Half-halt. The Newsletter for the Southeastern Chapter of the Virginia Dressage Association. Volume Number 28 Issue Number 8 August 2016

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1 Half-halt The Newsletter for the Southeastern Chapter of the Virginia Dressage Association Volume Number 28 Issue Number 8 August 2016 SVDA PRESIDENTS LETTER AUGUST 2016 Congratulations to our fabulous SVDA Junior Team who competed at the Region 1 Youth Championships At Morven Park. We appreciated Robyn Nunnally stepping up as the Chef d Quip and Head coach at the last minute. Special thanks to her assistants Cookie Larsen and Stacey Golden. And we appreciated Beth Curran coming to help with her students as well. It takes a huge team effort with the fundraising, planning, decorating, travel and competing. The entire team, coaches, kids, parents and board members really pulled together to make this year extra special and it was all started with Tristin Hardy s plans early this year. We are all so proud of that SVDA has such an active Junior organization. We are looking for a Junior Chairman for next year s SVDA Board. So please search deep in your heart and see if you be willing to be a board member that helps to develop our Youth. Congratulations to 2 new bronze medalists from SVDA who earned them at Dressage at Lexington: Liliana Nabhan (Jr) and Lauren Levy (AA). This may be the largest medal count that SVDA members have ever earned in a single year! Congratulations to SVDA Junior, Liliana Nabhan, who was selected to participate in the Courtney King Dye Horse Mastership Clinic at Rivers Edge, (Hassler Dressage). She is up there for 4 full days of education with Olivia LaGoy-Weltz, Scott Hassler, Lendon Gray, Liz Austin and of course Courtney. It was an honor to be selected and she will bring back loads of information which I m sure she will share in an article. Kate Knick, Ryan Spanagel, (AA) and Caitlin Couch (Jr) came back with loads of information from the Young Adult Handler clinic at Hilltop Farm. Kristi Wysocki and Michael Bragdell along with the rest of the staff from Hilltop presented 2 days of information and we look forward to hearing more from these ladies! The SVDA fall clinic with Thurston Kramer is scheduled for Oct 29 and 30. Saturday will be at Silverleaf Farm and Sunday at Jaime Nichalatos. SVDA will once again pay $25 of the cost of the lesson. Each member is only allowed 1 lesson until after the closing date of 10/15. Non-members will be accommodated at full price after the closing date. On Sat night Oct 29 SVDA will hold our fall general membership meeting featuring Thurston. Place TBA. If you have a suggestion for a venue we could use for the membership meeting please contact Toni or myself asap. I know people are doing great things out there so please write an article and share your knowledge! Send pictures. SVDA is a very active organization and we like to acknowledge the many accomplishments of our members and share information! Have a great month! Kathy President, SVDA

2 2015 Board of Directors President: Kathy Rowse Vice President: Robyn Nunnally Secretary: Danielle Rowland Treasurer: : Julie Shilling julielynnshill99@gmail.com Awards: Carol Gonyo carolgonyo@gmail.com Clinics: Toni Meranda t.meranda@charter.net Licensed Shows: Ann Jacobsen thesaddlefits@gmail.com Membership: Reeta Edmundson reetaedmundson@cox.net Newsletter: Sarah Miller ttccorporation@aol.com Scholarship: Sandy Toby omdressage@gmail.com Schooling Shows: Russ Burns brunsrp@hotmail.com Ways & Means: Krista Bryant klbryant@vt.edu Webmaster: Wendy Murray Vablonde25@aol.com Juniors: Tristin Hardy Tristin@tristinhardy.com Members at Large: Cindy Lang Cynthia.hall@norfolk.gov Janice Mumford janicemumford@gmail.com Ray Penland penlandr@cox.net VADA Reps:Robyn Nunnally Beth Ripple Sandy Toby Etiquette Corner Robyn Nunnally, SVDA V.P. Many people are not aware of USEF Rule GR which states in part: For Dressage Competitions, any documentation such as negative EIA certification that is required for entry to a competition must list the same horse name and description as is listed on the entry blank and on the USEF horse identification or recording documents. While the rule doesn t specifically list a Coggins test, it would be included as part of an entry s documentation. Be sure your horse s name matches on ALL paperwork!

3 VIEW FROM THE SIDE Part 3 and CONCLUSION In the June and July newsletters I ve covered the rationale for SVDA using 2 judges for our Championship Show as well as how the judges will view many of the different movements because of the viewpoint from where they are positioned around the arena. The USDF and USEF feel its important for L grads and r and R to gain more experience panel judging. As S judges we do judge more on panels but not as much as we would like. In general most USEF judges agree pretty well on many if not most of the basic qualities of the ride. For example was the horse attentive, was there clear rhythm, did the horse work over the back and have a correct contact? Did the rider hinder, ably assist or have no influence over the horse? So while the scores on your individual movements may vary, in general the overall score usually will be within a couple of percentage points. Scores may be higher or lower is if one judge is especially bothered by a loss of rhythm in a gait that the other judge doesn t deem to be significant. Or if they disagree on double coefficient movements. Connection issues will often cause the judge on the side to be significantly lower than the judge at C. However judges sometimes just have a difference of opinion on where the training of the horse is going. When that happens you may see scores vary as much as 10% or more (say a 55% vs. a 65%). It happens every year at GAIG Regionals which have panels of 2 judges and it leaves riders confused. Regionals always have a panel of 2 judges, Nationals - panel of 3 judges and international shows like Dressage at Devon have panels of 3-5 judges in the small tour (PSG & I-1) and 5 judges at Grand Prix.! It is human nature to think that the lower scoring judge was off. But in reality most likely one judge was a little too high and the other a little too low. So your score probably averaged out just right. But sometimes judges just disagree and you have to rack that up to experience for the judges and feedback for your training. Some judges just have a lower scale or higher scale than their colleagues. Believe me as a judge, we hate to disagree and we will almost always talk about it so that we can learn ourselves. Bottom line is that the SVDA Championship show will be a great learning experience for our competitors and our 2 esteemed judges as well as run like a real championship. Everyone will get great feedback to go home and implement. I hope you all enjoy the experience! Kathy Rowse Ernie Hall takes a well deserved break Ryan Spanagel, Caroline Stephens & Kate Knick with their equine

4 SCHOOLING SHOW VOLUNTEER POSITIONS 2016 Date: August 28, 2016 Location: Bridlewood Estates Entry Secretary: Charlene Jensen; 304 Bridlewood Lane, Suffolk, VA 23434; ; Show Secretary A.M.: Eileen Darland Show Secretary P. M.: Debbie Bowden Ring Transportation to: Ring Set up: Saturday at 4:00 PM: Beth Curran Lynne Jensen Emma Jensen Amelia Matson Rhea Kamakahi-Matson Dahlia Jensen Lunches & snacks: Amelia Matson Scribe A.M.: Whitney Kelso Scribe P.M.: Whitney Kelso Ring Steward A.M.: Ring Steward P. M: Eileen Darland Runner A. M.: Lorna Parsons Runner P. M: Katherine Gardner Ring Take down (4): Lynne Jensen Dahlia Jensen Emma Jensen Beth Curran Ring Transportation from: SVDA Rep: a.m. SCHOOLING SHOW VOLUNTEER POSITIONS 2016 Date: September 25, 2016 Location: Scott Sarkozi Training Centre, Pleasant Ridge Road, VA Beach Entry Secretary: Show Secretary A.M.: Whitney Kelso and Lorna Parsons Show Secretary P.M.: Ring Transportation to: Ring Set up: Lunches & snacks: Scribe A.M.: Scribe P.M.: Whitney Kelso Ring Steward A.M: Ring Steward P.M: Runner A.M: Jennifer Ottaway Runner P. M: Jennifer Ottaway Ring Take Down: Ring Transportation from: SVDA Rep (available to SVDA board members only): a.m. p.m. - p.m. -

5 SVDA 2016 Calendar August Region 1 Adult Team in Culpepper September GAIGs in Williamston October CBLMs in Lexington, VA Thurston Kramer will be returning for an SVDA clinic on October 29 and 30. Sat will be at Silverleaf Farm in Suffolk and Sunday in Va Bch TBA. Sat night Oct 29 will be the SVDA Fall program and membership meeting featuring Thurston Kramer topic and location TBA SVDA is also pleased to announce a JUNIOR/YOUNG RIDER clinic with Nichole Delgiorno in early Stay tuned for more information Schooling Show Schedule Date Location Judge Open Close 8/28/16 Bridlewood Estates Helen George 8/1/16 8/15/16 9/25/16 Sarkozi Training Center Danielle Rowland 8/29/16 9/12/16 10/23/16 Sarkozi Training Center Magaret Little (Judge at C) 9/26/16 10/10/16 Danielle Rowland(Judge at E or B) SVDA Juniors followed the yellow brick road to Leesburg, VA Written by Lynne Jensen In July SVDA Juniors traveled to USDF Region 1 Youth Team Competition and brought home the yellow! They also won awards for having the oldest pony (Neverland) and the cutest pair (Millie and Sarah Hardy). And for the very first time, they won the award for decorations with their awesome theme of Wizard Of Oz. A great time was had by all despite the extremely hot weather. Thankfully, no one melted, not even the wicked witch of the west! Dahlia and Wyatt had lots of fun at the USDF Region 1 Youth Team Competition in Leesburg, VA. This was their first year attending and they want to go back next year if possible. Dahlia learned a lot and it was great to be introduced to the USEF rules that are in play at licensed shows. The stall decorating and costumes may have been the highlight of the weekend. Dahlia was the Scarecrow and Wyatt was a Flying Monkey from the Wizard of Oz. Everyone did an amazing job with their costumes and decorations, and we worked well as a team even though we were from different barns. The coaches were amazing and kept us on time and organized. Thank you to Robyn, Lorna Cookie, Stacey and Beth.

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7 TOTAL Alexis Albright 8 Jamee Albright 8 Karen Barnard 2 Christin Bertolino 7 Tammy Biondi 6 Alma Blythe 13 Arianna Bonnet 5 Kate Bouvier 6 Debbie Bowden 11 Sara Brodeur 3 Russ Bruns 18 Krista Bryant 13 Linda Cannon 8 Jennifer Cobb 8 Jim Cook 2 Sue Cook 6 Caitlyn Couch 2 Cathy Couch 12 Anna Curran 2 Beth Curran 24 Lisa Darden 7 Eileen Darland 23 Brian Deal 17 Lisa Dickman 2 Reeta Edmundson 12 Emily Esposito 8 Erica Feiste 7 Barbara Felton 7 Hannah Foote 2 Katherine Gardner 8 Cheryl Gaylord 4 Stacey Golden 24 Carol Gonyo 11 Kim Hardy 5 Sarah Hardy 5 Tristin Hardy 27 Anne R. Harrell 2 Darla Holbrook 5 Ann Jacobson 16 Charlene Jensen 7 Dahlia Jensen 3 Emma Jensen 7 Jim Jones 2 Whitney Kelso 9 Cindy Lang 10 Amelia Matson 4 Rhea Matson 3 Steve Matson 7 Toni Meranda 18 Sarah Miller 54 Janice Mumford 23 George Murray 9 Louise Murray 11 Wendy Murray 12 Colleen Nabhan 14 Liliana Nabhan 8 Robyn Nunnally 48 Katy Owens 8 Lorna Parsons 42 Candy Penland 8 Raymond Penland 10 Raymond Penland, Jr. 2 Nancy Pettet 11 Amanda Petroski 12

8 Lynn Purcell 11 Sonja Reuter 16 Beth Rippel 8 Mary Rombs 9 Danielle Rowland 15 Donna Rowland 2 Kathy Rowse 43 Brandi Schryer 2 Trisha Schryer (for Brandi Schryer) 2 Julie Shilling 14 Liz Smith 6 Nancy Slack 8 Carol Smith 8 Joanne Smith 12 Savannah Smith 2 Lyndy Sobeleski 11 Stephanie Sperling 10 Stephanie Sperling 10 Jenn Spiak (for Alina Ryan) 2 Deb Sweetman 10 Sandy Toby 16 Donald Williamson 6 Yolanda Williamson 22 Mary Winchell 9 National Dressage Pony Cup July 2016 Kentucky Horse Park Ponies, Ponies, Ponies! There were Arabians, Fells, Haflingers, Gypsy Vanners, Welsh, Welsh Cobs, Welsh/Connemara crosses, Morgans, German Riding Ponies, Pinto, Oldenburgs, American Warmbloods, North American Sport Pony (NASPR) and Fjords. Some were registered some were not. There were competitors from 12 years old up to ladies in their 60 s. Looking out over the dressage field was a layout of five rings all going at once. Circling this area was a slight hill enabling everyone to get an awesome view of all five arenas. Located up on the hill by the secretary building and the announcer office was a huge tent set up just for spectators. Under it were chairs, tables with horse treats and couches for people to get out of the weather. Ring one was centered with the remaining four arranged around it like a fan. All the Breed classes were held in the indoor arena. Class Levels ranged from Intro up to Grand Prix including Musical Freestyles and Pas De Deux. The announcer had an enticing European accent that you could have listened to all day. Judges included Lilo Fore (USA), Sue Mandas (USA), Charlotte Trentelman (USA), William Tubman (CAN), Debby Savage (USA) and Sophie Bayer (USA). Welsh Cobs On first glance at the schedule I was chuckling as I read the cute, adorable names given to all these lovely ponies: Charlie Brown; Dragon s Lair Toaster Strudel; Crunch N Munch; Hershey Kiss; Twinkletoes Tiara; Liddle Lord Pippin; Awesome

9 Arnie; Butterkinz McKinley; Zassafrass and Frodo Baggins just to name a few. We were looking forward to matching all those cute names with pony faces. Gypsy Vanner Morgan Fjords Fells

10 Haflinger The Kentucky Dressage Association (KDA) was also having their show that weekend and we saw a very familiar face to our dressage association, Jim Koford. He was riding a lovely horse Air Marshall for Shirley McQuillan who purchased Deer Haven Farm from a good friend of mine Rachel King before her death. As many of you know quite a few of my Haflingers came from this farm. Driving by the farm, I was happy to see the Deer Haven Farm name plate was still at the entry way. Getting back to the subject, I was watching the riders in one of the warm up arenas and did a double take on a tall rider on a pony. No way was that Jim riding a pony? I had to get closer. Yes it was. I had to ask him what breed this little guy was. He said and I quote He s a $300 Craig s List pony and I told the owner if he did not win the class that I wanted another pony for my birthday. All of you that know Jim will have to take that with a grain of salt and a chuckle. It was good seeing him have such a good time. Jim on Air Marshall Jim on Butterkinz Mckinley We came across another rider that I know through the purchase of one of my ponies. Caitlyn, her family, head trainer Allyson Rogers and Nicole Ardito-Ng of ALR Dressage from TN were there. It was so nice to finally put names and faces together with both family and trainers of Massar Stables. Little Caitlyn had advanced to a Welch/Connemara cross (unregistered), a previous eventing pony named Zassafrass. This child has impeccable dressage equitation at 12 years old. I was very impressed as to how much she had advanced. She ended up winning the Pugsley Award for highest scoring grade pony. This is one rider I will continue to watch. Classified Ads Full board at a Brand new barn available in Suffolk - feed and hay included, Hot/cold wash, dressage ring with footing, grass riding area. very quiet no pressure setting. Call for more info. Sandy For sale: Albion SLK Ultima Dressage Saddle, 18 seat, wide tree, high head. $1,500 tidewaterfarm@verizon.net or

11 Caitly n on Zassafrass Caitlyn on Zassafrass Caitlyn on Zassafrass Kentucky Horse Park is such a fabulous horse facility. I have been here many, many times and each time the level of excitement remains the same. My first visit in 1978 at the first World Championship held in the USA. The park had just opened and was amazing. For those of you who know Dr. Lisa, she was one of my kids in tow on that trip in an old Chevy pickup. We pitched a tent not knowledgeable of the process at a KOA campground. The old truck burnt just about as much oil as it did gas. The tent ended up falling down the first day but we were all young and were on a super adventure which ended up giving us all the eventing bug. Fountain and mechanical galloping horse in front of the Visitor Center Being that I am partial to Haflingers, below is the high score Haflinger mare named Merrick RVRW winning the Rachel King Trophy. She was such a lovely moving mare.

12 To make the Pony Cup trip even more exciting we ventured out to one of the famous Kentucky Bourbon distilleries, Buffalo Trace. Upstairs was the bourbon tasting room Bourbon Crème is YUMMY! Next we headed to tour the huge thoroughbred farms and breeding facilities to see the new babies. I am not exaggerating not a blade of grass was out of place. Deb found a young redhead that I am sure she would have brought home if the price tag wasn t so high. Then we

13 were off the Keeneland Racecourse and sales complex where the young horses are sold at auction. Verification of your funds must be proven prior to participating in this sale. This is Deb Sweetman and her new red head friend. Keeneland Racetrack Antique Horse Van at Calumet Farm All in all we had a great time, are totally motivated and hope to return for a little longer stay. We hope you all enjoyed the pictures as much as I did taking them. Now all you pony riders both young and old, get out there and ride. There is a show just for you and your ponies! Karen Barnard

14 Life On a Breeding Farm USDF Young Sport Horse Breeders Seminar By Caitlin Couch I recently visited Hilltop Farm, Inc. in Colora, Maryland for the USDF Youth Sport Horse Breeders Seminar along with a few other young equestrians. Hilltop was kind enough to open up their facility for our use. The farm was absolutely stunning and so was the breeding stock. I was even lucky enough to meet a few of their sweet horses! The entire seminar was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. The USDF Youth Sport Horse Breeders Seminar was presented by Kristi Wysocki, Michael Bragdell, Natalie DiBerardinis, and Jonathan Clark. They covered a variety of topics including evaluating gaits, training young horses, conformation, mare management, and stallion management. Every topic was covered very thoroughly which made it a little tough to take in all the new information, since I have had very little experience with breeding horses. However, the presenters were very educated and understanding. They made a great effort to break things down for the participants. All the staff was very friendly, professional, and helpful. I greatly appreciate everything they did for us. On the first day of the seminar we covered conformation, movement, stallion management, training and handling young horses in hand. I now have an abundance of conformation facts and measuring techniques. For example, some of the most serious conformation issues for breeding stock, that are unfortunately very common, are a club foot, soft pasterns, small feet, ewe neck, and a parrot mouth. A clubbed foot, soft pasterns, and small feet can be the cause of lameness issues. A parrot mouth and ewe neck make accepting the bit and coming into frame very difficult. A parrot mouth also makes eating difficult for horses, leading to major weight loss. A fantastic technique that I learned for evaluating conformation is using harmony lines. The starting harmony line is from the poll to nose. Every other harmony line should ideally be that length. The other harmony lines are from the withers to the elbow, the top of the hock to the ground, the top of the croup to the stifle, the withers to the shoulder, and the length of the back. Overall I learned a ton about conformation and I find myself using my new knowledge all the time. Riverman visits his girlfriend Over the course of the second day, mare management, dressage training, and foal development was covered. Mare management was fantastic! The participants got a chance to visit the breeding barn and meet all the foals and their mothers. All the foals were incredibly sweet and adorable. While we were down at the barn we got to watch three ultrasounds. One of mares was a few days pregnant, so a tiny embryo was visible on the screen. It was definitely interesting to watch the ultrasounds and learn the science behind it. My favorite part of the seminar was the stallion management portion. I was Watching an ultrasound Kristi Wysocki and Caitlin go over conformation. able to watch a collection from Riverman and watch the semen processing. I learned that you can tell when a stallion is ejaculating by the scrunching and flagging of the horse's tail. A stallion ejaculates in a couple rocket like squirts. On average a stallion produces milliliters of ejaculate each time. Riverman produced 50 milliliters during the collection. To then freeze the sperm for later use almost all the seminal fluid has to be removed, leaving only high concentrated sperm. It will be frozen into tiny straws that

15 are labeled with the stallion's name and the date of collection. Hilltop gives 8 straws as one dosage. The straws are sealed with powder, cotton, or a metal ball. It is imperative that when the straw is sealed shut, an air bubble must be present in the middle of the straw or it will explode when it is thawed. Everything I learned about stallions and their job on a breeding farm was extremely fascinating. I would also like to thank Dressage at Devon for the they provided and Big Dee s Tack & Vet Supplies for donating helmet to be given away in a drawing at the seminar. I was to be the winner of the helmet! food that a Uvex shocked SVDA thank you for awarding me one of the scholarships this year so that I can experience some amazing opportunities. This seminar really opened by eyes as to what is involved with breeding and training young horses. I also got some insight into breed show judging and handling. Thank you for this amazing opportunity. Baby horse being handled in the arena for the first time. Hilltop Farm Inc.

16 VADA Meeting Minutes The meeting was called to order at 8:00 pm via conference call. Present were Alison Head (NOVA), Jessie Ginsburg (NOVA), Alison Douglas (Central), Angela Stanaway (NE), Robyn Nunnally (SVDA), Beth Rippel (SVDA), Susan Ellis (NEVADA), Anne Draine (NE), Meredith McGrath (SWAVDA), Sheli King (Nova), Kerri Lynn-Cory (Central), Jane Palmer (ShenVADA), Tina Longaker (C vlle) Penny Hawes (C ville) Jessie Ginsburg made a motion that we approve the minutes from the May board meeting. The motion was seconded by Anne Draine, and was passed unanimously. Treasurer s Report- balances are 112,582 with not a lot of activity Chapter Challenge- Entries are down and we will probably end up with one ring. Year End Awards- Anyone with any ideas, Jessie. We are thinking this is a decorative year, but we will entertain all ideas. Price range is between $10 to $40 between the levels. VIP Awards- Penny reported that she is working on the prizes and the form to put on the website. DAL- Report from Dianne via - Very successful turnover during the show. Members who went were Dianne, Tina, Alison H., Sheli, Nancy Lowey, Nancy Doody, and Diann Carpenter. They spent time going over sponsors, vendors, volunteers, food/catering, show configuration, scoring and awards. She reports that they have a comprehensive idea of the various aspects of what makes DAL unique. There is a good understanding of the SHAC as well as the volunteer structure. They met a number of the major sponsors and have started making connections with them. We will continue to transition the different aspects of the show. Tina and Alison H. talked about keeping the atmosphere the same and we would like to continue that. They do some things differently and that will differentiate it from the Fall Show. They did ask Martie to continue the website and she has agreed. Tina also proposed we do the Debbie Rodriquez Perpetual Trainers Award based on trainer teams. We will form a committee to work on the details. CBLM- Dianne reports via that Allison Campbell is back in the country and will be able to cater the volunteer food once again. New business- Youth Team- with DAL, VADA will not be able to do this for at least the next couple of years. Also, Alison H. has reached her term limit as President so we will need people to step up for next year. Please remind your chapters about the Shel Gafford award nominations are due by the end of the month- send to Tina. GMO delegates- Any interest? Alison Head. And as a reminder it means you have to go to the Board of GOV meeting. Motion was made Beth and seconded by Anne Draine to approve reimbursement for $500 for up to 4 delegates. Approved by the board with abstains by Alison H., Sheli and Tina. Next meeting will be held via conference call on either Sept 6 th or 13 th. We will send the final date out. The meeting was adjourned at 8:51 pm. Respectfully, Alison Douglas

17 BREATHING WHILE RIDING June 2016 SUSANNE VON DIETZE CLINIC at NORTH STAR TRAINING CENTER As reported by Kathy Rowse Susanne Von Dietze is the author of 2 books: Horse and Rider, Back to Back and Balance in Motion. She is a German Physical Therapist and Grand Prix dressage rider. I audited a clinic of hers 4 years ago and have used her exercises daily in my teaching. I jumped at the chance to audit another clinic at Lynn Leath s North Star Training Center just outside of Chapel Hill, NC. I thought maybe she would have a few new exercises 25 pages of notes later I wondered how I was going to possibly write a short article for the SVDA newsletter! So I decided to pick just one area to focus the article on. Breathing is rarely discussed by dressage trainers except to tell their students to BREATHE. Susanne s Gyrotonics certification uniquely qualify her to discuss breathing techniques for us as riders. Always practice all exercises at the walk first and then try to progress to the trot and canter. The rider should first just observe her breath. Most of us never do that. How many steps do you breathe in and how many do you breathe out. The breath should fill up your tummy and lower back. Try to squeeze the air out of your lungs to its limit, almost as if you were shivering. It s an extreme moment. It s hard when you get to your limit you b/c tense. That s what happens when you lose elasticity. You need to try to extend your limit. Using the exaggerated breath, work on keeping your muscles more elastic so you have power during your breath Take air in the nose for 1-2 strides and then breathe out for 4-8 strides (the longer the better). It takes practice to extend your breathe. The 1 st stride of breathing out will often be the most intense but you should strive to make the breathing out more equal over 4-8 strides. Your breath should not stop the movement but should give definition to the movement. connect your tummy muscles very deep to your pelvis. The breathe needs to Use the strongest breathing out during the down transition. Controlling and extending squeezing the air out has many benefits in riding. It helps connect you better for riding corners, creates better balance, helps define the horse s rhythm and temp. It will assist the ribs in closing the angle to go down around the horse while the chest goes up (so grow taller in an elastic way). Learning to breathe correctly helps you find your connection with your seat to the horse. Try it out! President SVDA

18 Farewell but not Good-Bye It is with a very sad heart that I need to inform you that long time SVDA Board Member, Tristin Hardy, called me to tell me of her urgent need to move home to Oregon long term for a family emergency. I have since received her resignation from the Board. Tristin has served the board very enthusiastically as our SVDA Junior chairman, including as the SVDA junior Team Chef D Equip and Head Coach for at least 10 years. Tristin built this program up from the start to the best Junior Program in VADA and one of the most successful in Region 1. No one has been more dedicated to our Juniors year after year. This timing is difficult because it is at the pinnacle of planning for the Junior Team Championships at Morven Park which are July 23/24, 2016 with a large Junior Team Contingent of 11 juniors. We are very fortunate in that our hour of need, SVDA VP Robyn Nunnally has agreed to step up and be the 2016 Chef D Equip and Head coach. Robyn is uniquely qualified as our long serving SVDA VP but also as a successful trainer, an L graduate with distinction and USEF TD Applicant and a WDAA Dressage License Applicant. It is unusual that Robyn has a free weekend and is greatly appreciated that she would consent to spend the weekend leading the SVDA Junior team. Ably helping her will be Tristin s committee assistants: Cookie Larson (assistant Chef D Equip) and Stacey Golden (Assistant Coach) SVDA board members Russ and Wendy will be attending with their children and I m sure will be called upon to assist in several Capacities. They have both agreed to do whatever is necessary to make is successful for our Juniors! I am doing some of the pre-planning and paperwork in consultation with Robyn. In spite of a difficult family situation, Tristin continues To be involved and to spearhead many of the activities. WE have sent out information to all our (11) team members and will be working for a smooth transition. Please join me in wishing Tristin the best in with her family and THANK HER for her long term service to SVDA and to Building our very successful Junior Program. We also send our heartfelt appreciation to Robyn for clearing her time to Pilot the junior team at Morvan Park this year. We will be looking for a qualified individual who is willing to learn and take the Ropes of our Junior team in Kathy President, SVDA Lexington News Debbie Rodriguez managed her last Dressage at Lexington and so many people from SVDA have loved her show over the years! Starting in 2017, VADA will take over the show and we look forward to continuing to support this 8 ring show! Some images from 2016 DAL thanks for the memories Debbie!

19 SVDA Members Shine at Lexington Liliana Nabhan (JR) and Lauren Levy (AA) earned their USDF Bronze Medals at Dressage at Lexington! CONGRATULATIONS to both of you! Silverleaf Team Wing and A Prayer Liliana Nabhan (Jr) on FA Patriot at 3 rd LL Lauren Levy (AA) on Ulstairs Bailey at 2 nd and 3 rd LL Elisa Rodruigez on Boots at TL 4 th Place team in the Sporting Horse Team Challenge Liliana Nabhan (Jr) with FA Patriot Owned by Katie Lang 3 rd 3: nd place Jr/yr 3 rd 3: st place Jr/yr 3 rd 3: st place Jr/yr Sporting Horse Amateur Challenge 5th place third level Liliana Nabhan (Jr) and Phantom Forecast Dressage Seat Equitation: 78% 1 st place 2 nd 1L first place Jr/yr 2 nd 3: first place Jr/yr USDF Musical Freestyle 69% first place Jr/yr USDF Musical Freestyle: % 4th place Crazy picture with SVDA s two newest USDF Bronze medalists: Liliana Nabhan and Lauren Levy Crazy Golf Cart Fun Lauren Levy and Altstairs Bailey 3 rd LL , 1st 2 nd LL , 5th 2 nd LL , 5th 3 rd LL , 6 th Sporting Horse Amateur Challenge 8 th Place at 2 nd and 3 rd LL Kate Knick and Spydermann LA (owned and bred by Liberty Farm, Bob and Mary Rombs) 3 rd LL % 4 th 3 rd LL % 4 th 2 nd LL % 1 st 2 nd LL % 3 rd Kate on Spydee

20 USEF Equestrian Athlete Lettering Program This is short blurb about the USEF program. Dahlia participated in the USEF Equestrian Athlete Lettering Program this year for the first time. For the lettering program, the rider must complete at least 100 hours of training for the year between July 1-June 30 th, submit 3 scores from different shows and provide proof of school enrollment in grades Initially it seems that riding 100 hours would be easy but, Dahlia broke her foot at the beginning of June and was unable to ride until the end of July, meaning she missed 4 weeks of riding. Combine that with weather and lesson cancellations, the accomplishment was more difficult. Dahlia averaged 3 rides per week for the year and was able to total hours. She is going to try to letter in USEF next year and is also hoping to do the USDF program which is harder. The USDF Rider Recognition Program requires two scores above 60, a GPA of 2.5, 20 hours of volunteer work and 16 hours of equine related education. The USDF program is open to USDF members in grades She has a lot of fun and looks forward to doing it again this coming year. Congratulations! By completing the requirements for the USEF Equestrian Athlete Lettering program, you have shown dedication to equestrian sport through continued practice, training, and competition. A certificate commemorating your achievements and congratulatory letter is attached. In recognition of your achievement, the United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to award you a complimentary USEF Equestrian Athlete Lettering varsity letterman patch and label pin for your designated program year. In addition, you will also have exclusive access to our private selection of varsity clothing, including the traditional varsity letterman jacket, varsity vest, performance fit soft-shell riding jacket, and hat. These items have been carefully selected for our equestrian athletes, and provide a sophisticated and stylish backdrop to display your varsity status. All jackets are also available for custom embroidery. Follow the steps below to request your complimentary patch and pin. 1. Go to 2. Click on any of the links at the top of the screen to enter the site. 3. In the upper right corner, click on the link for "Sign In". 4. Scroll down to "New Customers" and click on "Create an Account"

21 5. Type in your address, create a password, and select Lettering Program as your account type. This will allow you to view the program merchandise. 6. Complete the customer information section, the verification section, and then click proceed. You have now created an account with ShopUSEF. 7. Sign in as a "Returning Customer" using the and password you just created. 8. Click on Lettering program at the top right of the page to view the exclusive merchandise. 9. View the free varsity letterman patch and free lapel pin to add to your cart. You will receive one free patch for participating in the program that is designed to go on your letterman jacket. You will also receive one free lapel pin for each year you complete the program. 10. If you encounter any problems with your order or the ShopUSEF site, please contact our distributor directly at USEF is proud to recognize student athletes across the nation for their commitment to equestrian sport. If previously requested on your application, your school administrator has notified of your achievement. Please feel free to contact the USEF offices at if you have any additional questions. Best regards, Terra Schroeder Director of National Affiliates United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.