Here you will find current E.I. news, reports and editorials from the board of directors. Older news items are archived in the
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President’s Report
April 2008
By Jana Steffen
President's Report
Jana Steffen
This last March we held our annual auction. It was a fun filled evening for all
120 guests! This is the second year that we have held it at the Redhook Brewery.
We had lots of interesting items to bid on and plenty of tasty food and
beverages. David Stutz did a terrific job as our Auctioneer, he kept the crowd
going and livened things up with his quick wit and good sense of humor.
It took many folks to make this auction a success. A very big thanks to Carolynn
Bunch, the lead organizer. She did a great job and spent many an hour to ensure
all was in place. We could not have done this without her. Peter Larsen and
Lothar Pinkers checked folks out. We tried a different process this year to
speed things up. As always we will be looking to improve this part of the
auction.
To put on the auction really is a team effort. Many thanks to all who donated
and helped procure donated items. And finally, a many, many thanks to all who
came to help set, tear down, sell drink tickets, sell raffle tickets, demo
auction items, etc. You know who you are (it is a long list), thank you so
much!! Your time, effort and help are much appreciated. Enjoy the rest of the
spring, I know I'll be looking forward to the warmer summer days!
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Eventing Report April 2008
By Penny Leggott
E.I. Auction
March was a big month for E.I., beginning with the Auction on March 8th. This
was a great success and lots of fun. There were a wide range of items to bid for
including kayaking trips in Puget Sound, Spa days, architectural consulting, as
well as horse related attractions. I “won” a decorative bridle rack for five
bridles with colored images of horses and riders doing dressage, show-jumping,
and galloping cross country. I love it, but have no idea what I’ll do with it or
where to put it! I donated a First Aid kit for horses, assembled with the help
of Dr Hank Greenwald’s list of recommended items.
Dr Greenwald is giving a 3 hour seminar on April 20th on Equine First Aid and
his handout includes essential items for your First Aid kit. I thought I had a
reasonable kit already, but assembling the items for the auction was
instructive, time consuming, and made me realize my own kit needs upgrading. To
my relief, the Kit fetched a nice sum (matching what I’d spent on the items) and
so contributing to the support of our E.I. activities.
E.I. Combined Test Clinic
At the end of March (29-30) we held the E.I. Combined Test Clinic at
Tall Firs in Redmond. Our clinicians were Jen Verharen (dressage) and Carrie
Carstairs who is the Eventing instructor at Tall Firs. It was very successful
and I was really happy to get enthusiastic feedback from the participants, who
were a diverse group and included two Dressage Queens from our very own E.I.
board! The weather forecast for the weekend was extremely gloomy and I was
rather anxious (I packed 4 waterproof jackets, several changes of clothing, and
multiple pairs of clean socks just in case) but astonishingly we dodged the
raindrops. It poured on Friday night but after a cloudy start, Saturday warmed
up and the sun shone. On Saturday night it snowed but the all weather outdoors
was harrowed at 6am and after I’d brushed 3” of snow off the jump rails and the
quarter round, we were in business!
I restricted the number of entries this year and this helped the clinic run more
smoothly from an organizational standpoint. Jen and Carrie are both outstanding
instructors who are incredibly positive while zeroing in on key issues. Of note,
Jen and Carrie have both participated in the arduos USDF and USEA (respectively)
Instructor Certification workshops. On Saturday, most riders had their dressage
lesson first, followed an hour or two later by a jump lesson with Carrie. We had
a potluck party in the evening (generously hosted by Alison and Bryan Ashbaugh)
and those attending ensured that we lived up to eventers’ reputation as good
partiers! On Sunday we began Ride and Review with dressage. Susan Miller and
Marcia Jimenez were our wonderful volunteer scribes who sat bundled up in frigid
temperatures and still managed to write legibly on our tests. Each rider had 20
minutes and most of us chose to begin with a few minutes “tune up” and review of
Saturday’s key points, then rode the test. Jen gave us verbal feedback, a mini
lesson, and then sent us back up center line to repeat the test. A few
individuals chose to use the 20 minutes for a short lesson, and forego the test.
Approximately an hour later, we rode our jump course. Carrie warmed riders up in
groups of 3 or 4, riders then took turns to ride the course, get feedback, and
repeat. If a horse and rider had problems, they got a mini lesson to help work
through the specific issue.
Aston and I had a good weekend. I was especially pleased with him in our jump
sessions where he behaved very properly in our lesson (he actually felt as if he
was showing off to the stalwart audience huddled in stable blanket) and on
Sunday he popped around the course in fine style and listened to my half halts
and voice so we stayed organized and balanced. Whew! These were little jumps, I
should be clear, but getting around an entire course in an orderly fashion felt
like a big achievement. The format of this clinic really helps one put pieces of
the competition puzzle together, and the competition “day” is in a very
supportive environment, which allows one to make mistakes, try again, and work
on the fix.
We had wonderful volunteers who made huge contributions to the clinic’s success:
Jeff Roberts (who has added E.I. merchandise marketing to his repertoire of
volunteer skills), Polly Kranick (preparation of dressage test sheets and
scoring), Liz Rummage (hospitality), Leslie Thurston, as well as many parents
and others who pitched in to help. The Wu family, who own Tall Firs, were our
gracious hosts.
Wrap up: On Sunday afternoon I had an informal review with our clinicians. Both
Jen and Carrie said how much they had enjoyed teaching in the clinic and what a
great group we’d had, and they talked about the horse and rider partnerships and
progress made. As I listened to them reviewing the two days it reinforced for me
that what matters most is doing our best as a rider, and working to bring out
the best in our horse, and having FUN together.
A New Facility for Eventers
Last year I had heard several people talk very positively about a new
facility in Eastern Washington called Tulip Springs. One particular “reporter”
had been to a clinic there and said it was a work in progress at the time but
she thought it would be really worth going to in 2008 – new bank complex, well
designed water complex, good footing, dry in Spring and Fall so a potential
season extender. I put this in my memory bank and to my astonishment managed to
retrieve the information when Carrie asked me to put a cross country schooling
trip together for our riding group. On Friday March 14th a contingent of 11
riders and 12 horses took off for the Tri Cities. Tulip Springs is just outside
Kennewick and took us about 3.5 hours from Redmond over the pass on I-90.
On Saturday morning it was cold and windy and then the wind died, the day warmed
up and we had a great weekend of XC schooling. From the farmhouse, where four of
us stayed, you can see most of the cross country course which has a wide variety
of XC questions and attractive, well-built jumps. The footing was very good and
obviously drained really well. We had two young horses in our group who had
never been over a cross country fence before. Both of them took to it like the
proverbial duck – and the inviting fences and layout at Tulip clearly
contributed to this. The facility also has a dressage arena and show jumping
area which we didn’t use, but would be great for a Ride and Review! We were
really impressed and have already planned a return trip.
Carol Curry, the owner of Tulip Springs, is an eventer who was raised in
Kennewick, lived in California for many years and then returned home. She bought
T.S. just over two years ago and has obtained expert advice and technical help
in developing the property for eventing. Her aim is to have a top notch facility
for clinics and schooling which will be a resource for eventers from all over
the state. The line up of visiting clinicians has already been very impressive:
Jimmy Wofford and Leslie Law to name two. Area V11 Adult Rider Camp was
scheduled the weekend after we were there and I heard they had a very successful
camp. Carol’s vision is certainly coming to fruition! In a period where we have
been losing facilities, Tulip Springs is a wonderful new addition. For more
information and photos see
http://www.tulipsprings.org/default.htm
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Driving Report April 2008
By Gwen Bassetti
June 6-8 the E.I. Driving Committee will sponsor a Clinic with Linda Fairbanks,
followed by an Outdoor Arena Driving Trial and a Pleasure Pace Drive. A perfect
opportunity for first timers and experienced drivers as well. This event, to be
held at the McBride Farm on the Carnation-Duvall Road in Carnation, is also a
great opportunity for any and all who are interested in learning about carriage
driving. Come, listen and learn.
Our clinician is Linda Fairbanks of San Luis Obispo, CA. Linda is a full-time
carriage horse trainer, driving instructor, judge, and clinician. She has been
driving since 1971, a competitor since the mid 1980’s, and an American Driving
Society judge and technical delegate since 1991. Linda has competed in driving
with many different breeds of horses and ponies and has shown single, pair and
tandem in pleasure shows and combined driving. She has many published articles
and is past editor of a driving magazine.
Prize list and Entry information is available by contacting Linda Mackin at
eidriving@gmail.com.
In other news a recreational fun drive is being planned for September 6th or 7th
at the Pilchuck Tree Farm near Arlington, Washington. It is during a beautiful
time of year at a lovely venue with wide driving surfaces. Watch for more
specifics in this column in August.
The Driving season is off and running! We look forward to events ahead.
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President’s Report
March #2 2008
By Jana Steffen
Spring has arrived and we have begun the show season. We began by offering the
Freestyle clinic with Karen Robinson and a Scribing Clinic in February. Beth
Glosten conducted the scribing clinic and did a fabulous job. Attendees left
with a clear understanding of how to scribe. Beth has facilitated this clinic
for a number of years, we are thankful and appreciative of her efforts. Kathleen
Doyle organizes the Freestyle clinics also doing a superlative job. She has been
the driving force for these clinics making it possible for us to work with such
high caliber freestyle professional. Big kudos and thanks to Kathleen!
We also had our first schooling show on March 2nd. A very big thanks to Kellie
Larsen and her team of volunteers. The competitors enjoyed themselves and as
always it was a well run show. Our next schooling show is April 4th. Hopefully
we will have a lovely spring day without the showers. Of course I cannot forget
to mention the March 29th & 30th Combined Test Clinic with Jennifer Verharen and
Carrie Carstairs. Many thanks to Penny Leggott for organizing. She has done a
terrific job as the Eventing Director and has increased the offering of clinics
and derbies to our Eventing community. She is also in process of organizing the
“First Aid for Horses” seminar this spring. (Please see the Eventing Report)
In May we will have the L’Aperitif, our first recognized show for the season and
we will also be holding the testing for the USDF Instructor Certification
Program. The testing is a great opportunity for those who may have previously
tested and would like to retake the test or for folks who have attended the
workshops and are ready to go through the testing. If you are interested please
visit our website <equestriansinstitute.org> for the necessary application.
Finally, I am pleased to announce that we have made changes to the offerings of
our grants for the Dressage and Eventing communities. We are offering two five
hundred dollar grants for Dressage and two three hundred dollar grants for
Eventing. This is a terrific opportunity to receive money for your chosen event.
Best of luck with your show season and for my fellow trail riders, Happy Trails!
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Dressage Report March 2008
By Michele Nolte
Spring is a season of change and your Dressage Committee has been working on
changes to the Dressage Awards. The biggest is the change in the Award
Application format. Each award and its requirements are now listed for an easier
application process. The new Award Application is on the E.I. web site under
Docs and Forms. Please review the form and e-mail comments to
EI-Dressage@Equestriansinstitute.org. We’re waiting to hear from you.
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Eventing Report March 2008
By Penny Leggott
As I write, March “came in like a lamb” three days ago, my pony will be drilled
and tapped this week in preparation for a cross country schooling trip to Tulip
Springs in Kennewick, and I took in my horse trailer for a spring tune up. In
other words – the season is showing signs of life for eventers!
Upcoming Activities:
At the end of March (29-30) E.I. is sponsoring the second annual (where else in
the world can one say “x” annual less than 100!) Combined Test Clinic at Tall
Firs Equestrian Center in Redmond which I’m really looking forward to.
We have dressage and jump lessons on Saturday and on Sunday we ride our dressage
tests twice and jump our courses twice. It’s a wonderful approximation to the
competition environment, with lots of support and encouragement, and EXCELLENT
instruction. Come and watch – there’s lots to learn by observation.
I’m the organizer. This superior position entails considerable responsibility:
start industrial sized coffee pot one hour before first ride; check loo paper
supply in porta-potty; make sure rider #4’s Great Aunt Jemima has signed the
barn release before rider # 2’s pony steps on GA J’s big toe; and so forth. The
considerable benefit from my perspective is that I am unable to become catatonic
with performance anxiety when I have to concentrate on other essential tasks and
answer a multitude of questions. I enter my lesson with a sense of relief,
combined with angst, of course.
On Sunday April 20th, E.I. is sponsoring a First Aid seminar given by Dr Hank
Greenwald. It will also be held at Tall Firs in Redmond, 9-12noon. Bring your
own comfortable chair!
I was fortunate to attend a seminar by Hank at the Adult Rider Camp 2-3 years
ago and I learned so much from him. Some of the most important things I learned
were what NOT to do. The initial management of a horse injury can have
significant impact on subsequent healing and recovery. Dr Greenwald’s seminar
will offer invaluable information of use to horse people of all disciplines and
will include plenty of question and answer time. More information and the entry
form can be found on the E.I. web site http://www.equestriansinstitute.org/
The Washington State Horse Park (WSHP)
I hope that most of you reading this will have heard of the WSHP but if not – in
brief – about 15 years ago a small group of far-sighted horse people decided
that we needed a first class equestrian facility in our state (like the Kentucky
and Colorado Horse Parks). This remarkable group of individuals, all volunteers,
managed to persuade the legislature to create the WSHP Authority which was given
a mandate to find a suitable location and start the ball rolling. Land near Cle
Elum was identified and offered to the WSHP Authority by Suncadia Resort as part
of their master planning, and then began slow years of waiting for the city and
resort developers to resolve permitting approvals, water rights agreements and
other issues. Finally in mid-2007 negotiations between Suncadia and the WSHP
Authority began in earnest and grew to involve a long list of third parties
including conservation groups, utilities, government entities, etc. In January
2008 a Letter of Intent was signed between Suncadia and the WSHP Authority that
defines the site boundaries, access, easements and other aspects of the
property.
Why do we need a Horse Park in Washington?
• We are losing land for competition sites and for recreational activities; the
pressures of rising property costs, the huge profits to be had by developers and
insurance liability issues have all had significant negative impact on owners of
existing event sites.
• We need first class competition facilities – we simply don’t have them
• We have a large, active but fragmented equine industry in our state, so we
haven’t been able to capitalize on our aggregate numbers of horse men and women.
This facility will encompass all of our equine disciplines except rodeo and
racing
A top quality, multi-use, flexible facility will attract large regional level
shows, serve youth and therapeutic riding programs, and attract new investment
and tourism to Washington.
What is the current status of the Horse Park?
• A 112 acre site adjacent to I90 in Cle Elum which has excellent terrain,
footing, access and a glorious setting
• There is an additional 75 acres of conservation land which has endurance
tracks (cross country and driving courses)
• It’s just one hour from Seattle – think what you’ll save on gas!
• The property connects to the John Wayne and Coal Mine regional trail systems
as well as Suncadia’s extensive resort trail system. In other words, while you
compete your family can go off trail riding and have a good time without you
• The resort is developing very beautiful facilities; no camping required; your
spouse can play golf, tennis, or go to the spa
• In 2007 the legislature appropriated $3.5 million to the Horse Park for Phase
One Design and Construction
• The Site Design firm that has been contracted is the same one that designed
Kentucky and is upgrading facilities there to host the 2010 World Equestrian
Games (CMW Design of Lexington, KY)
The Horse Park leadership’s priorities for 2008 are to design and build first
class facilities, greatly increase horse community involvement and conduct a
successful capital campaign.
Why does E.I. care about the Horse Park?
• E.I. supports the Horse Park because this will be an amazing resource for all
three of our disciplines. We’re very concerned about the loss of facilities in
recent years. At the new WSHP site, we will be able to hold events for all three
disciplines and the location on the “dry side” of the mountains will extend our
competition season from early Spring into late Fall.
• We hope to be able to host our first non-recognized event at the Horse Park in
2009 (that’s next year!)
Moving the Horse Park forward from a dream to reality continues to take HUGE
effort by a special few individuals in the past to some dedicated individuals in
the present. Among those in the present, two people have shouldered the lion’s
share of effort and shown determined tenacity to overcome the never ending
series of obstacles – Todd Trewin and Leslie Thurston. When the Horse Park opens
its gates for the first activity – the hundreds and hundreds of hours they have
spent will make a 40 hour work week look like a vacation! Make sure you tell
Todd and Leslie how much you appreciate what they are doing for the rest of us.
In my column next month I’ll report more news about the Horse Park including the
overall timeline for development, what facilities are planned to be available
first, and how you can help support this great project. In the meantime, you can
learn more by visiting their website at
http://www.washingtonstatehorsepark.org and become a member today!
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President’s Report
March #1 2008
By Jana Steffen
The annual meeting was held on January 20, 2008. We strove to make the meeting more fun and lively.
This was met with fair success based on the number of consistent laughs we heard from the crowd.
The organization continues to do well, our membership grew by 7% for a total of 468 members. The
most impressive gain was an increase in members whose interest is Eventing. This number grew by 70%,
which is an amazing accomplishment for Penny Leggott, our Eventing Director. Over the past two years
that Penny has been the Director, she has offered additional clinics and derbies.
Our Horse Trials has also continued to be a success thanks to the wonderful efforts of Mary Brumber,
our Show Organizer and the great team that works with her. The long and short of it is, we are
providing more value for the Eventing community and that is being reflected in our membership numbers.
Other big news, we are offering a new Dressage award; the Ralph Dreitzler Vintage Cup. We created
this new award to honor all the years of service that Ralph has given to our dressage community.
Ralph has held Board positions within E.I. and has been our show announcer for a number of years.
We very much appreciate all of his time and support. This award is for the vintage riders (those
who are over the age of 55). Look for upcoming details in the Omnibus.
We did not have any outgoing board members this year, however, we do have a new Vice President;
Chriss Cardwell. Chriss has a strong management background in the finance industry. She has lead
large and small teams of managers and employees. In addition, to being a very capable leader, she
is personable, has a good sense of humor and she is a great horsewoman. Chriss has ridden since
she was a kid, has evented, played polo, rode in Pony Club, was President of her University
Equestrian Team, and has trained horses. Currently she is riding dressage but will be teaching
her young horse how to jump and I am sure will be seen in future cross country courses.
I look forward to 2008. We will be kicking off February with the Karen Robinson Freestyle clinic,
the Instructors Pre-certification, and a recreational drive. In March, we have the Auction, an
Eventing Clinic and the beginning of our schooling show series. Our Chapters also have schooling
shows and other events lined up. See our new website calendar for more information.
Happy Spring!
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Driving Report March 2008
By Linda Mackin
Some days, winter feels like it will never end. But when I look at the Driving Calendar I see that
we are already gearing up for the coming show season. Before we know it, we will be scrambling to
get our driving equines in condition for the first events of the year. The end of winter may almost
come too soon. Nah. Not really.
My ponies are hidden in thick puffs of hair. They look too much like ponies – or maybe goats. The
barn door sticks some mornings, frozen in whatever position it was left in. My favorite barn gloves
have holes in them. The ground around the barn alternates between rock-hard jagged mud and sloppy muck.
The pasture too, is sometimes frozen and my ponies don’t really like cavorting in snow. Grass is what
they want – tender soft green grass to eat and roll in and gallop over. The coming of Spring will be
a very welcome change for all of us.
Drivers made a good showing at the E.I. annual meeting on January 20 with 7 driving members in
attendance. This is quite a respectable number as there were about 30 total non-board members there
and driving makes up only 3% of the total E.I. membership. If you missed it this year do try to come
next year. Lunch and cake were provided along with lots and lots of door prizes. It was fun.
As I write this I am getting ready to go to the Northwest American Driving Society Annual meeting.
The speakers will be Jay Hubert and Linda Fairbanks. As a former Californian (please don’t hate me
it was only temporary!), I am well-acquainted with these two individuals. I am sure the wisdom they
impart will be both entertaining and useful.
Please visit the E.I. website. It is being continuously improved and updated. Driving events will
appear on the website calendar as fast as we can get them posted. E-mail me if you have an event
to post.
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Eventing Report February 2008
By Penny Leggott
Eventers’ Winter Escapades
I have to admit that I enjoy the non-competing season. I love to take clinics and to have mini adventures
with my pony and “make memories”. Just before Christmas, E.I. members Susan Miller and Leslie Thurston let
me know about a group who were going carol singing on horseback in Fall City. We gathered at the Fall City
Elementary School parking lot (permission obtained prior and all manure removed before we departed).
No self-respecting English woman sets off on such an adventure without fortification so a little port was
imbibed to warm the cockles before we set off.
Since it was a cold evening we were bundled up warmly and Leslie and I both had quarter sheets on our boys
to keep the chill off their backs. We were a bit of a motley crew – about eight horses and a dozen or so
on foot, with songs sheets that rattled in the wind – Susan’s horse Lucas was sure the songs sheets were
dangerous and gave Susan a lively time. At the very first house an elderly couple came out to listen and
then produced a bag of carrots which were very well received by the equine contingent!
We had a really enjoyable evening and I was very relieved to find that my pony was quite well behaved until
it got really dark and the LED head lamps worn by some participants were strobing back and forth and getting
him a bit agitated. At about the same time we passed a couple of ponies in a field who galloped the fence
line in excitement, creating “unrest” among our horses so we decided discretion was the better part of valor
and we called it an evening.
We have lots of ideas for making this a HUGE success next year, including choir practice! – so watch this
space in about 11 months and plan to join us.
My second recent adventure was on New Year’s Day. Leslie and I took our ponies on a Holiday Hack up at Stanwood.
We parked in the horse trailer parking lot on the Pilchuck Glass Factory lane and following the instructions
of a friend and local expert, walked back through the edge of the Pilchuck Tree Farm, ready to cross over
316th on to the Hauberg Estate (we obtained permission).
This all sounded quite straightforward and 316th is not a very busy road, especially at 10am on New Years’ Day,
but what we hadn’t counted on was running streams in the ditches on either side of the road, wildly blowing
trees on a gusty grey morning, and two motor cyclists who seemed to feel the need to rev their engines to
protect themselves from our fiery steeds.
I had thought we’d walk through the ditches but the ponies were having none of that. In the end Aston hopped
neatly down on to the road from the Tree Farm and then hopped equally neatly onto the Hauberg property after
carefully considering the rushing water, the tree branches and the motor cycles. We turned to look back
and there was Tiger, Irish lower lip flapping, completely undecided about the wisdom of jumping a rushing
torrent, but finally Leslie persuaded him that he had been bred to jump ditches and was letting down the
Irish side.
We enjoyed a wonderful ride with vistas over to the Olympics range and the Puget Sound and the islands spread
below us. It was my first outing in a wide open space with my pony so I wasn’t sure if I’d have brakes, but
he was a good boy and trotted out side by side with Tiger, without giving me the feeling he’d take off.
What a wonderful area we live in. We are so lucky, and what better way to bring in the New Year than on horseback!
[For those who are interested in local history, I include the following link. John Hauberg was a remarkable
man and among his generous actions, donated land to the Pilchuck Glass Factory.
http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/HAUREC.html]
Several clinics are coming up which promise excellent opportunities: in February Leslie Law will be back in
the Pacific Northwest, this time at Aspen Farms. In addition to the E.I. Combined Test Clinic March 29-30
at Tall Firs in Redmond, there will be Jimmy Wofford and Steuart Pittman clinics at Tulipsprings Eventing
in Keenewick in March and April respectively http://www.tulipsprings.org/. Check the E.I. Bulletin Board
for details and links.
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USDF Convention 2007
By Carolynn Bunch
It was a fun and informative week in Florida as your E.I. delegate. I had not attended the USDF convention
since it was in Portland, and it was nice to be able to participate.
I started from home the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving on what seemed like an adventure as I had never flown
by myself before. After what felt like a bazillion hours in airports and airplanes, I arrived in Orlando,
Florida, boarded the Disney Magical Express, and arrived at the Coronado in the heart of Disney World.
You would think that would have ended my adventure, but know that locating my room was another. As are all
things Disney, the Coronado is a large complex of multiple buildings that are all connected and look the same!
Wednesday and Thursday were full of committee and council open and closed meetings as well as a regional
meeting each day. Donna Longacre, the Region 6 Regional Director, ran the regional meeting at the end of
each day. Most of the people at the Region meeting were there as PM or GMO Delegates or were on a council
or committee. For the most part, someone from the region had been to every meeting and they quickly gave
a summary of what had gone on. It gave everyone an idea of what had happened for the year and what might
come up for vote at the Board of Governors meeting.
On Friday and Saturday afternoons, there were many educational sessions from top vets. The BOG (board of
governors) and Educational sessions were scheduled so that everyone could attend all the meetings.
On Friday and Saturday from 8 to noon was the BOG meetings. From what I hear in years past, the term BOG
fit well. This year it really moved along. The BOG is where the voting of agenda items takes place as well
as some lively discussion.
We did have one Roll Call vote on Saturday where everyone got up and voted by secret ballet on the computers.
The issue that came under much debate was from the Regional Championship Committee and reads as follows –
Change to Regional Championship Rule E13 and recommendation for a USEF Rule Change Proposal to DR 123.4 to
increase the minimum percentage from 50% to 55% in order to be named champion and reserve.
Effective for the 2009 Regional Championships.
MOTION CARRIED by a vote of 1049 in favor and 648 opposed.
During the discussion for this issue, it was brought to the BOG’s attention that it would have affected one
horse and rider this year from, I believe, a region in the Midwest.
As I’m writing this, USDF has posted all of the committee, Council and both Sessions of the BOG reports online
in the news section if you would like to read the complete reports.
Below are Council and Committee items that were noteworthy, including one item tabled for next year.
You can find their contact info on the USDF website in the “about” section for all Region 6 Council and
Committee representatives.
Items to take note of –
Lets start with the Council that has a tabled item, this means that you can give input and make your opinion
count to the outcome of this item and vote at the 2008 BOG and in this case the Contact is me
Carolynn@carolynnbunch.com .
Awards Council – Region 6 rep me (Carolynn Bunch)
1. Scores earned from Great American/USDF Regional Championship classes and Great American/USDF Breeders
Championship Series Final classes will NOT count towards year-end awards median score calculations.
To be effective 10/1/2008. Peggy explained the rationale that scores seem to be lower for classes with
judge panels, especially the USDFBC classes. It was suggested that championships should have their own
separate awards program and that those classes should not be used for USDF year-end awards. The Regional
Championship and USFDBC classes currently count for their respective HOY programs. This rule change would
allow the Regional Championship and USDFBC scores to stand on their own. Because the motion was approved to
refer the proposal, there was no vote on the original motion. Beth Clarke, parliamentarian, explained that
this motion would automatically be reconsidered first in the order of business items at the 2008 BOG. (ie,
old items of business must be considered before new items at the 2008 BOG).
A point not included above that was the spearhead for this item is that the End of the Year Award Deadline
is October 1st and not every region has their championship before that deadline. In some regions, riders
are scratching and not riding their Championship test because they do not want to jeopardize Horse of the
Year standings. Riders in regions after October 1st if they are planning to move up a level, their
Championship score will not count for HOY. It’s a loop hole that the Awards Council felt should be closed.
Do note that Northwest Championship classes would still count for HOY. It is an open class in the eyes of
USDF, but most regions also have a “stand alone” championship as well.
Regional Championship Committee – Helen St. Amand
1. Change to Regional Championship Rule C.14: Automatic invitations shall be extended to the top twelve
competitors who are U.S. citizens in the NAYRC and NAJC from the individual and freestyle tests.
Invitations shall also be extended to the top twelve invited to the USEF High Performance National
Championships at Grand Prix and Intermediaire I, and to the top twelve from the USEF National Junior,
Young Rider and Young Adult Ranking lists. However, these invitations exclude freestyle championships for
invitees from the USEF National Junior, Young Rider and Young Adult Ranking lists. Effective for the 2008
Regional Championships.
2. Recommendation for a USEF Rule Change Proposal to the USEF Dressage Committee that USEF assign one Dressage
TD to every Regional Championship. Effective for the 2009 Regional Championships.
3. Recommendation that horses entered in Regional Championship classes be required to stay on the grounds for
the duration of their Regional Championships classes. Effective for the 2009 Regional Championships.
Ok, things not voted on –
The Capital Campaign is a huge success with total donor commitments at $4.1 million. This amount will totally
fund the NEC building and provide a good start on building the educational endowment. If all commitments are
met, the building will be paid for by 2011 and they will be shifting focus to the Endowment fund for education.
2008 BOG will need to vote on a dues increase. Dues have not been raised since the 2002 Portland convention.
An Adult Amateur National Championship.
USEF has a proposal for Proficiency standards to be implemented, requiring a number of points to be
accumulated before you can show above 2nd level. I never got an official written outline of the proposal.
There was a lot of, well, loud discussion on this issue. Several members of that USEF Committee were at
the Convention and were surprised at the out-pouring of negative feedback they received. This issue is up
for vote at the January USEF Convention.
The 2008 USDF convention and symposium will be held at the National Western complex in downtown Denver,
Colorado. This area has a lot of restaurants, clubs and shopping, all within walking distance. Access to
amenities will be comfortable and climate controlled. The 2009 convention will be held in Austin, Texas.
We were also told that they had a verbal contract with a major international “player” for the symposium and
hoped in January to have a contract and be able to announce that person’s name for the 2008 convention
I encourage you to read the full reports on the USDF website, I couldn’t believe the amount of information
I came home with and a better understanding on how USDF works. Maybe I’ll see you in Denver.
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Presidents Report February 2008
By Jana Steffen
Welcome 2008! A new year, with new beginnings. Our Annual meeting was held on January 20th.
Look for a full write up in the March issue (as I write this it is January 6th). I am looking forward to
the new year and all the happenings within E.I. and our broader equestrian community. In addition to our
regular schooling and recognized shows we will be offering several seminars on general horse care topics
(such as nutrition) and will be introducing a new seminar series called “Get A Life! with horses."
The Get a Life! seminars focus on providing young adults the skills to maintain their “horse life” after
they graduate from high school and/or college. This includes things like managing finances, how to apply
what they learned from riding to real life (like learning from mistakes), planning for the future, which
are applicable to folks of any age! We can also offer the workshops to “young at heart” adults.
Also in 2008, there are some rule changes made during the 2007 USDF convention that will start to go into
effect in the fall. For a full write up, see please the article by Carolynn Bunch in the pages to follow.
In brief, the main changes are:
1. The minimum percentage was increased from 50% to 55% in order to be named champion and reserve.
Effective for the 2009 Regional Championships.
2. Scores from the Great American/USDF Regional Championship classes and Great American/USDF Breeders
Championship series Final classes will NOT count towards year-end awards median score calculations.
Effective 10/1/2008.
3. Recommendation that horses entered in Regional Championship classes be required to stay on the
grounds for the duration of their Regional Championship classes. Effective for the 2009 Regional Championships.
If you would like to see firsthand and participate/vote on the USDF recommendations/changes presented at
each convention, please attend the 2008 convention in Denver, CO. I can guarantee it will be an informative
and enlightening experience!
Have a great 2008!
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USDF Instructor / Trainer Workshop Jan 2008
By Michele Nolte
The USDF Instructor / Trainer Workshops are over. Pounding rain, howling wind and snow didn’t deter either
Participant or Spectator. The three months seemed long as the committee worked through new territory and yet
at the same time, the days between the sessions flew by. A total of 12 Participants enrolled in the Series with
5 completing all Workshops.
Each daily session had the same format. There was a lecture, demonstration and/or video from 8am to 10:30am
then a short 15 minute break before the first Participant entered the arena for her 45 minute presentation.
Each Participant had 5 minutes to warm up and evaluate the horse or rider; 5 minutes to give an oral
presentation of the evaluation; 30 minutes to work or teach; then the last 5 minutes was an oral explanation
of their work to the Faculty. The schedule was stretched by each Faculty to insure that every Participant
received the help necessary to enhance their skills. At the end of each Workshop, the Participants received
Evaluation Forms grading among several items, their theoretical knowledge, assessment ability, professional
demeanor and presentation skills.
In the Lunging Workshop, each Participant lunged a horse during the first session and gave a lunge lesson in
the next session. For the Riding Workshop, the first session was on a horse familiar to the Participant while
the second was on an unfamiliar horse. The first session in the Teaching Workshop was to give a private
lesson and the second session was a group lesson of three riders. In both teaching sessions, the demo students
and horses were unfamiliar to the Participant.
The Lunging Workshop was the most difficult. Some found using the long Tela whip awkward especially when
combined with giving a lunge lesson to an unfamiliar rider on an unfamiliar horse. The lunge line was
expected to be taut at all three gaits as the horse was spiraled in and then back out on the circle.
Oral presentation was intimidating for some. It’s one thing to discuss on a one to one basis, but during
the Workshops the Participants where facing not only the Faculty but also a gallery of two dozens Spectators.
There were several lively discussions among the Faculty, Participants and Spectators creating a learning
environment for everyone.
Christine Rivlin-Henke was the Faculty for the Lunging Workshop. Her passion for the program was evident by
her willingness to work longer hours to allow two additional Participants to attend. “Get Stress to Work
for You by Embracing the Butterflies” was the subtitle to the personal experiences that Rachael Saavarda
added to the lecture material for the Riding Workshop. For the Teaching Workshop, Lilo Fore brought Kim
Gentry as a Faculty intern. Using her MBA back ground, Kim’s lecture on Presentation Skills included voice
exercises and information on Toastmasters to improve public speaking ability.
The Workshop series was a combined effort. Equestrians’ Institute supplied financial support to host the
entire series. Carolyn Cole initiated the original plans almost two years ago. Laura McGillicuddy while a
Participant stepped in at the last minute to arrange for horses and demo riders for the Lunging Workshop.
Susan Miller with help from Lisa Fisher and John Watson, found horses for the Riding Workshop and over 24
horse and rider pairs for the Teaching Workshop and continues to work to enable the Pre Certification.
Kyra Gauteson videoed the sessions for later review by the Participants. The Back Forte in Enumclaw WA
allowed the use of their facility. And Carol Baker of Park Bench Cafe in Orting WA supplied hot lunches
and an endless stream of hot drinks enabling everyone to stay at ringside so as not to miss a word. But
the numerous horse and demo riders were the superstars.
The Workshops are over but there is more to come. February 16th and 17th, 2008, four Participants will present
themselves to Marynal Barnett in a Pre Certification Clinic in preparation for the formal Certification in May 2008.
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E.I. Annual Meeting January 20, 2008
By Shelly Navarre
President’s Report: Jana made a welcoming statement and
briefly addressed some of the board activities which were accomplished in 2007.
She also went over the member statistics/changes for 2007.
Minutes: The
minutes from 2007 were read. A motion was made from the floor by Peg Jasker to
accept the minutes as written. This motion was seconded by Anne Davis and
approved by a voice vote of all members present.
Dues: A motion was made by
BJ Heuving to have the 2008 EI dues remain the same. This was seconded from the
floor by Molly Martin and approved by a voice vote of all members present.
Treasurer Director’s Report: Laura McGillucuddy gave an overview of the various
EI account balances as well as the income/expenses.
Dressage Director’s
Report: Michelle Nolte gave details of the 2007 Instructors’ Certification
Workshop program which EI sponsored. This series of clinic will end in 2008
with the final certification process.
Eventing Director’s Report: Penny
Leggott described some of the activities arranged by the eventing division in
2007.
Driving Director’s Report: Linda Mackin gave an overview of the
Beginner’s driving clinic completed in 2007 and the group offered a clinic and
Driving Trial.
Education Director’s Report: Lezlie Wolff provided an
overview of the research activities undertaken in 2007 with implementation of
some informal seminars in conjunction with some of EI’s recognized events as
well as the ‘Get A Life’ workshops.
Promotions Director’s Report: Laura
Scholten gave details of many of her activities for 2007 including the Business
Membership drive and purchased and sale of new EI logo’d merchandise.
Webmaster/IT Director’s Report: Peter Larsen presented details of the
enhancements made to the website in 2007. New for 2008 will be user entered
classified ads and broader detail of all horse related activities on the website
bulletin board.
Volunteer Director’s Report: Heidi’s overview of the new
initiatives implemented in 2007 were given. Most important was the new software
link on the website allowing for potential volunteers to sign up online.
Elections: A motion was made by Lothar Pinkers to accept the slate of
existing board directors as presented (with no changes). This was seconded by
BJ Heuving. Approved unanimously by a voice vote of all members present.
New
Board Members:
1. Chriss Cardwell was introduced as the nominee for the Vice
President position. No nominations were made from the floor. Lothar Pinkers
made a motion from the floor to close the nomination process and accept Chriss
for the Vice President position. This was seconded by Peg Jasker and approved
by a voice vote of members present.
2. Sophie Mosier was introduced as the
nominee for the Co-Director Education. No nominations were made from the floor.
Lothar Pinkers made a motion from the floor close the nomination process and
accept Sophie for the Education Co-Director position. This was seconded by
Peg Jasker and approved by a voice vote of members present.
Meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.
Minutes prepared by
Shelly Navarre, Secretary
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President’s Report, January 2008
By Jana Steffen
December 8th, marked the last instructor certification workshop and was conducted by Lilo Fore.
What a treat to get two whole days focused on how to be a great instructor with such a knowledgeable
person. Lilo is a fantastic trainer and teacher with terrific experience to share. It is E.I.’s
intention to be able to offer more of these workshops in the future along with “L” judge program
training and regular symposiums. More of our future plans will be communicated at our annual
meeting on January 20, 2008 at the Sammamish Valley Grange in Woodinville from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm.
The Annual meeting is a time to catch up on what is going on within the organization and an
opportunity to vote on positions for the Board. We have several opportunities for Board positions,
these include Co-Directors for: Education, Dressage, Website, Volunteers, and Eventing. We also
have the opening for Vice President. Whoever steps into the role for Vice President would be in
training for the role of President for 2009. For each position, we are looking for folks with
strong communication skills, good problem solving skills, good sense of humor, diplomatic and
passionate about dressage, eventing or driving.
I have now been in the President position for three years. In the beginning, it was exciting and a
bit daunting; Wendy had left big shoes to fill. Over the years, the shoes have gotten more
comfortable and they have definitely been fun to wear. Many folks may wonder, why take on a
leadership role like President, seems like a lot of work and who has the time to fit it into the
schedule. Personally, I had reached a point (end of my thirties) where I felt the need to give
back to and participate more fully in my equestrian community.
I care about increasing the caliber of training for our horses and riders by providing learning
opportunities for riders and trainers. It is great that we have such a depth and variety of
trainers and instructors in our region. My journey as President has not always been easy but is has
been rewarding, fun and has stretched and expanded who I am as a person and as a leader. It has
been a privilege and pleasure to work with the talented folks on the Board and within the organization.
I am continually humbled and impressed by those who spend the time putting on the shows and events.
It is through their contributions, hard work and efforts that we are able to offer these activities
to our dressage, eventing and driving communities.
If you would like to join a terrific team of people who are dedicated to making a difference and
stretch your leadership wings, please let me know. I can be reached at janastef@yahoo.com or
206-920-2902.
Happy New Year! Hope that 2008 brings to you, your horse(s) and families prosperity, joy and peace.
Announcement
You are invited to attend the Annual E.I. Meeting
When: January 20, 2008 (Sunday) from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Where: Sammamish Valley Grange
Come receive your end of year awards, acknowledge your peers for their volunteer efforts, see old friends, learn latest happenings and enjoy tasty snacks.
Look forward to seeing you there!!
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Driving Report
By Ann Davis
Happy New Year to all…. It seems the seasons roll around at an ever increasing pace… but the turn
at the New Year always sets us to planning….. and for many of us that means pulling out the Omnibus
that arrived in December putting the dates of 2008 Driving events on that Christmas calendar!
And don’t forget to plan on volunteering someplace in the next season, perhaps for an event in
another discipline.
Be sure right off to mark Saturday, February 2nd and plan to attend the annual regional meeting of
the American Driving Society. ADS N.W.Regional Director, Ann Davis has announced that the meeting
will feature guest speakers Muffy Seaton, well regarded clinician, judge, and competitor;
and Jay Hubert, Chair of the ADS Safety and Education Committee.
The location is the same as last year, The Rose Restaurant, Castle Rock, WA (exit 49 off of I-5).
As always you can get all the latest driving news, shecheduled events,post ads, ask questions
by contacting Ann and requesting to be added to her e-mail distribution list.
And don’t forget to join and support your local driving club for help getting started.
Clubs provide resources and friends to learn to drive for Recreation, Pleasure Shows and/or
Combined Driving Events, SAFELY!
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