outreach sharing her years of experience with others rising through the levels. She brings her passion for vaulting to teams across the world, through performance workshops and unique tips that maximize strengths and tap the creativity and imagination of each individual vaulter. Nancy s boundless methods and innovative approach encourage each vaulter to realize his or her potential and to find and express their own distinctive style. The result? An excellence, confidence and flair in U.S. freestyle vaulting that is in no small measure the work of Nancy s heart and hands. Besides keeping an active clinic and speaking schedule, Nancy is known as the face behind the microphone announcing major vaulting events, such as the USEF/AVA National Championships, CVI Saratoga and the CVI Kentucky Vaulting Cup test event leading up to WEG As announcer, her extensive experience in the vaulting world results in informative color commentary that helps vaulters and fans alike to learn and appreciate the history and refinements of the sport. Today, as in previous decades, Nancy continues to put her mark on the American vaulting community. She is a genius of epic proportions, posits AVA President Sheri Benjamin. Our greatest win will be Nancy continuing her evangelism of U.S. vaulting for yet another 30 years! A parent with Tambourine Vaulters in Petaluma, CA, Deirdre Frontczak is a long-time AVA member and frequent clerk at vaulting competitions. She has a consulting practice focused on leadership development, communications, and public relations. 7

8 AVA 2010 MENTOR OF THE YEAR: PATTI SKIPTON Photos courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography A great vaulting mentor guides his or her protégés not only to success in the sport, but also to a wellrounded and rewarding life outside the vaulting arena. Patti Skipton, this year s AVA Mentor of the Year, is a glowing example of such a person. Leading by example, Patti teaches each of her Warm Beach vaulters the value of teamwork, building each other up, compassion, and forgiveness all while fielding top tier teams which are highly competitive at the national level. Patti s vaulters can be found on the top of regional and national podiums, but they can also be found cheering on their competition, helping set up before competitions and helping break things down after, helping with the horses and younger vaulters, and generally just being the nicest bunch of vaulters you re likely to meet. Patti encourages me to do my best, yet still have a humble heart and to be kind to everyone around, said Anna Erickson, one of Patti s vaulters. For Patti, every situation from the happiest of circumstances to the most trying of times is an opportunity for teaching her students. She coaches character and leads by example, said Valerie Janes, a Warm Beach parent. The first day my daughter came to Warm Beach, Patti accepted her with open arms as though she had been there her whole life. But Patti isn t just a mentor to the vaulters in her own club. Reaching beyond her Warm Beach community and even beyond international borders, Patti is willing to lend a hand (or horse) to any vaulter in need. When the South African national team came to the United States to train for the 2010 World Equestrian Games, they chose to vault with Prize, one of Patti s many giant Belgians. Stationed at Patti s Warm Beach facility and bunking with vaulting families, the South African team experienced Patti s warmth and enthusiasm first-hand. She coaches character and leads by example. Patti went out of her way to make our training a great experience, said Barbie Gertenbach, head coach of the South African team. She was patient and encouraging, even when our little flyers couldn t figure out how mount on Prize. He is much bigger than our horse at home! And as if mentoring the world s vaulters wasn t enough, Patti is also an active member on the AVA Board of Directors, last year s AVA Trainer of the Year, and has almost single-handedly doubled the number of vaulters in the Pacific Northwest with her club, Warm Beach Vaulters. Kind and nurturing, Patti encourages her vaulters to meet her high vaulting standards with compassionate hearts, sound minds, and enough pleases and thank yous to make Miss Manners herself cry out in joy. She is the truest of true mentors. 8 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

9 AVA 2010 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: PRISCILLA G. FAULKNER Pricilla G. Faulkner, long-time member, board member and one of the founders of the association s Friendship Team, was named AVA Volunteer of the Year at the AVA s annual recognition banquet. Having been involved in vaulting for more than a quarter of a century, Priscilla (also known as Ms. Faulkner to her Southern students and friends) started out as just a mom whose children tried vaulting at a Pony Club event one day and got hooked. With no vaulting clubs in her area at the time, she soon started a vaulting club (Falconwood Vaulters in Covington, Ga.,) and eventually found herself serving on the AVA Board of Directors. She founded the Friendship Team fifteen years ago. One of my mom s goals in life is to make a difference in the life of a child, says daughter Lucinda. The AVA, with the Friendship Team, was and continues to be another opportunity for her to meet that goal. Though Priscilla has three actual children Lucinda, Priscilla and Rob her club members and her Friendship Team members always thought of themselves as her children as well, says Sydney Frankel, a former AVA board member and Priscilla s longtime friend. She s truly one of a kind. Priscilla s unique combination of smarts, savvy and Southern charm have led the Friendship Team to uniquely high visibility places in the past couple of decades, including the 1996 Olympics and last year s WEG. Priscilla s crowning achievement this past year was orchestrating two weeks of almost continuous Friendship Team vaulting demonstrations at the World Equestrian Games in October. The logistics of schedules, practices, hotels, meals, performances and ensuring that the vaulters had excellent horses and lungers --culminated in two weeks of great publicity for vaulting, and memories of a lifetime for the Friendship Team members. Priscilla s unique combination of smarts, savvy and Southern charm have led the Friendship Team to uniquely high visibility places in the past couple of decades, including the 1996 Olympics and last year s WEG, confirms AVA President Sheri Benjamin. As a volunteer, what has struck me most about Priscilla is her fearless I ll figure it out attitude, even when she s trying something brand new. And when she says that, we just step back and let her do her thing! Congratulations to Ms. Priscilla G. Faulkner our Grand Lady of the South, founder, and to this day the director of the Friendship Team for this award, and a lifetime of volunteer greatness for the AVA! Photo courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography Photo courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography 9

10 AVA 2010 PRESIDENT'S AWARD: JAN WEBER Jan Weber was presented the AVA President s Award in proud recognition for her extraordinary work as Deputy Discipline Director for Vaulting at the first ever USA-hosted World Equestrian Games in Throughout a more than five-year period, Jan acted as USA vaulting s visionary, strategist, organizer, liaison, and relationship builder showing American vaulting in its very best light. A long-time board member for both the AVA and the USEF, Jan s "road to WEG 2010" began more than five years before the games back when the US had just a single WEG world championship title under its belt (Devon Maitozo s gold medal in 1998). In early 2006, when the United States learned it had been awarded the World Equestrian Games for 2010, Jan was visionary enough to know what that meant for the United States, and practical enough to know that things needed to get started right away. At the 2006 WEG in Aachen, Germany, as Megan Benjamin was winning America s second WEG vaulting gold medal, Jan was strategizing on how to bring disparate teams from around the globe together at that event introducing the then tiny WEG Foundation management team to people in the US and international vaulting communities. (As you might imagine, the WEG Foundation team had limited understanding of our sport at the time.) From 2006 to 2009, Jan brokered and facilitated a constant series of meetings and events necessary to prepare for WEG. In Kentucky Horse Park. The team was tested, and passed with flying colors. In early summer 2010, Jan, along with the Weber s dogs (and to husband Bob what seemed to be half the house) and much of their vaulting equipment, moved to the Lexington, Kentucky area. By early September Jan had a new daily ritual (seven days a week) of coordinating worldwide conference calls with members of the entire WEG management team as they raced for the finish line. WEG itself was a 24/7 operation from the day the first vaulting horse arrived around September 25th until the last horse left after the "big show" was over. Jan was a permanent fixture there, working on all the tactical details, working with the teams and, in her spare time also developing relationships "Jan s very unique contributions to the sport of USA vaulting are in a league of their own. Above: Jan Weber with her "strategic thinking" face on as she eyes the footing at WEG. Right: Jan with her "mission accomplished" face on at the Kentucky Horse Park after the closing of the WEG vaulting competition. 2009, the intensity heated up; the Kentucky Vaulting Cup CVI test event was crucial to demonstrating that the US (and German) management team could pull off a worldclass event at the new facilities at the between other disciplines, says AVA President Sheri Benjamin. Who would have thought there would be such a kinship developing between the vaulting community and the reining community? Jan is a master of making and keeping such relationships. The President s Award was created by former President Nancy Stevens-Brown to honor those who have made unique contributions to the sport of equestrian vaulting, and has been awarded only three other times in the association s history. As a key strategist and collaborator during WEG 2010 s infancy, during her tenure as deputy discipline director for vaulting at the Games themselves, and through the paperwork morass long after the last vaulting horse was safely shipped home, Jan s very unique contributions to the sport of USA vaulting are in a league of their own, Sheri says. There is no one more deserving of this important honor. 10 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

11 AVA 2010 TRAINER OF THE YEAR: INGRID HAMAR Ingrid Hamar, the American Vaulting Association s 2010 Trainer of the Year, has trained and sold more high-quality vaulting horses than anyone else in the United States and that s a verifiable fact. More than 20 horses in the vaulting world got their start under her nurturing wing, including several National Champions and even a World Championships silver medalist! Ingrid first learned how to gain her horses respect at a young age, when she worked her parent s dairy farm herding cows on stubborn ponies. Cows were the family business, but horses were Ingrid s passion and in 1984, Ingrid transitioned to training horses full time alongside master dressage trainer Willie Arts at her parent s now celebrated stable, DG Bar Ranch. Her success as a vaulting horse trainer begets a lifetime of dedication to the sport, but Ingrid first became acquainted with vaulting just 17 years ago. Like most unassuming parents, she was roped into vaulting when her daughter, Leslie saw vaulting for the first time at a local Pony Club event. I was always standing on our horses at home, so it just felt right to try a sport dedicated entirely to that activity, Leslie said. And so it started. Dedicating more and more time to her three daughters love of vaulting, Ingrid sold off her dressage horses to buy equine partners more suited to her daughters endeavor. After training and selling a few vaulting horses, the Hamar family founded Showtime Vaulters in 1996, just around the time when Willie Arts discovered Falcon in his riding stable. A kind and willing horse suited perfectly for vaulting, Falcon became the cornerstone of Showtime Vaulters and a shining example of the types of horses Ingrid Hamar was becoming famous for training. When asked about her training methods, Ingrid gives much of the credit to the horses themselves. They have to have it in them, she said. From there, the rest is pretty standard. Ingrid always starts with sound, fit horses that are balanced, strong, and supple under saddle. Many of the horses she trains are trade-ins from Willie Arts dressage training program at DG Bar Ranch, where, much like when purchasing a new car, riders looking for a horse to take them to the next level often trade in their older, well-bred and sound-minded horse for something a bit younger, hotter, and flashier. While the hot and flashy horses would make awful vaulting horses, their sound-minded trade-ins are the perfect fit for the sport. And it is Ingrid, with the help of her daughters Leslie, Marisa, and Stephanie, who show these horses how to vault like pros. Clockwise left to right: Ingrid's master horsemanship skills translate beautifully to the vaulting circle. Above: Ingrid riding at a horse show, one of her favorite pastimes before getting swept up by vaulting. Top Right: Ingrid and Sovira at the 2010 Garrod's Spring Classic. Bottom Right: Ingrid with one of her many horses in training. 11

12 AVA 2010 HORSE OF THE YEAR: PALATINE By Rosalind Ross As the first American horse to earn a gold medal in team vaulting, Palatine indisputably deserves the honor of being the 2010 AVA Horse of the Year. Photos courtesy of Lynne Owen Photography In the United States, we are spoiled by the luxury of getting to use different horses for the compulsory and freestyle routines, a practice that most teams have grown accustomed to and utilize. The FACE team has been no exception. In August of 2009, FACE coach Devon Maitozo began compiling a team that he hoped would be representing the U.S. at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky the following year. He had the commitment of his vaulters, co-coach Anna de la Motte, and horse trainer Carolyn Bland, but alas, the question of which horse would carry this team lingered. Several months earlier, FACE s beloved Paxton had passed away, the horse Maitozo always envisioned carrying his 2010 team. Mozart, FACE s longest-standing member and carrier of four National Champion teams, had finally been retired. The team s only option was to use Palatine, a vaulting horse of three years who carried the FACE Dark Side of the Moon team s compulsories throughout the 2008 season. Following the 2008 season, Palatine began proving his versatility as a vaulting horse by carrying individual freestyles. He carried the third and fourth placing gold female individuals in the 2009 Kentucky Cup, and was subsequently recognized as the USEF Reserve Champion Horse of the Year. Any member of the 2010 FACE team would be lying if they said they weren t skeptical of Palatine s ability to carry a team when confronted with the idea in the summer of Nevertheless, the decision was made, and training commenced. Knowing she was in for a challenge, Bland set to work building Palatine s strength and endurance. He was slowly eased into carrying doubles, then triples, for increasingly longer stints. The team s training time was limited, having only one horse on which to practice both compulsories and freestyle. In his debut performance as a team horse at the first Selection Trial in May, Palatine surpassed the team s expectations and carried them to a win. With each competition, he continued to make improvements. Despite putting on a substantial amount of muscle, Palatine retained a regal elegance that set the perfect stage for FACE s Romeo & Julietinspired freestyle. Palatine did more than just fill a practical void for the FACE team in When the tragic news came that Mozart passed away in August, just two months before the World Equestrian Games, it left the spirits of the team crushed. As if he recognized the sadness of his team, Palatine seemed to take it upon himself to restore the vitality of the group. In the final month of training before the Games, Palatine rose to the occasion with an unparalleled voracity. As the first American horse to earn a gold medal in team vaulting, Palatine indisputably deserves the honor of being the 2010 AVA Horse of the Year. With a gold medal to his name a mere year after his debut as a team vaulting horse, it is safe to say that vaulting has not yet seen the extent of what Palatine has to offer, and that his best years are yet to come. Rosalind Ross is a junior Publishing, Writing, and Literature major at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She vaulted with FACE to an historic gold medal victory at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, and also has a team silver and two team bronze medals to her name. 12 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

13 Congratulations to our 2010 AVA Regional High Point & Regional Vaulting Champions! AVA's Regional Champions: A Salute! 2010 AVA Regional High Point Champions Region I Gold Women: Marisa Hamar, Showtime Bronze Women: Rachel Herrera, Valley View Vaulters Bronze Men: Geoffrey Woolson, Valley View Vaulters Copper Women: Lauren Horton, The Riding Academy Copper Men: Nicholas Cox, The Riding Academy Trot Women: Phoenix Jones, Lompoc Preliminary Trot Women: Camryn Bowden, The Riding Academy Novice Walk Women: Lily Markee, Lompoc Region II Gold Women: Mary McCormick, Mt. Eden Gold Men: Kenny Geisler, Mt. Eden Silver Women: Kyra McCarty, Mt. Eden Silver Men: George Joseph Gadd, Mt. Eden Bronze Women Compulsories: Adria Revell, Mt. Eden Bronze Women Freestyle: Grace Robinson, Pacific Coast Copper Women Compulsories: Hadley de Brine, Woodside Copper Women Freestyle: Michelle Guo, Mt. Eden Copper Men Compulsories: Nicholas Fujii, Tambourine Trot Women Compulsories: Katherine Salisbury, Woodside Trot Women Freestyle: Katherine Salisbury, Woodside Preliminary Trot Women Compulsories: Kristen Kuhn, Woodside Preliminary Trot Women Freestyle: Kristen Kuhn, Woodside Preliminary Trot Men Compulsories: Tristan Martin, Tambourine Preliminary Trot Men Freestyle: Tristan Martin, Tambourine Tiny Tots Women Compulsories: Miki Yang, Woodside Silver Women Barrel Freestyle: Laura Jassowski, Tambourine Bronze Women Barrel Freestyle: Hayley March, Morning Star Copper Women Barrel Freestyle: Morgan Lambert, Mt. Eden Copper Men Barrel Freestyle: Nicholas Fujii, Tambourine Trot Women Barrel Freestyle: Katherine Salisbury, Woodside Preliminary Trot Women Barrel: Kristen Kuhn, Woodside Preliminary Trot Men Barrel Freestyle: Tristan Martin, Tambourine Tiny Tots Women Barrel Freestyle: Tallulah Hickman-Smith, Mt. Eden Tiny Tots Men Barrel Freestyle: Stefano Corno, Mt. Eden Region III (Region III does not currently have a High Point program.) Region IV (Region IV does not currently have a High Point program.) Region IX Gold Women: Elizabeth Brigham, Great Falls Silver Women: Annie Young, Shea Rose Bronze Women: Audrey Sims, Vaulting Visions Copper Women: Rachel Olinick, Shea Rose Copper Men: Kyle Gehring, Vaulting Visions Trot Women: Molly Grace Thornton, Falconwood Trot Men: Jonathon Hamilton, Southern Stars Preliminary Trot Women: Claudia Thornton, Falconwood Region X (Region X does not currently have a High Point program.) 2010 AVA Regional Vaulting Champions Region I Gold Women: Marisa Hamar, Showtime with Sovira, lunged by Ingrid Hamar; Silver Women: Camille Swan, Oak Hills, with Ferrari and Pedro, lunged by Melissa Dunlevy; Bronze Women: Rachel Herrera, Valley View Vaulters, with Waldmeister, lunged by Blake Dahlgren; Bronze Men: Geoffrey Woolson, Valley View Vaulters, with Waldmeister, lunged by Blake Dahlgren; Copper Women: Melissa Cox, The Riding Academy, with Sheza Skeeto Bunny, lunged by Roy Hill II; Copper Men: Jonathan Baird, Technique Vaulters, with Sampson, lunged by Jodi Rinard; Trot Women: Victoria Jerusal, Independent, with Waldmeister, lunged by Sylvia Son; Trot Men: Jacob Powell, Technique Vaulters with Princeton, lunged by Kim Kaylor; Preliminary Trot Women: Savannah Knudson, Technique; Preliminary Trot Men: Tate Shepherd, Oak Hills; Open 2-phase Team: Diamond Bar --Lindsey Anderson, Kelsey Trainor, Chelsea Nix, Emily Coolidge, with Churchill, lunged by Connie Geisler; Novice Trot: Sydney Davis, Oak Hills; Novice Advanced Walk: Kamille Graham, Technique; Novice Walk: Emma Jones, Technique Region II A Team: Mt. Eden--Alexandra Thrasher, Kalyn Geisler, Elizabeth Ioannou, Kenny Geisler, Makayla Clyne, Tasha Thorner, Heide Rothweiler, Cate Thomas,with Sunny Boy, lunged by Emma Seely; B Team: Pacific Coast-- Dusti Hausman, Karey Markham, Tisa Dobin, Emily Rose, Nicole Gorman, Natasha Fabricant, Brittany O Leary with Wyeth/Cheval lunged by Poppy Coulter; C Team: Tambourine-- Shannon Hoke, Olivia Merino, Laura Jassowski, Lystra Hobby, Clare Sitzer, Nicholas Fujii, Kimberly Jassowski with Wy Not and Moony s Super Sadie lunged by Kelley Holly; Preliminary 2-Phase Team: Woodside--Christine Herrmann, Hadley de Brine, Sarah Dunn, Tessa Divita; Preliminary Pas de Deux: Katrina Nibbi/Hadley de Brine, Woodside with Pepper Jack, lunged by Jennifer Arntsen; Gold Women: Elizabeth Ioannou, Mt. Eden, with Lanson 16, lunged by Jessica Ballenger; Gold Men: Kenny Geisler, Mt. Eden, with Gustaff, lunged by Emma Seely; Silver Women: Karly Frankel-Newman, FACE, with Donatello, lunged by Poppy Coulter; Silver Men: Simon Chevrel, Pacific Coast, with Donatello, lunged by Poppy Coulter; Bronze Women: Grace Robinson, Pacific Coast with Cheval, lunged by Poppy Coulter; Copper Women: Michelle Guo, Mt. Eden, with Amadeus, lunged by Kim Dunham; Copper Men: Nicholas Fujii, Tambourine, with Tank, lunged by Kelley Holly; Trot Women: Katherine Salisbury, Woodside, with Isabella, lunged by Krista Mack; Preliminary Trot Women: Kristen Kuhn, Woodside, with Isabella, lunged by Krista Mack; Preliminary Trot Men: Tristan Martin, Tambourine, with Trooper, lunged by Kelley Holly Region III A Team: Warm Beach Revelation--Shelby Janes, Roxanne Mitchell, Jamie Wentland, Anna Erickson, Alexandria Jaynes, Ryan Barbee, Mark Vernacchia with Prophet, lunged by Patti Skipton; B Team: Warm Beach Chronicles-- Mckenzie Enge, Julia Overton, Kelsie Tays, Quinn Albright, Sarah Anderson, Kaleb Patterson with Promise, lunged by Jeannie Patterson; C Team: Warm Beach/Above & Beyond-- Hadessah Rynning, Tammie Benoit, Leandra Essman, Luke Overton, Kalli Roberts, Haley Fryrear, Rita Murphy with Exodus/ Peace, lunged by Mark Vernacchia; Trot Team Compulsories: Warm Beach/Above & Beyond-- Rowan Bender, Danielle Lindstrom, Ruth Valsquier, Camille Birch, Brittany Painter, Madison Jaynes with Genesis /Promise, lunged by Jeannie Patterson; Trot Pas de Deux: Janelle Murphy/Rowan Bender with Above and Beyond/ Silver, lunged by Saacha Deamborossio; Preliminary 2-Phase Team: BrookWood-- Caitlyn Johnson, Haley Vlastelicia, Britta Vlastelicia, Olivia Soter; Gold Women: Anna Erickson, Warm Beach; Silver Women: Alexandria Jaynes, Warm Beach; Silver Men: Kaleb Patterson, Warm Beach; Bronze Women: Mckenzie Enge, Warm Beach; Bronze Men: Mark Vernacchia, Warm Beach; Copper Women: Mara Rosenberg, BrookWood; Copper Men: Luke Overton, Warm Beach; Trot Women: Camille Birch, Warm Beach; Preliminary Trot Women: Janelle Murphy, Above and Beyond; Preliminary Trot Men: Jordan Davy, Mt. Rainier; Novice Walk Women: Dani Gray, Harbor View; Mighty Munchkins (walk): Abbey Sommerville, Warm Beach; Open Barrel Freestyle: Sydney Dexter, BrookWood; Preliminary Barrel Freestyle: Hadessah Rynning, Warm Beach Region IV Trot Team: Golden Gate/Albuquerque --Elizabeth Paliga, Anjali Glenn, Natalie Paliga, Mara Coe, Kylee Winner, Emma Milito, with Chunky Monkey, lunged by Noel Martonovich; Open Pas De Deux: Kelly Moore/Nicole Czyzewski, Golden Gate with Smokin Joe, lunged by Noel Martonovich; Preliminary Pas De Deux: Matthew Shubert/ Caroline Shubert, Del Sol with Sampson, lunged by Jodi Rinard; Trot Region III Trot Pas de Deux Champions Janelle Murphy and Rowan Bender (Above and Beyond) on Silver Photo courtesy of Anna Fowler

14 Pas De Deux: Andrew Velazquez/ Hannah Velazquez, Del Sol with Maggie lunged by Kris Shryock; Gold Women: Nicole Czyzewski, Golden Gate with Oliver, lunged by Yossi Martonovich and Smokin Joe lunged by Noel Martonovich; Silver Women: Mikalah Bowman, Golden Gate with Oliver, lunged by Yossi Martonovich and Flash lunged by Noel Martonovich; Bronze Women: Courtney Madden, Mile High with Ranger and Region II B Team Champions, Pacific Coast Vaulters with Wyeth and Poppy Coulter. Sampson, lunged by Jodi Rinard; Bronze Men: Matthew Shubert, Del Sol with Fortunada, lunged by Greta Shryock; Copper Women: Anya Dushinski, Golden Gate with Royal and Flash, lunged by Noel Martonovich; Trot Women: Mara Coe, Golden Gate with Chunky Monkey, lunged by Noel Martonovich; Trot Men: Micah Hawk-Lowenstein, Albuquerque with Maggie, lunged by Kris Shryock; Preliminary Trot Women: Hannah Moench, Mile High with Amidala, lunged by Jodi Rinard; Preliminary Trot Men: Andrew Velazquez, Del Sol with Maggie, lunged by Kris Shryock Region IX Gold Women: Ling Beisecker, Mt. Tabor; Gold Men: Clay Thomas, Blue Star; Silver Women: Stephanie Harris, Image; Silver Men: Greg Helm, Great Falls; Bronze Women: Julia Robinson, Piedmont; Bronze Men: Quailley Godfrey, Blue Star; Copper Women: Rachel Olinick, Shea Rose; Copper Men: Kyle Gehring, Vaulting Visions; D Canter: Mercy Miller, Balance; Trot Women: Molly Grace Thornton, Falconwood; Trot Men: Pete Senn, Root Farm; Trot Pas De Deux: Molly Grace Thornton/Claudia Thornton, Falconwood; Preliminary Trot Women: Isabela Valdes, Topaz; D Trot: Aislinn Coleman-Plante, Vaulting Visions; D Walk: Jessica Hogge, Paradise Region X Region X is starting to grow, and is hoping to hold its first Regional Championships in the near future! CVI*,** SARATOGA June 24-26, 2011 Vaulters from around the world will compete with the best in the USA. Deadline for preliminary entries: May 5 (list all possible entries), definite entries: June 5 (final). Reserve your premiere, ring-side seating including delicious luncheon for $75 each or $400 per table of 6. For more information and entries: Benefit for VIA Rehabilitation Services of Santa Clara County SPONSORED BY 14 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

15 Vaulters, Coaches, Families Live & Breathe Vaulting for 7 Days at AVA s Summer Vaulting Camp! Tired of just vaulting in the pool each summer? Are your parents constantly telling you to stop doing shoulder stands on the back of the couch? Yearning for a whole lotta horse time? If you re a canter vaulter, 12 and over, or a coach of any level, join us at our Annual AVA Summer Vaulting Camp. July A fun, instruction-filled and affordable sleep-away week at the incredible Fort Robinson National Park in Nebraska, the camp offers six hours of daily coaching on both the barrel and the horse (and open horse time for individual practice) by award winning coaches including renowned performance expert and clinician Nancy Stevens-Brown and the fabulous and fun Flavia Themudo Guida from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Performance training, fitness and conditioning classes, horsemanship sessions and dance/gymnastics classes will take your vaulting to a new level. And did we mention the swimming, hiking, trail rides, field trips, rodeos, hayrides and chuck wagon dinners in between? Guys, there will even be special sessions just for you! Coaches of all levels, be sure to check out the coaching curriculum; bring your vaulters and make it a team building event! The Fort Robinson area is a fun and very affordable place to vacation (the 16-ounce rib-eye steaks will have dad drooling), and the park and nearby areas offer a wide variety of affordably priced accommodations, so bring the entire family! If you re flying into the convenient Denver airport for the camp, we ll pick you up at the airport, where you ll join up with other vaulters to take our entertaining Vaulting Van to Ft. Robinson. Registration is open now; for details go to and click on Summer Vaulting Camp! 15

16 Devon Maitozo George Joseph (Joey) Gadd M Mary McCormick Kelly Moore FACE Men s Gold High Point Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Men s Silver High Point Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Women s Gold High Point Golden Gate Vaulters Women s Silver High Point Camille Birch FACE Jonathon Hamilton Southern Stars Men s Trot High Point Warm Beach Vaulters Women s Trot High Point A Team of the Year 16 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

17 atthew Shubert Nicholas Cox Grace Robinson Hadessah Rynning Vaulters del Sol Men s Bronze High Point The Riding Academy Men s Copper High Point Pacific Coast Vaulters Women s Bronze High Point Warm Beach Vaulters Women s Copper High Point Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Woodside Vaulters Mile-High Vaulters B Team of the Year C Team of the Year Trot Team of the Year All photos are courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography except the A team, B team, and C team photos. Those are from Lynne Owen Photography. 17

18 Denver: The Mile High City Hosts 2011 National Championships The AVA/USEF National Championships are set for August 11-14, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Make plans now to attend this fun and exciting national event! The Championships will take place at the National Western Complex, just minutes away from downtown Denver, and centrally located at the intersection of the city s two major highways. Best Western: Lots of Freebees The AVA s Host Hotel will be the Best Western Denver (www. bestwestern.com/denverhotel), which is offering an AVA group rate of $79.99 for up to quad occupancy. The rate includes a free airport shuttle, free local shuttle to the National Western Complex, free hot breakfast, and free in-room wifi! Be sure to ask for the special AVA rate. In addition, limited RV sites are available at the National Western Complex, with other RV and campsite options nearby. There s a viable option for everyone! Individual Sponsorships Defray Your Costs! This year, the AVA is hosting a sponsorship drive to help raise funds, and every competing vaulter may earn $1 (toward their Nationals entry fees) for every $5 in tax-deductable donations collected by that vaulter for the AVA! In addition, the top three earners will receive a prize, and the club with the highest sponsorship earnings will also receive a prize. For a copy of your sponsor sheet go to the Nationals section (from the home page of the public AVA website) and click on Individual Sponsorships. Make Nationals Your Summer Vacation Each year that the AVA National Championships are in Denver, many families make a summer vacation out of it, since Denver is known as the gateway to Colorado s famous Rocky Mountain Wonderland! Vaulting families from all over the country take in a variety of sights, from museums and the zoo, to the aquarium and the amusement park. Head to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science to attend the Real Pirates interactive exhibit or go see the beautiful Contemporary Realism Landscapes of the Western Horizons or the surreal Watching Me Watching You, both at the Denver Art Museum during Nationals. Vaulting clubs use the time before and after to bond (can we say whitewater rafting anyone?), and families spend time indoors (museums, theatres, even mega-malls) and out (fishing, camping, a day trip to Mount Evens or Rocky Mountain National Park). Make plans now to come to Nationals 2011 and BRING THE FAMILY! Important Dates to Remember July 11: Entries close. Monday, August 8: Horses may arrive after noon Wednesday, August 10: Practice and Vet Check Thursday, August 11: AVA National Festival Friday, August 12: A,B,C Team Compulsories, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Trot, Open and Prelim Two-Phase compulsories Saturday, August 13: Trot, Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold Freestyle, Trot Team, Open and Prelim. Two-Phase Freestyle, Preliminary and Open Pas de Deux, Awards with parade of all AVA horses. AVA Board Meeting. Sunday, August 14: A, B, C Team Freestyle, Bronze Compulsories RII, Silver Freestyle RII, Open Pas de Deux II, Gold Technical Test, Gold Freestyle RII. Awards with parade of all USEF horses. Photo courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography 18 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

19 By Patrick Patterson Overlooking the Puget Sound about an hour north of Seattle, Washington, Warm Beach Christian Camps and Conference Center is home to the Warm Beach Vaulters, one of the nation s largest AVA clubs. The center serves more than 80,000 people a year in a variety of church, school, and nonprofit camps, conferences, and retreats. Horses have been part of nearly all of Warm Beach Camp s 50-year history. Starting with pony rides, trail rides, and a delightful pony wagon, guests were able to experience a touch of the countryside on horseback during the early 1960s. In the 1970s the camp developed instructional riding programs where equine enthusiasts could come for a week of camp to care for and ride a horse of their own. Today, nearly 60 horses, including six vaulting horses, support a wide-ranging program of trail rides, riding lessons, instructional camps, and of course, vaulting. Feature The Warm Beach Vaulters: Zero to 63 in Five Years! Today, nearly 60 horses, including six vaulting horses, support a wide-ranging program of trail rides, riding lessons, instructional camps, and of course, vaulting. Vaulting has been part of Warm Beach Camp s horsemanship program for more than twenty years, being featured first as an elective during horsemanship camp. With the arrival of Mark and Patti Skipton in 2006, vaulting quickly became a very active program as both a recreational and competitive sport. Warm Beach became an AVA club that same year, with nine founding members, and in 2010 had grown to 63. Patti, head coach for the large, Santa Cruzbased Monte Vista Vaulters from 1985 to 2000, Photo courtesy of Patrick Taylor Photography 19

20 put Warm Beach s vaulting program into overdrive fast. Soon after Patti arrived, Belgian draft horses were pulled out of their normal duties and trained to carry vaulters. Demonstrations were organized to entice local kids with visions of elegant dance and athletic prowess. Recreational vaulting began on a weekly basis followed by the first competition in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in Donations began streaming into the notfor-profit organization from parents, friends, and business sponsors. New tack arrived and eventually several more horses and even more tack, not to mention vaulting barrels, mirrors, and exercise equipment. A classroom was converted to a vaulting gym and dedicated welders created new vaulting barrels. Last year, parents and community volunteers banded together to convert an old tie stall barn into a weight room. In a few short years, Warm Beach Vaulters has grown from one trot team in 2006 to having three canter teams plus a trot team, in addition to recreational vaulting, in The club enjoys amazing support from dedicated parents, as well as local sponsors and the parent organization, Warm Beach Camp. Vaulting is important to us because it strengthens our entire organization, says Warm Beach Executive Director Ed McDowell. Vaulting is important to us because it strengthens our entire organization. Having vaulting in our program mix increases the number of campers in programs, expands our donor base and offers amazingly positive public relations and marketing opportunities. Carrying such an extensive club requires some very special equine friends. Famously partial to Belgian draft horses, Patti Skipton has put together a collection of horses who are known for names starting with the letter P. Many of these horses came from the driving discipline with just one coming from a vaulting background and many of them were donated to the club by equestrian enthusiasts who wanted to see their horses loved and well utilized, Ed confirms. Praise, a Belgian gelding who was originally donated as a trail ride string horse for the larger adults, now carries copper and trot vaulters and all levels of team freestyle. At the 2007 Nationals in Denver, Praise won the Versatility award for carrying vaulters in the largest variety of classes. Prize and Prophet, both purchased for the club through donations, are 18.1hh Belgian geldings who carry the Silver and Gold vaulters, as well as the A Team. For cross-training, the boys are ridden under saddle, driven and used in roman riding. Rounding out the equine team are Promise, a donated beautiful blonde Belgian/ Thoroughbred Cross, and Peace, a donated Belgian/Quarter Horse Cross donated by a family who wanted him to go to a not-forprofit. The only non-belgian horse is sweettempered Paint Me Pretty, a Spotted Draft Horse, owned by a club member, who carries the Mighty Might vaulters and is the camp vaulting horse. The vaulting program has become an entry point for many campers who now attend vaulting and horsemanship camps throughout the year. In addition to competitions around the Pacific Northwest, the Warm Beach Vaulters exhibit their sport at local and state fairs, rodeos, and charity events. Exhibitions are a club favorite as the vaulters enjoy performing in front of cheering crowds where no one is Photo by Primo Ponies Photography Photo by Patrick Taylor Photography Photo by Primo Ponies Photography 20 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

21 scoring their moves or comparing their routines. And what vaulter doesn t like their picture taken by delighted spectators? Perhaps that is one of the reasons the Warm Beach Vaulters club is composed of youth and young adults who, in some cases, travel more than two hours one way for practice. But there is something more. "Vaulting provides young people with amazing opportunities for personal growth, physical conditioning, life-long friendships and travel. As a long-time coach, I know that vaulting provides young people with amazing opportunities for personal growth, physical conditioning, life-long friendships and travel, says Patti Skipton. Seeing young people achieve their competitive goals is certainly rewarding. And seeing them build positive character qualities, a commitment to teamwork, and a compassion for others makes vaulting an investment that touches the future. About the Author: Patrick Patterson is the Director of Administration at Warm Beach Camp, Washington s premier camp, conference and retreat facility. For more information on Warm Beach you can find them at or find Warm Beach Camp and Warm Beach Vaulters on Facebook. Warm Beach vaulter Mark Vernacchia shows off his roman riding skills at a 2010 WEG demonstration. Photo by Primo Ponies Photography 21

22 AVA Medal Testing: How Do You Measure Up? In 2010, vaulters took a total of 118 AVA Medal Tests, down from 230 in Congratulations to the following 30 clubs (about one quarter of our registered clubs) who took AVA Medal Tests in 2010: Warm Beach Vaulters (14 Medals Awarded) Tambourine Vaulters (10) Harbor View Vaulters (9) Albuquerque Vaulters (8) Pacific Coast Vaulters (8) Falconwood Vaulters (7) Mt. Rainier Vaulters (7) Ecco Ridge Vaulters (6) JT Ranch Vaulters (6) Mt. Tabor Vaulters (5) Woodside Vaulters (5) Blue Sky Vaulters (4) Cascade Vaulters (4) Above and Beyond Vaulters (3) Balance Vaulters (2) Brookside Vaulters (2) Equestarz (2) Golden Gate Vaulters (2) Vaulters del Sol (2) Zero Gravity Vaulters (2) Cedar Lodge (1) FreeFall Vaulters (1) Gold Star Pacesetters (1) Lone Star Vaulters (1) Mile-High Vaulters (1) Monroe County Vaulting Club (1) Mt. Eden Vaulting Club (1) Phoenix Vaulting Club (1) Piedmont Vaulting Club (1) Primo Ponies Vaulters (1) Medal testing gives vaulters an opportunity to measure themselves against a standard rather than against other vaulters, as occurs in competition. The AVA Medal Test Program includes opportunities for beginning level vaulters up through the elite international level vaulters to test their skills and earn medals at their particular level. A total of 11 levels of AVA Medals may be awarded: Novice Walk, Novice Trot, Trot, Trot to the Right, Novice Canter, Bronze, Bronze to the Right, Silver, Silver to the Right, Gold and Gold to the Right. At the canter level, medals can be earned with a passing score, a commended score, or an honors score (denoted as C or H after the score). AVA Medal Testing: Five Year Statistics * After a slow 2010, we d like 2011 to be another big year for AVA Medal Testing, Sue Detol said. This program is important because nationwide it s the one true way to measure yourself against a vaulting standard and not just against other vaulters who may attend the same competition. "I challenge clubs to put their heads together and brainstorm on ways to sponsor even more AVA Medal Testing over the next year. Our goal is to have at least 80 percent of clubs participate in AVA Medal Testing, and to get to 250 total medal tests in 2011! The first medal test of 2010 was taken by a group of Albuquerque Vaulters who were awarded trot and novice medals in April. The last medal test of the year was Ling Beisecker, taking the only gold medal test of the year in December Gold Silver Silver (Right) Bronze Bronze (Right) Novice Canter Trot Trot (Right) Novice Trot Novice 1 N/A Novice Walk TOTAL If you would like more information on the AVA Medal Test program, including how to run a medal test or how to prepare and take a medal test, go the members-only website and look under Results>Medal Testing for more information. All clubs are encouraged either to host an AVA Medal Test (or two or three!) or work with their Regions to host AVA Medal Tests right after area competitions. A salute to all clubs that went the extra mile to sponsor an AVA Medal Test last year, and a hearty congratulations to each and every vaulter who was awarded an AVA Medal in 2010! I challenge clubs to put their heads together and brainstorm on ways to sponsor even more AVA Medal Testing over the next year. Our goal is to have at least 80 percent of clubs participate in AVA Medal Testing, and to get to 250 total medal tests in 2011! *Wonder why the Novice division reporting looks a bit skewed? In some years all gaits under the Novice category were reported together, and in other years, the Novice category was broken down by gait. Where Medal Test score sheets and results did not show the type of gait, scores are simply reported in the Novice (general) category. 22 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

23 2010 Medal Test Recipients GOLD Ling Beisecker, Mt. Tabor SILVER Sarah Anderson, Warm Beach Vaulters Ryan Barbee, Warm Beach Vaulters Lauren Berger, Vaulters Del Sol Mikalah Bowman, Golden Gate Vaulters George Joseph Gadd, Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Nicole Gorman, Pacific Coast Vaulters Yvonne Greenen, Woodside Vaulters Emily Hogye, Brookside Vaulters Shelby Janes, Warm Beach Vaulters Mackenzie Jassowski, Primo Ponies Vaulters Alexandria Jaynes, Warm Beach Vaulters Karey Markham, Pacific Coast Vaulters Katrina Nibbi, Woodside Vaulters Julia Overton, Warm Beach Vaulters Kaleb Patterson, Warm Beach Vaulters Julianna Robison, Harbor View Vaulters Emily Rose, Pacific Coast Vaulters Mark Vernacchia, Warm Beach Vaulters Audrey Wilkins, Balance Vaulters BRONZE Holly Carney, Balance Vaulters Brooklyn Chaney, Harbor View Vaulters Cassie Dufond, Tambourine Vaulters Mckenzie Enge, Warm Beach Vaulters Leandra Essman, Above and Beyond Vaulters Natasha Fabricant, Pacific Coast Vaulters Malik Finney, Cedar Lodge Ellie Gifford, Woodside Vaulters Nicole Gorman, Pacific Coast Vaulters Christina Hogg, Gold Star Pacesetters Emily Hogye, Brookside Vaulters Kimberly Jassowski, Tambourine Vaulters Siddartha Kreaden, Woodside Vaulters Ana Gabriela Louis, Lone Star Vaulters Julia Robinson, Piedmont Vaulting Club Emily Rose, Pacific Coast Vaulters Janie Salisbury, Woodside Vaulters Matthew Shubert, Vaulters Del Sol Clare Sitzer, Tambourine Vaulters BRONZE TO THE RIGHT Laura Jassowski, Tambourine Vaulters NOVICE CANTER Charlotte Deanda, Pacific Coast Vaulters Nicholas Fujii, Tambourine Vaulters Hailey Haugen, Mt. Rainier Vaulters Alexis Massey, Mt. Rainier Vaulters Irena Shaffer, Mt. Tabor Vaulters Kate Shaffer, Mt. Tabor Vaulters Bonnie Ubben, Harbor View Vaulters TROT Riley Baker, Albuquerque Vaulters Madison Bell, Above and Beyond Vaulters Melissa Bennett, Phoenix Vaulting Club Rowan Bender, Zero Gravity Vaulters Tammie Benoit, Warm Beach Vaulters Camille Birch, Warm Beach Vaulters Quinn Bohrer-Hughes, Tambourine Vaulters Delaney Campbell, Cascade Vaulters Rachel Cathro, Cascade Vaulters Juliette Cimetiere, Cascade Vaulters Sarah Cloes, Warm Beach Vaulters Cameron Coyhis, Equestarz Ethan Coyhis, Equestarz Hana Dawson, Albuquerque Vaulters Charlotte Deanda, Pacific Coast Vaulters Kaylee Evans, Zero Gravity Vaulters Haley Fryrear, Warm Beach Vaulters Sadie Gusler, Mt. Rainier Vaulters Heather Haugen, Mt. Rainier Vaulters Kaileah Hawk-Lowenstein, Albuquerque Vaulters Nicole Jolibois, Ecco Ridge Vaulters Mckenzie Jones, Ecco Ridge Vaulters Allison Justus, Cascade Vaulters Arilyn Martin, Tambourine Vaulters Tristan Martin, Tambourine Vaulters Hana Mason, Mile-High Vaulters Janelle Murphy, Above and Beyond Vaulters Natalie Paliga, Golden Gate Vaulters Iohanna Quinones, Albuquerque Vaulters Rebekah Reece, Mt. Rainier Vaulters Kalli Roberts, Warm Beach Vaulters Bailey Samples, Albuquerque Vaulters Irena Shaffer, Mt. Tabor Vaulters Kate Shaffer, Mt. Tabor Vaulters Stevie Slack, JT Ranch Vaulters Molly Grace Thornton, Falconwood Vaulters Bonnie Ubben, Harbor View Vaulters Jade Wentland, JT Ranch Vaulters Jazmyn Wentland, JT Ranch Vaulters Kylee Winner, Albuquerque Vaulters Allison Yeager, Monroe County Vaulting Club TROT TO THE RIGHT Camille Birch, Warm Beach Vaulters NOVICE TROT Jordan Davy, Mt. Rainier Vaulters Caitlin Hicks, Falconwood Vaulters Madeline Martinez, Tambourine Vaulters Copalli Quinones, Albuquerque Vaulters Rebekah Reece, Mt. Rainier Vaulters Kristen Talluto, Falconwood Vaulters Danette Thomas, Falconwood Vaulters Taylor Thomas, Falconwood Vaulters Claudia Thornton, Falconwood Vaulters Molly Grace Thornton, Falconwood Vaulters Diana Trueblood, Tambourine Vaulters NOVICE Kaileah Hawk-Lowenstein, Albuquerque Vaulters NOVICE WALK Riley Ballantyne, Blue Sky Vaulters Katie Bandy, Blue Sky Vaulters Kenzie Carnahan, Blue Sky Vaulters Lillian Clark, Harbor View Vaulters Tess Creasy, Ecco Ridge Vaulters Delaney Eaton, Ecco Ridge Vaulters Anita Fraser, FreeFall Vaulters Dani Gray, Harbor View Vaulters Sarah Hobson, JT Ranch Vaulters Nicole Jolibois, Ecco Ridge Vaulters Mckenzie Jones, Ecco Ridge Vaulters Hallie Kuntz, Harbor View Vaulters Dominique Reichl, Harbor View Vaulters Karlye Shank, JT Ranch Vaulters Stevie Slack, JT Ranch Vaulters Reina Sorensen, Harbor View Vaulters Hannah Wheeler, Blue Sky Vaulters 23

24 Just for Vaulters THE FOAM ROLLER Vaulters, meet your new best friend the foam roller! Given the ballistic nature of both vaulting and the cross training used to support vaulter fitness, vaulters must regularly pamper themselves with myofascial release (a.k.a. massage) in order to stay in top condition. If you re like most of us and can t cajole a friend into massaging your tight piriformis before and after practice, give the foam roller a try. Myofascial Release By using your bodyweight as continuous pressure against and along the foam roller, you can help soften and lengthen your fascia, the layer of fibrous connective tissue surrounding your muscles. Foam rolling helps break down scar tissue, adhesions between the skin, muscles, and bones, and helps reduce muscular and joint soreness while increasing flexibility. For some, foam rolling may not feel like much. For others, foam rolling exposes areas of extreme tenderness or soreness. Whether it hurts so good or doesn t feel like much, foam rolling is an important release for your myofascial tissues. The following exercises target some of the main problem areas for vaulters. If you feel tightness and soreness, it probably means you ve hit the spot! Roll as often as you want and however you want; there are no restrictions! Sore forearms? Tender biceps? Tight back? You can roll anything! Aim to foam roll before practice and workouts to increase Piriformis Piriformis Sit on top of the foam roller. Cross your left ankle over your right knee. Tilt toward your left and sink the foam roller into your hip. Roll back and forth over the piriformis times. Switch sides. Foam rollers are available at most sporting goods stores. You can also choose from thousands of rollers online with a simple Google search of foam roller. Get rollling! blood flow to muscles and after practice to address troublesome areas (like the piriformis or IT band). Rest assured, soreness will fade with consistent foam rolling and you ll be on your way to a happier (less sore) you! Illiotibial (IT) Band Place the foam roller just under your left hip and lay sideways across the foam roller with your left elbow on the ground for support. Cross your right leg over your left and place your right hand on the ground for additional stability. Roll down the leg to just before the knee and back toward the hip times. Switch sides. Illiotibial Band All photos courtesy of Lynne Owen Photography 24 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

25 By Megan Benjamin and Stacey Burnett Anterior Tibialis About the Authors: Stacey Burnett (pictured) is a Certified Personal Trainer based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been training vaulters and riders of varying fitness levels since For further information on how you or your vaulters/riders may become more fit, contact her at staceypburnett@gmail.com. Megan Benjamin is the 2006 World Equestrian Games Women s Vaulting Champion. A Mt. Eden Vaulting Club member, she is a member of the AVA Board of Directors and the chair of the AVA Vaulter Fitness Committee. Latissimus Dorsi Anterior Tibialis (Shins) While on all fours, place the foam roller at the base of your ankles. Slowly roll up toward your knees and back down toward your ankles. Repeat 5-10 times. Chest/Shoulders (Bent Arm Snow Angels) Lie with your back along the length of the foam roller. While maintaining a flat spine, stretch your arms down to your sides while maintaining a slight elbow bend. With your palms facing up, slowly drag your hands along the side of your body while maintaining contact with the floor until the hands are overhead. Reverse the movement to bring your hands back to the starting position. Move slowly to benefit fully. Repeat times. Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) Lie on your side and place the foam roller just under your left armpit. Using your right arm for leverage, slowly roll down toward your ribs (staying on your side) and back up to your armpit. Repeat times. Switch sides. Chest/Shoulders Quadriceps Femoris (Quads) Place the foam roller at the top of your quads while supporting your body on your elbows. Roll down your legs to just before your knee and roll back up to the top of your quad. For added pressure, try crossing one leg behind the other while rolling. Repeat times. Switch if necessary. Hamstrings Place the foam roller at the top of your hamstrings toward your buttocks. Support your body with your hands behind your body. Elevate your hips off the floor and roll down your hamstrings toward your knees and back up. For added pressure, try crossing one leg on top of the other while rolling. Repeat times. Switch if necessary. Calves Place the foam roller at the bottom of your calves. Support your weight with the hands and elevate your hips off the floor. Roll up your calf to just below the back of your knee and back down. For added pressure, try crossing one leg on top of the other while rolling. Repeat times. Switch if necessary. Chest/Shoulders 25

26 Coachingcorner By Nancy Stevens-Brown vault on! First Up! The first time man tried to ride a horse, he vaulted on! From that distant day, humans have continued to clamber, crawl, hop and vault on to horses. When the first single stirrup was invented, it was used for getting into the saddle, finally making the mount less gymnastic and more about technique. For ladies, royalty and jockeys, a leg up was the norm. While cavalry practiced equitation drills to perfect a proper mount, others simply schooled their horses to lie down, stretch out or stand quietly by a fence, stump or mounting block. Moving On Despite these many innovative ways to get astride, competitive vaulters today must still vault on. Considering the physics of this task, it s not surprising that for most vaulters the compulsory mount remains the single most challenging basic exercise. What s Up? The FEI description of a perfect 10 mount describes the vaulter flying into a nearly vertical handstand above the horse with complete arm extension and full splits aligned with the surcingle. The vaulter then lands softly in a centered seat. For a maximum score the vaulter must also display excellent posture, form, body tension and alignment throughout this dynamic move. A straight spine, squared hips and stretched legs must be visible from the moment the vaulter leaves the ground. All In One Despite the undeniable complexity of mastering the perfect FEI mount, this compulsory is worth serious attention, as nearly everything expected for the ideal mount will also be needed to perform the other compulsories. Therefore, it pays to stress good technique from the first day the mount is introduced. Break It Down To perfect this challenging compulsory, it is easiest to break it down into these basic 26 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011 elements: posture, timing, harmony and rhythm, spring, alignment and form, dynamic tension and strength, balance, a handstand, complete flexibility, and a centered seat. Let us consider some of these essentials. Posture: Stand Up to Stand Out The key to perfecting anything in vaulting is developing proper posture from the very first lesson. The athlete should learn to stand tall and alert in a balanced position. You should be able to draw a vertical line downward from the vaulter s ear to their shoulder, through hip and heel. The overall look will be a proud and elegant stance, even among tiny tots. Vaulters who practice good carriage are engaged and balanced before they even touch the grips. Simply put, proper posture is the foundation for faster improvement, greater success and higher scores, while reducing the chance of falls and injuries. Quick Tip: Encourage good posture by having vaulters walk around or stand in line with something on their heads. If they remain tall, the item will not fall! It s Time The goal in all vaulting is to become as synchronized and harmonious with the horse as possible. The horse provides amazing lift and power, but only when the vaulter times their effort to correspond with that energy. When a vaulter times a move incorrectly, both the vaulter and the horse will work harder. From the start, teach your vaulters to recognize their horse s strides and rhythm. Much like someone about to jump into an already swinging jump rope, it is essential to have a keen sense of the phases of the horse s gait and then to coordinate the spring with the most forward strike of the inside lead leg. Then as the horse travels forward over the lead foreleg, the vaulter will be lifted up during that phase of the stride. Quick Tip: Teach timing by placing a colored wrap on the inside foreleg of the horse and matching vet wrap or ribbon Staying in step with the horse is an essential part of perfect timing in the vault on. on the vaulter's corresponding leg. Have everyone count out loud as the colored leg swings forward and strikes the ground. Spring The spring (ground jump) is critical for a superb mount. An energetic forward spring at the proper point of the horse s stride ensures the most correct, fluid and effortless mount. To mount well, the vaulter should approach in step with the inside foreleg, prepared to spring forward and mount quickly within a stride or two of taking the grips. To get the most out of the ground jump, the vaulter should approach the horse lightly and maintain perfect posture, identically aligned with the horse. As the vaulter springs s/he should hop forward, then jump off the whole foot for maximum spring. Only after both feet have left the ground should the vaulter begin to swing the leg. Quick Tip: Many vaulters try to jump using just their calves or with flat feet, which decreases jump force. A few ways to increase a vaulter s spring include jumping rope, trampoline work, leapfrog, and jumping up and down onto and off of a bench. For specific ground jump conditioning exercises, see Just for Vaulters in the Fall 2010 issue of Equestrian Vaulting. Alignment Two phases of the mount require precise alignment. The first is on the approach, during which the vaulter s hips and shoulders must stay square with the horse s chest. The vaulter must rely on their peripheral vision to spot where

27 A young German vaulter performs an open-hip mount at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Maintain alignment by squaring the hips and facing forward, not toward the horse. the grips are located while keeping their head forward and their body square with the horse. As the vaulter springs, his or her feet should land squarely forward to generate the most upward lift off the ground. Quick Tip: The alignment for the mount is the same as that of the flag. Have your vaulters practice swinging up from flag to a fully stretched needle on the ground or barrel. Then try kicking from a needle into a balanced handstand with splits and back to needle without letting the high leg relax or lower at any part of the exercise. Have the vaulters focus on finding balance while maintaining the maximum leg height and stretch at all times. Splits The second element that requires precise alignment is the splits phase of the mount. To be truly successful, the vaulter must first develop complete flexibility on the ground. The alignment of this phase of the mount is the same as a correct flag. This is one part of a mount that most often troubles vaulters, as they frequently twist toward the horse in a straddle in anticipation of getting on. When the mount is timed properly, the energy of the horse will both lift the vaulter up and simultaneously pull them across. Therefore, it is vital that the vaulter maintain their upward energy with properly aligned splits for as long as possible and let gravity and the forward circular movement of the horse bring them down. Quick Tip: There is no escaping the need Photos courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography 2008 World Champion Petr Eim performs a (nearly) textbook mount during a recent training session. to spend time developing this essential flexibility, but stretching alone will not guarantee splits in the mount. Practice leg lifts and needle kicks to develop the strength required to stretch into a full needle position. Handstand The FEI mount diagram depicts a fully extended gymnastic handstand as the ideal peak of the compulsory mount. Developing a solid gymnastic handstand on the ground is a must for anyone who wishes to be competitive. Though age, size, and experience will determine whether a vaulter ever achieves this FEI ideal, it is important to recognize that this first compulsory move sets the expectation for all others. Though a vaulter may have no gymnastic background, there are countless ways outside of class to build the coordination, confidence, strength, balance and correct technique for a proper handstand. Once an excellent gymnastic handstand is learned, this vital skill will be needed for the compulsory flight moves and will become an invaluable tool in dynamic freestyles. Quick Tip: Handstands can be made fun! Try timing them, balancing with different leg positions, have handstand races, walk on hands up and down steps or slopes, catch balls with the legs while upside down or see who has the straightest handstand by using a plumb bob from their feet thru ears to wrists! Spotting or basing handstands on the ground, barrel and horse is also a fun and rewarding way to improve this important skill. Centered Landing Though getting on properly is the goal for all competitive vaulters, developing a centered, balanced seat should be learned first. A balanced, harmonious, and centered seat with correct posture is the building block for all vaulting. To enjoy the most centered landing in the mount, a vaulter must dive up and forward into a balanced position over the handles, striving to get their hips over the inside grip while simultaneously keeping their splits stretched parallel to the surcingle. This balanced position is often negated when a vaulter ducks their head down too soon in the mount, which drives their body mass backward and off balance. The vaulter must maintain maximum body tension and strive to remain forward and airborne, letting gravity and the movement of the horse bring them down. This balance and control makes it easier for the vaulter to land lightly and centered. Quick Tip: Learning to be centered is part balance, part posture and positioning. Try timing beginners to see how fast they can get on to sitting with perfect posture right behind the surcingle. Expect More! The saying A man s reach should exceed his grasp! is never truer than with the compulsory mount, and though there are many techniques for developing a great mount, the real key is to understand the goal and know that even the most beginning beginner can vault on better if the building blocks of a proper mount are encouraged from the start. By expecting more it is possible for all vaulters to soar! Vault On! Since 1970 Nancy Stevens-Brown has continuously coached all levels of vaulting. Her Timberline Vaulters won countless National Championships, AVA medals (including Nancy s own gold medal), as well as exciting international successes. With innovative methods and boundless energy, Nancy encourages every vaulter to recognize and tap into their strengths and creativity to unleash their own distinctive style and potential. Interested in discussing this article with others in our vaulting community? Do you have a question, a comment, or an alternate point of view? Let s talk! Go to the AVA members-only website, click on Forums (your same user name and password) and then find the section for Equestrian Vaulting magazine. Click on the article title and join in or start a dialogue with other members about what you just read! 27

28 QUIZ: WHICH VAULTING SHOULD YOU TRY NEXT? Trying to figure out which move to learn this season? Just follow this handy flow chart to see which vaulting move might suit you best! Trampoline/ Tumble Track At an open gymnastics class the first thing you do is... Balance Beam Are you tumbling on the beam or just walking? Lots of Stretching Jump on the bed Just Walking Tumbling Do your friends call you Gumby? Can you hold a handstand for 5 seconds or more? YES YES NO NEEDLE H LEAP Learning how to jump is easier than you think, especially if you already have a sturdy forward stand! Practice landing softly on the barrel before taking your leaps to the horse. Just learning? Try a tuck jump! Jumping veteran? Try a split leap or a half turn! Show off your beautiful lines with a needle! If you re already stretchy, practice your strength with needle kicks and needle holds against a wall. Just learning? Try a forward needle with both hands on the handles! Needle veteran? Try a needle backward, in the handle, on the handle, sideways, on the neck, on the croup, one-handed or free! 28 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

29 MOVE By Blake Dahlgren When you get to a hotel, the first thing you do is andstands in the elevator & hallway Vault on the furniture NO Practice Handstands Standing on a Friend's Shoulders At the pool, you spend most of your time practicing... CARTWHEEL You're in a big grassy field. The first thing you do is... Underwater Handstands Practice Endless Cartwheels/ Assorted Tumbling HANDSTAND Frolic through the Grass STAND A sturdy stand is the foundation of all great vaulting and helps develop balance and confidence. Just learning? Try a forward or side stand with one foot in the handle! Standing veteran? Try standing reverse, outside, inside, on the neck, on the croup, on the handle, in the handle, cross-legged, onelegged, or anything else you can imagine! A great gymnastics skill and an ex-technical test move, the cartwheel is a great way to build coordination, balance, and timing. Just learning? Try a chest cartwheel! Start on your knees on the neck. Kick off one knee and cartwheel through a split side hang. Land in press (on your belly) on the back pad. Cartwheel veteran? Try cartwheel from back to neck, from neck to back, from side to side, off the croup, with one hand or no hands! Get upside down and show off your strength with a handstand! Just learning? Start with shoulder stands on the neck or the back, neck stands, and elbow stands. Confident with those? Try a handstand in the handles! Handstand veteran? Try a handstand on the handles, sideways, on the back pad, on the croup, or any other way you can imagine it! Hold your free handstand for four strides and you might just earn a risk move! All photos courtesy of Primo Ponies Photography 29

30 horsesmarts DISCOVER YOUR LUNGEING AIDS (AND USE THEM TOO!) By Carolyn Bland Great lungeing is, quite simply, effective communication between lunger and horse. The following simple and highly valuable aids are the (not so) secret tools of the lungeing trade. When used properly, your voice, body language, whip, and lunge line will help you communicate with your horse more precisely and efficiently, making your lungeing relationship as harmonious as a barbershop quartet! Voice Clear and audible voice commands help your horse understand what you want from him. Tone Choose a lower key (rather than a shrill one) to communicate with your horse. Decibel Say it loud and proud. Horses have to hear you to understand what you want. Clarity Use clear words, tone, or whistle. A mumbled out could easily be confused for a mumbled walk, and vice versa. Consistency Use the exact same voice cue each time for a selected command to tap into your horse s excellent auditory memory. Your horse will quickly recognize each voice cue separately. Body Language Posture and purpose go a long way toward showing the horse who the herd leader is in your lunging relationship. (By the way, it s you!) Posture Stand up tall with your core engaged and your shoulders back. Good posture emits a commanding presence, giving your horse a sense of security and trust. Action Move with purpose. Avoid erratic and extraneous movements; they will only confuse your horse. Consistency Use the exact same posturing cue for each command every time. (For example: stepping toward your horse to ask him to move out on the circle every time!) When your aids are clear, quiet, and consistent, your horse is much more likely to respond calmly and willingly to your cues. Whip The whip in lungeing takes the place of the rider s leg. Subtle and precise use of the whip is a commanding aid, but remember less is more! It is the lunger s job to make the whip aid subtle through consistent training. Whip Height Position the whip at clear and distinctive heights for each gait. (For example: point the whip tip down to the ground for walk, at midlevel for trot, and hold it high for canter.) Whip Use Squeeze out the horse s response to your aid with subtlety. Don t let the horse explode! Consistency Use the exact same whip cue for each action every time. (Sensing a theme here?) Lunge Line The lunge line is an extension of the lunger s hand and should have contact with the bit at all times. Think of the lunge line as a breathing aid. A subtle (not a pulling) hand will give your horse confidence. Support Maintain elastic contact. Your hand should support the horse with an elastic tautness on the lunge line. The lunger should not continually pull at the horse s head and jaw. Suppleness Supply a soft and forgiving pressure from your hand to the lunge line to the horse s mouth. You will be able to communicate your aids through the lunge line much more effectively if you re not already fighting a losing battle against your horse s mouth. Consistency Maintain a supple connection with your horse at all times, only giving cues (half-halt, etc.) when necessary. When your aids are clear, quiet, and consistent, your horse is much more likely to respond calmly and willingly to your cues. Remember, horses learn by consistent repetition, so practice transitions over and over, day after day. When you have succeeded in establishing yourself as the leader in your lungeing relationship, your horse will respond immediately to your voice, body language, whip, and lunge line aids. Carolyn Bland is a renowned vaulting and dressage trainer. She lunged Palatine and Team USA to an historic victory at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, where she earned a gold medal. Carolyn 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 Interested in discussing this article with others in our vaulting community? Do you have a question, a comment, or an alternate point of view? Let s talk! Go to the AVA members-only website, click on Forums (your same user name and password) and then find the section for Equestrian Vaulting magazine. Click on the article title and join in or start a dialogue with other members about what you just read! Photo courtesy of Thomas Hogye 30 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011

31 eventscalendar MAY 1 The Riding Academy s Fun in the Sun Fest Garbani Road Menifee, CA Sarah Hill: theridingacademy@hotmail.com MAY 7-8 Region IV May Fest 2252 County Road 21 Ft. Lupton, CO Jodi Rinard: chestnutvaulter@yahoo.com MAY Garrod s Spring Classic Garrod Farms: Garrod Rd., Saratoga, CA Marianne Rose: marianne@mariannerose.net MAY Great Falls/Topaz Spring Fest Frying Pan Park: Herndon, VA Jen Williams: williams@highfleet.com JUNE 4 Lompoc Vaulters Spring Kickoff Fest Location TBD Peggy Van Hook: peggy.vanhook@gmail.com JUNE 4-5 Woodside Vaulters Spring Fest Woodside, CA Linda Bibbler: lbibbler@gmail.com JUNE Region IV Championships Bernalillo County Sheriff s Posse Grounds: nd St. NW Albuquerque, NM Merry Cole: merryvault@gmail.com JUNE Southern Sunshine Fest Diamond Hill Arabian Farm: Mineral Springs, NC Carol Land: shearose@mindspring.com JUNE CVI*,** Saratoga Garrod Farms: Garrod Rd., Saratoga, CA Marianne Rose: marianne@mariannerose.net JUNE Summer Fest and Clinic Lowell, MI Annie Rouvilllois: (616) , photos@annier.com, JULY 2-3 Region IX Championships Virginia Horse Center: Lexington, VA Elizabeth Brigham: (240) elizabethmbrigham@gmail.com JULY 6-12 AVA National Vaulting Camp Fort Robinson: Crawford, NE Charlotte Horton: cdhorton1@yahoo.com JULY Region II Championships Grass Valley, CA Kelley Holly: tambourine-farm@att.net AUGUST USEF/AVA National Championships National Western Complex: Denver, CO Linda Bibbler: (650) , lbibbler@gmail.com SEPTEMBER Great Falls/Topaz Fall Fest Frying Pan Park: Herndon, VA Jen Williams: williams@highfleet.com OCTOBER 2 Morning Star/Willow Tree Harvest Fest Novato, CA Carolyn Conner: carolyn.conner@verizon.net OCTOBER 30 Mt. Eden s Halloween Fest Garrod Farms: Garrod Rd., Saratoga, CA Marianne Rose: marianne@mariannerose.net For even more vaulting events, check out the new calendar on the AVA website at Design Art.-Nr Art.-Nr BLEYER GmbH & Co KG. Sportschuhfabrik Ernstmeierstraße 14 D Herford Postfach 1234 D Herford Germany Telefon +49 (0) 52 21/ Telefax +49 (0) 52 21/ mail@bleyergmbh.com

32 32 EquestrianVaultinG Spring 2011