MSEDA News

We opened our day with our Annual Business Meeting wherein each committee chair summarized the year. Our committees are: Annual Meeting, Awards, Business and Finance, Communication, Competitions, Education, Membership, Juniors, Nominating, and updates from our Board Administrator. We had a fabulous 2023 year full of a huge membership growth, lots of educational opportunities, and great turn-out at shows, both as competitors and volunteers. We always encourage members to get involved with our committees, if you would like to be more involved in MSEDA, please reach out to join a committee. 

by Heather Thomas

My MSEDA Christine Brown Memorial Grant give back was to host a -Build your own show jumping course Jr Clinic - held at Carriage Station Farm. The group ranged from Starter-Novice worked together to fill an empty arena with a course they might see at an event then proceeded to ride the course. Students had to walk distances and consider what would be included in their levels such as a 2-stride combination, related lines, and liver pools. We discussed rules such as crossing lines, start and finish timer location, flag positioning, etc. Everyone who attended had never put a course together, so overall, everyone came out learning a new skill. At the end of the ride, we discussed what went well and what didn’t, then strategized ways to change the course to make it more rideable or more challenging.

 

 

by Robyn Munson

In January 2023 I started the process of obtaining my USEF Technical Delegate License.  In this process, I have been apprenticing at several different shows with several different Technical Delegates.   I have noticed as I go to these events that riders have ignored or not known the rules that could get them disqualified from the competition.  Being disqualified from the event is different than being eliminated - elimination prevents that particular horse from continuing.  Disqualification means that if you are riding multiple horses, all rides will be disqualified.  This could make for a costly weekend! 

 

As competitors we know that eventing involves a great deal of time, effort, and money.  We certainly do not want to end our weekend sitting on the sidelines if we can prevent it so I thought it would be a good idea to do a refresher of some of the rules that could cause a rider to be disqualified from the entire event.  

Ways to get disqualified:

·       Allowing someone to ride and school your horse after the start of the event. Schooling is considered anything other than riding at a walk on a long rein.   

·       Riding in any dressage or show jumping arena or close to the cross- country obstacles before the event.

·       Jumping any practice fences

o   that are not marked;

o   have been raised above the height or spread permitted for your level of competition;

o   that have been held; or

o   any time other than those permitted by the organizer.

·       Walking the cross-country course before it is open to competitors.

·       Walking the show jumping course before it is open to competitors.

·       Entering the jumping arena on foot after the competition has started.

·       Any abuse of a horse.

·       Exercising with improper saddlery.

·       Use of a radio or cellular phone while competing.

Please remember, it is your responsibility as a competitor to know the rules.  The rules are easily accessible, and should be reviewed regularly to ensure that you are aware of any new or amended rules.  If you do not understand a specific rule or need clarification, find an official at the competition and ask!   Do not wait until an official approaches you for an infraction and then claim you did not understand.  No official takes pleasure in disqualifying or eliminating a competitor, especially for something that could have been prevented if the rider had simply asked a question before it was too late. 

I hope this article helps to remind our membership to follow the rules that will prevent someone from getting disqualified at a competition. 

Written by Jonathan Horowitz - USEA Staff

The great football coach Vince Lombardi said, “We win our games in practice.” With the goal of having the most effective practices possible for horses, their riders, and their coaches, MSEDA member, Cathy Wieschhoff explains some signs that can indicate when horse and rider should repeat an exercise, switch it up, or be done with that activity. 

[Read More]

by Julia Burs

I was so honored and excited to represent MSEDA at Team Challenge this year as part of the Beginner Novice team MSEDA Stranger Danger. For both my 7-year-old OTTB gelding Security Check Required (“Temba”) and I, Team Challenge was our first USEA-sanctioned horse trial. Even though I live in Lexington and am at the Horse Park all the time — I was even decorating cross-country with one of my teammates earlier that week! — it felt different and intimidating to be there doing something that we’d never done before. While my coach Jhett Jenkins was there with me on Saturday, and my barn bestie Kerri Sweet groomed for me the whole time, having a team of MSEDA members there riding with us all weekend made me feel more relaxed and confident than doing it all on my own. Furthermore, knowing that MSEDA leadership had taken a chance on Temba and me despite our lack of experience made me want to step up my game to earn that trust.

And yes, I know, what a choice I made to debut at an event with maxed-out stadium and cross-country courses, at the end of the season when everyone else is on their fifth or tenth trial. It definitely wasn’t the plan at the beginning of the season, but I am so glad things worked out the way they did. Temba showed clear progress in our dressage test, but an operator error by me and the fact that we are still relatively new at this meant that our score was definitely the team “throwaway.” (The top three scores of four are counted toward the team score.) Stadium and cross country were both challenging, as promised, but we both found the challenges to be confidence-building, because both courses required thinking and planning but paced themselves to allow that planning to unfold. My MSEDA teammates helped me stay relaxed and laughing in warmup, and Temba was foot-perfect through stadium. In cross-country, we started fine but a little hesitant, and he took a hard look at the water but never stepped back. We became a better team through the back half of the course, trusting each other more and navigating complicated questions like the half coffin in the woods and the log at the lip of Pete’s Hollow with ease and even a little grace. We were thrilled to go double clear through both jump phases and finish with a score that contributed to our team’s overall 7th place finish. It was a fantastic experience, and I’m already counting the days until Team Challenge 2023!

Susan Posner

Susan started riding in Germany at the age of 9 when her father was stationed there for the U.S. Army. At the age of 12 she won her German Bronze Riding Medal. She evented the great Pinto mare "Poltroon" through Preliminary. Susan was the first ATA member to take a Trakehner mare to Grand Prix. She has been riding and training through Grand Prix for over 30 years. Susan has competed in the selection trials for the Pan American Games and the World Championships. She has been a USEF 'R' Judge for over 25 years & also has her Western Dressage judging license. Susan has her USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals as well as her Silver & Gold Freestyle Bars. Susan has coached 3 riders to medals at the NAJYRC's. She has also been the horse show chair for KDA for 15 years, the MSEDA Vice President of Dressage and runs MSEDA Dressage at the Park. Susan has worked with all different breeds of horses from imported Warmbloods to Arabians to Fresians. She has also had a very successful career with mares. Susan's clientele ranges from adult amateurs to young riders. She is currently training & coaching in Lexington, Kentucky.

Sue Mandas 

Sue Mandas is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist, has also earned her Silver and Gold Freestyle Bars, and is a USEF "S" judge. Sue has been involved in the sport of Dressage as competitor, trainer, breeder and instructor for over 40 years. She is a USEF “S” dressage judge, a “R” Sport Horse Breed judge, and an FEI 3* Para-Equestrian Judge. A longtime member of the USDF Sport Horse Committee, she currently also serves as an At Large Director on the USDF executive board. Involved with breeding warmblood Sport horses for many years, her first Grand Prix horse was one she bred, raised and trained herself, with the help of instruction through clinics. Sue is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist and earned the Silver and Gold Freestyle Bars.  Sue has trained many horses to the FEI level, winning Regional Champion or Reserve Champion at every level, Second through Grand Prix, and making the USET longlist several times. Currently, she is living in Centerville, Ohio, where she rides, trains and teaches.

Max Corcoran

Meet panelist Max Corcoran. Max is former U.S. Eventing Association president, who gained recognition as a groom and barn manager for the O’Connor Eventing Team. While working with the O'Connors she traveled to the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, and numerous CCIs all over North America and Europe. After leaving the O'Connors, Corcoran also worked as a freelance groom and has served as stable manager for the Canadian and Venezuelan Equestrian Teams. Max has a wealth of knowledge and is considered one of the foremost experts on horse management in the world. She also works as an event organizer for competitions such as The Fork Horse Trials at Tryon and the Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event. While working with the O'Connors she traveled to the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, and numerous CCIs all over North America and Europe. 

 

Karen Winn

Karen Winn grew up riding hunt seat in Princeton, New Jersey, but became interested in dressage and eventing while attending the University of Massachusetts in the 1970s. She was an active member of the UMass Intercollegiate Horse Show team and Equestrian Drill Team, while completing a BS degree in Animal Science.

Karen came to Lexington, Kentucky in 1976 to teach riding at the University of Kentucky, and remained in the area, getting involved in many aspects of the horse business, and completing a second BS degree in Accounting at UK. She has worked for Midway College, the American Hanoverian Society, the US Pony Clubs, the American Saddlebred Horse Association, and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, and is now retired.

Karen has had a long association as an instructor with the Lexington and Kentucky Horse Park Mounted Police units, and has been active with the Young Event Horse committee of the US Eventing Association, the Masterson Equestrian Trust, the MSEDA, Kentucky Dressage Association, and the Retired Racehorse Project. Karen participated in the original MSEDA Learner Dressage Judge Program, and first became a USEF licensed official in 1980. She currently is a USEF “R” rated Dressage and Western Dressage Judge, and a USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist. She is an FEI Eventing Judge and Technical Delegate, as well as an FEI Eventing Chief Steward. Karen has officiated at competitions across the US and in Canada, France, Ireland, Great Britain, Colombia, Costa Rica, and New Zealand. She also frequently judges in the Arabian Sport Horse division.

Karen lives on a small farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and competes when time permits in Western Dressage on her homebred Thoroughbred, Shawkilito, who recently achieved his WDAA Register of Excellence. She also competes with her Black & Tan Coonhounds in conformation and various performance events, and is on the board of the Lexington Kennel Club and president of the American Black & Tan Coonhound Club.

Marilyn Payne

Marilyn is an FEI 4* Eventing Judge and a USEF “S” Dressage Judge who has officiated at major eventing and dressage competitions in the U.S. and around the world.  In addition to judging  twice at the Olympics – a rare honor – and at the World Equestrian Games, she has presided at the European Eventing Championships and the Central American Games, and has judged every 4* event in the world. She makes time in her busy judging schedule to teach seminars for FEI Eventing Officials and training programs for USEF dressage judges.  She is a member of the FEI Eventing Committee, representing the perspective of judges worldwide.  She is also a member of the USEF High Performance Committee and the USEF Eventing Committee.

Marilyn has been instrumental in establishing the U.S. Eventing Association’s Young Event Horse (YEH) Committee, and spreading the word among breeders and competitors about this unique competition. Under her leadership, the YEH program and the training of YEH judges has grown by leaps and bounds. In 2017, Marilyn will teach a YEH seminar in Florida for officials, competitors and breeders.

An active competitor in eventing and dressage and a highly popular clinician and trainer, Marilyn enjoys teaching all levels of riders, using a systematic approach to bring out the best in each horse/rider team. Whether she is judging at the Olympics or the World Equestrian Games, teaching a novice rider the basics of dressage, or staying up all night with a mare about to foal, Marilyn gives her total concentration to the task at hand, using the skills acquired during her lifetime with horses to assure the best possible outcome.

Don’t Forget!  Education at annual meeting will count as education hours!

During the presentation of the 2022 USEF Eventing Dressage Tests at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, changes were discussed to help further clarify the movement requirements in the tests. Marilyn Payne, chair of the Test Writing Task Force, worked with the USEF to clarify the language used within the movements, without substantive changes to the movements themselves.

The updated tests are published on the USEA Website here. Organizers who purchased the digital judge's copies from ShopUSEA will receive the updated versions free of charge.

The following tests have been updated for the 2022 competition season.

• Beginner Novice Test A
• Beginner Novice Test B
• Novice Test A
• Novice Test B
• Novice Three-Day Test
• Training Test B
• Modified Test B
• Modified Test C
• Modified Three-Day Test
• Preliminary Test B
• Preliminary Test C
• Preliminary Three-Day Test
• Intermediate Test C
  
  

New for 2022 is a Starter test which was not announced in the original list. You can view this online here.

For additional details, please contact Gemma Stobbs, Director, Eventing Programs, at gstobbs@usef.org.

I was so honored to receive a generous $500 educational grant from MSEDA for year end of 2020. I have been obsessed with this sport since I was a child and have been a member of MSEDA (previously MSCTA) since the 80’s. I am so grateful for the membership opportunities that MSEDA provides. I LOVE being a student of the sport and will always strive to educate myself in every single way to make myself a better rider so that every horse I may ever have the pleasure of working with will have the best opportunity to be successful. I enjoy so much taking lessons and especially participating in clinics. MSEDA provides its members wonderful opportunities to bring into our area knowledgeable professionals to ride with. This year I utilized this grant money to be able to ride with Kyle Carter and Gwen Poulin. I am so grateful for the MSEDA and am proud to be a part if this important organization! Thank you to all of you who make it possible!!

-Megan Northrop

In April, 2021, I rode in the Hawley Bennett clinic put on at Carriage Station Farm. I was in the Training/Modified class with SS Willow. I love riding with Hawley! She really focuses on confidence of horse and rider in her clinics. She takes the time to help the horses understand the exercises and builds them up slowly. She isn’t afraid to point out holes to work on, AND she gives you the tools to fill the gaps.

I love the grid work exercises that Hawley sets up. They really get the horse moving it’s feet and gives the rider opportunity to focus on their own position. Hawley really helped me find the correct pace out on the cross country course as well. We all know that it always feels faster than it is to gallop at a large, solid fence! I highly recommend joining the fun! Her enthusiasm is contagious and leaves you feeling like you can jump the moon!

Hope to see you there!

Jen Coleman
Solstice Sporthorses