[email protected] Meet the YPAS train with Kathleen Raine and David Wightman at Adventure Farms...
Transcript of [email protected] Meet the YPAS train with Kathleen Raine and David Wightman at Adventure Farms...
24 September 2014 • USDF ConneCtion
under 21
What do USDF’s youth mem-
bers want and need? Tat
can be a difcult question
to answer when, as in most organiza-
tions, adults are in control.
Tat doesn’t mean, however, that
youth can’t have input—and that is
why the USDF established the Youth
Programs Advisory Subcommittee.
Te mission of the YPAS is to rep-
resent the thoughts, opinions, and
needs of each USDF region’s youth
members; and to communicate this
information to the USDF Youth Pro-
grams Committee, to the USDF ex-
ecutive Board, and to the USDF Board
of Governors. Te YPAS’s goals are to
increase youth participation in dres-
sage; to foster communication among
regional directors, coordinators, and
each region’s youth members; and to
foster communication among the re-
gions’ youth in an efort to help them
become more aware of youth activities.
YPAS members play an impor-
tant role in shaping the future of both
youth in American dressage and the
USDF itself. As YPAS advisor and for-
mer USDF Region 6 director
Gaye McCabe puts it: “Te
YPAS has a direct hand in
their success and the pro-
grams they develop. Tey can see the
work that it takes to create and imple-
ment a program because they are do-
ing the work. Tis is a wonderful way
to train our replacements and bring
fresh new ideas to the USDF, to in-
crease our youth membership, and to
bring a new excitement to programs.”
YPAS members must meet the fol-
lowing criteria:
•Current USDF participating or
group member
•Between the ages of 14 and 28
•Current or past involvement with
USDF youth programs, including
one or more of the following: Ju-
nior/Young Rider Clinic partici-
pant, Youth team Competition
participant, Dressage Seat Med-
al Program participant, Shining
Star Award recipient, High School
Meet the YPASTis dynamic USDF youth group is making dressage better for you!
By Chelsea Urhahn
sta
ff p
ho
to
By Lauren Griffn
Chair, USDF Youth Programs Advisory Subcommittee
In 2008, I saw an ad in USDF Connection seeking youth mem-
bers to serve on the Youth Executive Board, now known as the
Youth Programs Advisory Subcommittee. I took the plunge and
decided to run for the Region 2 representative position. To my
surprise, I found myself that winter grabbing a plane to Houston
for my frst USDF convention, not knowing what to expect but
that I was going to the world’s biggest dressage party!
Having wonderful people commit to fnding strategies that will
make our sport better, and assisting others to help them succeed,
is what USDF’s annual convention is all about. Convention is not
just for adults but also for young men and women wanting to
make a difference. For six (coming seven) spectacular years, I have
attended convention and found myself more motivated to be better in the sport of dressage and to contribute to
a fourishing society.
Youth-participation programs within USDF allow young people to have a role within the organization’s struc-
ture where their opinions are valued. USDF gives the youth a pipeline. Attending convention and sitting in discus-
sions is the frst step toward becoming active in the federation—and where else to take your frst steps than to
join in on the world’s biggest dressage party!
I would highly recommend attending convention to any youth member who is interested in having dressage
be in their future. The YPAS has made programs and scholarships available to help make the USDF convention ac-
cessible to all. So stop waiting and come join the party!
Why Should Youth Attend Convention?
YOUTH REPRESENTATIVES: Chair Lauren Gri�n
(front row, center) and members of the USDF Youth
Programs Advisory Subcommittee at the 2013 Ad-
equan/USDF National Convention in Lexington, KY
Pages A2-.indd 24 8/12/2014 3:16:04 PM
USDF ConneCtion • September 2014 25
Dressage Pin recipient, nAJYRC
participant, declared Fei Junior
or Young Rider, Youth Volunteer
of the Year nominee, Youth Con-
vention Scholarship winner, USeF
Youth Sportsman’s Award national
nominee or alternate, USDF/USeF
Young Rider Graduate Program
participant, or involvement in
Pony Club, 4-H, or other non-US-
DF dressage-related program.
Te YPAS is an impressive group
of young and dedicated dressage en-
thusiasts. Let’s meet them now.
Catherine Chamberlain, 19,
Murrieta, CA
i currently train with Kathleen Raine
and David Wightman at Adventure
Farms with my horses Verdicci and
Sophina. i have been competing in
dressage for the past ten years and am
aiming to become a professional train-
er. i have received much support over
the years and love giving back to the
sport of dressage by working with the
USDF YPAS.
My greatest accomplishments
thus far have been receiving the 2012
USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year
award, being selected for Te Dres-
sage Foundation’s Young Rider olym-
pic Dream Program in 2012, and
earning my USDF bronze and silver
medals. i also won the Junior individ-
ual and Freestyle silver medals at the
2010 nAJYRC and the Young Rider
team gold with Region 5 at the 2011
nAJYRC. Tis year i won YR double
gold and the Fiona Baan “Pursuit of
excellence” Memorial trophy.
Aylin Corapcioglu, 20,
Louisville, CO
i am a 20-year-old native of Colora-
do, and i have been riding since i was
three. i fell in love with horses after my
frst ride, and it was not long after that
i found an even deeper passion in the
sport of dressage. Being a perfection-
ist, i have always enjoyed the fact that
dressage is a constant learning experi-
ence. no matter what you are doing, or
how long you have been doing it, there
is always room for improvement. [
Co
URtEsY o
f C
ath
ERIN
E C
ha
MBERLa
IN;
Co
URtEsY o
f a
YLIN
Co
Ra
pC
IoG
LU
Now availablewith optional…Short Back Panel forshorter backed horses
www.albionsaddlemakers.co.uk
INSPIRED BY RIDERS, PERFECTED BY TECHNOLOGY - HANDMADE IN ENGLAND
I loved the SLK Royale from the frst time I sat in it. I believe that Albion are the best in their profession. My saddles are so comfortable, like they are made just for me.
Making perfection look effortless
Albion’s iconic SLK Dressage range now features the NEW Adjusta-Tree™ Technology
ADJUSTA-TREE™ TECHNOLOGY
ARIZONATack Et Cetera 480 488 4630
CALIFORNIAContact 707 575 [email protected]
PENNSYLVANIAHastilow Competition Saddles 717 294 [email protected]
FLORIDADiane Sasscer 561 649 [email protected]
FLORIDAEquestrian Imports 941 377 [email protected]
AVAILABLE FROM SELECTED ALBION SADDLE FITTERS
Olympic Champion Guenter Seidel and riders worldwide trust that Albion can make their horses more comfortable, achieving the perfect ft for over 95% of horse shapes.
Maximise your performance with Albion’s perfect ft.
FLORIDAStockmans 407 295 [email protected]
ILLINOISBarrington 847 381 [email protected]
MICHIGANFreedom Fittings 517 655 [email protected]
MINNESOTAMonique Anderson 612 965 3659
NEW HAMPSHIREShedrick English Saddlery 603 764 [email protected]
NEW YORKFit Right Saddles 518 868 [email protected]
NORTH CAROLINAM&M Tackshop 919 851 [email protected]
PENNSYLVANIASaddles 101 240 431 [email protected]
TEXASCapstone 512 466 [email protected]
VIRGINAADC 540 220 [email protected]
Adjusta-Tree™
Pages A2-.indd 25 8/12/2014 3:16:05 PM
26 September 2014 • USDF ConneCtion
under 21
i was a member of the 2010 nA-JYRC Region 5 Junior team in Lex-ington, KY, where we placed seventh, and my horse Ruhmann and i placed ninth in both the individual and free-style competitions. in 2011, we were members of the Region 5 Young Rider gold medal team at nAJYRC, and we placed in the top 20 in the individual competition. i am also a USDF bronze and silver medalist.
i have spent the last few show sea-sons out of the ring, as Ruhmann has been rehabilitating from a series of in-juries. However, my trainer, Susan An-derson, has given me the opportunity to work with two of her mares, a Ger-man Riding Pony and a German Rid-ing Pony/Welsh cross, and i am ex-cited to go back down the center line with them this season.
i was a member of the USDF Youth executive Board and remained on the board as we transitioned to become YPAS. i joined the board be-cause i wanted to be more involved in USDF, and i wanted to give back to the dressage community that has giv-en so much to me. Being on the board has helped me to see frsthand the work that goes into the USDF organi-zation as a whole and how important it is to help get the voice of our youth heard. We are the future profession-als as well as the future amateurs, and i think it is important to help guide the younger generations of our sport along the way. i am thankful to have had the opportunity to serve on both the YeB and the YPAS, and it has been wonderful to see our projects come to fruition.
Tis fall, i will be a junior at Provi-dence College in Rhode island, where i am studying global studies, Spanish, and business studies. i enjoy being a member of my college’s community, and i participate in the freshman ori-entation program, campus ministry, and Colleges Against Cancer.
Jessica Foschi, 22, Virginia, MN
i discovered my love for horses and dressage at age nine and have never looked back. i am a USDF bronze and
silver medalist. For the past few years, i have ridden a wonderful Welsh Cob gelding, Crescent Moon’s Lancelot, competing through intermediate i in 2013. Currently, i am focusing on and developing my four-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Calypso. it has been an amazing journey thus far, and i cannot wait to see what the future will bring.
Te USDF youth programs have ofered so much to me as a rider and competitor, and i have found YPAS to be an incredible opportunity to give back and be involved in the communi-ty that has opened many doors for me. in 2010, i was the bronze medalist at the USeF Dressage Seat Medal Finals (14-18); and in 2011, i was one of four recipients of the USDF Youth Conven-tion Scholarship, which enabled me to travel to the Adequan/USDF Annual Convention that year.
Te support that i received as a young rider has inspired me in many ways, including a strong commitment to developing the youth programs for the talented young riders in our sport. Te programs that i have participated in have not only shaped my vision for the future but have also given me the tools to make that vision a reality, for which i am entirely grateful.
Lauren Grifn, 24, Whitestown, IN
My love of horses started when i re-ceived a riding certifcate for my ninth birthday, and from that point on there was no turning back. Te real obses-sion started when my mother bought me a fve-year-old Quarter Horse that was barely broke, but was sane and safe (two key words in my mother’s book).
Nicole DelGiorno, B-Dressage
on Lamborghini Dane
Shore Riders Pony Club
Delmarva Region
Where it all begins For 60 years, Pony Club has been the leader in world-class equestrian education for youth in the United States. Pony Club fosters superb horsemen, extraordinary citizens and lifelong friendships.
LEARN MORE AND
LAUNCH YOUR FUTURE!
Call us, visit us on Facebook or on the web. We’ll help you get started!
Check out all of the ways to be a member,
from online E-membership to traditional!
The United States Pony Clubs, Inc4041 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511 | 859-254-7669
Co
URtE
sY o
f JE
ssIC
a f
osC
hI
Pages A2-.indd 26 8/12/2014 3:16:06 PM
USDF ConneCtion • September 2014 27
together we grew to an all-around partnership that showed in every dis-cipline from gymkhana to eventers. But for some reason a 12-year-old girl found her fascination with dressage, and from that point on i was hooked. A couple years later my second horse, Maillet, a KWPn gelding, helped me step into the big leagues of dressage, and we started qualifying for nAJYRC multiple times.
After a tough decision, as i was getting closer to aging out of youth competition, i sold Maillet and looked into getting a young horse. After a year of searching i found the horse of my dreams, Zebastian. At the time he was a gangly four-year-old KWPn gelding in europe, but something about him was too good to pass up. So he found himself with me in indiana. today i plan on competing him in the Prix St. Georges Developing Horse division, with intentions of fnishing him of at Grand Prix.
My love for the sport brought me to diferent organizations, from 4-H to lo-cal GMos. As i grew older i found that i really wanted to get involved with the sport and be part of history. After years of Pony Club and 4-H, i sat on my lo-cal GMo’s board of directors, organiz-ing the Youth Committee for several years. And in 2009 i started campaign-ing to represent Region 2 in the USDF Youth executive Board (now the YPAS). Four years have fown by, and being part of USDF’s YPAS has truly been a dream come true in helping to progress the sport for other zealous riders. i’ve always lived by the motto “Be the change you want to see,” and i hope to continue that for many more years down the road.
Jessica Hainsworth, 17,
Mount Morris, NY
i started riding at age seven and com-peted through 4-H in hunter seat, Western, and dressage and joined Pony Club by age nine. i became focused on dressage after winning the new York State 4-H Championship in 2010.
Te following year, i was select-ed as an emerging Dressage Athlete Program (eDAP) rider and given op-portunities to ride with Lendon Gray, Courtney King Dye, and Lilo Fore. i
Co
URtEsY o
f L
aU
REN
GRIf
fIN
; C
oU
RtEsY o
f J
EssIC
a h
aIN
sW
oRth
Visit usdf.org/awards/preliminary to fnd out where you
and your horse are ranked.
Where Do You And Your Horse Rank?
–you could receive an award!
Check your scores at usdfscores.com
Learn more about the year-end
award requirements in the
USDF Member Guide.
Don’t Miss These Important
Year-end Award Deadlines!
• September30,2014
• Submissiondeadlinefor:birthdatesforvintage
cup;adultamateurandjunior/youngriderawards
• Declarationdeadlineforvintagecupandverifying
adultamateurstatus
• MembershipdeadlineforUSDFBreederofthe
Yeareligibility
• October15,2014
• Allcorrectionsmustbereportedto
USDFby5:00p.m.ET
• October31,2014
• Photosubmissiondeadline(frst
placerecipientsonly)forinclusionin
theyearbookissueofUSDFConnection
• Ifplanningtoreceiveyourawardat
theSaluteGala&AnnualAwards
Banquetpurchaseyourbanquet
ticketonlineandprovide
USDFawardrecipient
information
Pages A2-.indd 27 8/12/2014 3:16:07 PM
28 September 2014 • USDF ConneCtion
under 21
was also selected to attend the frst
Robert Dover Horsemastership me-
ga-clinic in Wellington, FL, that win-
ter as an eDAP member. i earned my
USDF bronze medal in 2011 and won
the USDF Youth Convention Schol-
arship to attend the Adequan/USDF
national Convention and Symposium
that fall. i was appointed to the YPAS
that spring after being very active in
the youth meetings at convention
and getting to know the other mem-
bers. i remain active in teaching at
the local Pony Club level, including
coaching one rider to win the USPC
2011 national training Level Free-
style Championship. i won the USeF
Youth High School equestrian Ath-
lete Grant in 2012 to further my dres-
sage education, and i also fnished my
USDF silver medal competing at Prix
St. Georges last summer. i am very ex-
cited to be working with my new four-
year-old Dutch Warmblood and have
high hopes for our future together!
i eagerly took this opportunity to
be a member of YPAS because i felt
it was an amazing opportunity to link
with others in my sport on a more
personal level and really be able to
create change for what we collective-
ly thought was needed to improve the
sport for today’s youth riders. it is a
forum where my opinion on how we
can improve dressage can be heard,
and perhaps help hundreds of oth-
er young riders in the process. Attend-
ing the USDF convention for the last
two years has provided many educa-
tional opportunities to share expe-
riences and learn from other youth
riders from across the country. it has
been a tremendous opportunity, and i
have enjoyed it immensely!
Annan Hepner, 20,
Charlottesville, VA
i began riding around the age of six,
and i fell in love with dressage in sec-
ond grade, even though i fell of right
in front of the judge’s stand at my frst
schooling show! Troughout high
school i was a board member of my
local GMo, the Shenandoah Valley
Dressage Association. Since i moved
to Charlottesville for college, i have
been the secretary of the Charlottes-
ville Chapter of the Virginia Dressage
Association, where i love writing min-
utes, managing shows, and organizing
competitors’ parties and clinics.
i am a fourth-year at the Univer-
sity of Virginia, and i am double-ma-
joring in foreign afairs/politics and
media studies. i work at Grayson
November 22-23, 2014
Hilltop Farm in Colora, MD
March 21-22, 2015
DevonWood Equestrian Center in Sherwood, OR
Featuring
Auditors are welcome!
For more information on these and other clinics, visit www.usdf.org
Platinum Performance/USDF
Junior/Young Rider Clinic Series
George WilliamsInternationally Respected Instructor and Trainer
USDF Rider Award Gold Medalist
High Performance Rider
YOUR CONNECTION TO THE
DRESSAGE COMMUNITYAMERICAN
funding support provided by
Co
URtE
sY o
f a
NN
aN
hEpN
ER
Pages A2-.indd 28 8/12/2014 3:16:07 PM
USDF ConneCtion • September 2014 29
Farm and train with Kim Schmidt on
Walkie-talkie, a horse i leased to try
to qualify for nAJYRC before i aged
out. Unfortunately he had an injury
this spring, so we missed our qualify-
ing competitions, but i hope to earn
my USDF silver medal this year. i am
president of the Virginia eventing and
Dressage team, which is a club sport
at UVA, and i founded UVA’s team in
the intercollegiate Dressage Associa-
tion. i also love music, and i am the
president of the Harmonious Hoos, a
coed a capella group.
i joined YPAS after i won the
USDF Convention Scholarship and
Shining Star sportsmanship award,
and i was so inspired to become in-
volved on the national level after at-
tending the new orleans convention.
YPAS is such a wonderful opportu-
nity to meet great friends and brain-
storm new programs for our youth
members. YPAS allows us to repre-
sent youth and to implement posi-
tive change in national programs. i am
thrilled to be a part of the YPAS expe-
rience!
Avery-Anna Hogan, 21,
Wellington, FL
i am a native texan who started riding
at 18 months old, and by age six i was
involved in the United States Pony
Clubs. early on, i was blessed with ac-
complished dressage mentors. i fo-
cused my attention on dressage and
eventually obtained my Pony Club “B”
dressage specialty rating.
i spent my summers during high
school as a working student for the
Poulin family in DeLeon Springs, FL. i
moved to Florida after graduation and
eventually found my way to Wellington,
where i currently reside. Last year i had
the excellent fortune to gain my current
competition mount, incognito. With the
help of the Barisones, “inky” and i com-
peted for Region 3 at last year’s nAJYRC.
Troughout my riding career, my
extraordinary mentors have guided
me toward opportunities i would have
otherwise missed. i joined YPAS to
help implement programs and schol-
arships for people who have not yet
encountered their most valuable in-
fuences. i hope to assist in extend-
ing educational opportunities to
young riders who might otherwise fall
through the cracks. i also want to see
young riders learn how to create their
own opportunities. As the old adage
goes: “Give a man a fsh, and you feed
him for a day; teach a man to fsh, and
you feed him for a lifetime.” [
Coaching an IDA team is a great way
to keep and recruit new college age
students to your dressage program.
Forming a team is easy, requiring only
four members who can compete as a
team and individuals.
IDA is the fun, exciting, challenging,
and affordable way to make your
dressage program part of your
students’ college experience.
Visit our website to learn how you can
start your own team for a college near
you.
www.teamdressage.com
Grow Your Dressage Program
With An IDA Team!
I n t e r c o l l e g i a t e
DRESSAGEA s s o c i a t i o n
Co
URtEsY o
f a
VERY-a
NN
a h
oG
aN
Pages A2-.indd 29 8/12/2014 3:16:07 PM
30 September 2014 • USDF ConneCtion
under 21
Shari Wolke, 27, Okemos, MI
i began my riding career in fourth
grade at a hunter/jumper barn in the
metro Detroit area. After years of
summers spent mowing lawns, baby-
sitting, and other work, i earned half
of what was needed to purchase my
frst horse, Dennis the Menace, a
Toroughbred ex-racehorse. My sec-
ond horse, tuck’s More Tan a num-
ber, was also an of-the-track Tor-
oughbred, but his age and therefore
limited jumping ability led me to fnd
other outlets for his talent.
During high school, after fnd-
ing that i needed a more directed
and focused riding approach than
trail riding ofered, i discovered dres-
sage. Since then i have attempted to
combine my clear love for ottBs
and dressage. My current equine soul
mate is a 15-year-old Toroughbred
named Lord Kenmer, who raced 33
times in his four-year career. With me,
he earned me my scores for the USDF
bronze medal in 2010 and has com-
peted through Prix St. Georges. He
has also twice won the USeF/Rood
and Riddle Toroughbred in Sport
Keen Award for Dressage, in 2011
and 2012. “Kenny” also earned me the
scores to participate in the USDF “L”
Program, from which i graduated in
2012. As a result, i have been judging
schooling shows in Michigan, indiana,
and ohio since 2012.
i also earned a master’s degree in
critical studies in literacy and peda-
gogy along the way, and i am a teacher
during the of season from showing. i
decided to become a member of YPAS
because of the strong connection to
the youth dressage community i have
subsequently had as a schooling-show
judge, and the impact that “L” gradu-
ates and judges have on youth sport.
Youth Wanted!
Want to get involved with YPAS? it’s
simple! Just submit a letter of interest
to the USDF Youth Programs Liaison
at [email protected]. Applications are
due each year by Spetember 1. Letters
will be reviewed by the Youth Pro-
grams Committee Chair, and those
selected will be notifed by october 1.
Good luck! s
Chelsea Urhahn is the USDF staf li-
aison to the Youth Programs Advisory
Subcommittee.
Co
URtE
sY o
f sh
aRI W
oLK
E
All USDF
Participating,
Group, and
Business
Memberships
expire
November 30.
Renew today
for 2015!
www.usdf.org
Pages A2-.indd 30 8/12/2014 3:16:09 PM