January 2015 - Issue 5

MAGIC OF THEGENTLE CAROUSELTHERAPY HORSES

●Tried and Tested: Equetech

Contour Knit Headband●London International Horse

Show at Olympia●Confident Horsemanship

with Anne Gage

Tim Lips:Ticketto Rio

Fashion: For youand your horse

January 2015 - issue 5

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For theIn the Stirrups Polo

see Page 44

WELCOME...Welcome back, I hope you all had a happy andheathly start to the New Year.In the Stirrups gains another columnist thismonth, Francisco Vierheller who will besharing his extensive knowledge on Polo withus. We hope you will enjoy his articles!

Something that strikes me this month is howsmall things can make a huge difference -whether it is your mindframe whenriding/schooling your horse to your generaloutlook day to day in life. Anne Gage alsotouches this subject in her ConfidentHorsemanship article this month - it isdefinitely worth taking a moment to asborb!

Stay safe in this winterweather and wehope you enjoyJanuary’s issue ofIn the Stirrups.

Natasha

Dutch Olympic EventerTim Lips is in hot pursuitof the 2016 OlympicGames in Rio de Janeiro.Tim also won TeamBronze at the 2014 AlltechFEI World EquestrianGames Normandy.

Tim Lips

Daisy is a 17 year oldBritish Dressage rider. Fullof ambition, Daisy iscertainly on to watch forthe future.

Daisy Jackson

Patricia is The DressageTipster and founder ofCrystal System. Patriciaprovides us with usablereliable tips to improve allaspects of your dressagework.

Patricia Pitt

Francisco is anaccomplished polo riderand trainer. He is alsoinvolved with luxury brandBabel. He joins us eachmonth to provide functionaltips for beginners in polo.

Francisco Vierheller

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Feature Page Number

London InternationalHorse Show: Olympia 7

New Years Parade 15

Fashion 21

Tried and Tested:Equetech Contour

Headband26

Stars Glitter at FEI Gala 31

Mirrors for Heroes 35

Longines Jumping 39

I N S I D E T H I S M O N T H S I S S U E :

See Page 16 See Page 19 See Page 28

COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Marc Moggridge / www.burghleyimages.com

See Page 34

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Anne Gage is a Clinician, RidingCoach, Horse Trainer and CertifiedProfessional Coach based inCanada. Anne focuses on themental and physical aspects of bothyou and your horse so you candevelop trust and respect whilebuilding confidence in each other.

Anne Gage

Magic is one of the Gentle CarouselTherapy Horses based in the USA.She is a specialised therapy horsewho brings comfort and happinessto people who are suffering illnessor trauma and is adept atrecognising those who need herskills most.

Magic

Shane is a US based Reining riderand has been working in the horseindustry since his early teens and isdriven both by the love of reiningand his desire to teach others. Shaneis an outstanding non-pro coachwho cares about educating bothhorse and rider.

Shane Brown

Tyne is In the Stirrups trustedreviewer. As well as being aqualified Equine Veterinary Nurse,she is a keen horsewoman. Sheowns an 18yr old Connemara Marecalled Summer who still keepsTyne on her toes. Tyne enjoyswalking and reading.

Tyne Sigley

www.inthestirrups.com

Don’t miss all of theaction from the

worlds bestEquestrian

Christmas Party:Olympia!

Pages7-11

See Page 13 See Page 5 See Page 37 See Page 26

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GENTLE CAROUSEL THERAPY HORSES

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

www.horse-therapy.org

Magic is the smallest member of our team but definitely the biggest hero. She isa specialised therapy horse who brings comfort and happiness to people who aresuffering illness or trauma and is adept at recognising those who need her skills

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

Hello Friends. Happy New Year!I have many equine friends that travelaround the country with me but my bestfriend is therapy horse Hamlet.Hamlet and I have had many adventurestogether. We have visited politicians inWashington D.C. We have visitedchildren's hospitals in many differentstates. We even visit families that haveexperienced traumatic events.Last year, while we were working withtornado survivors in Moore, Oklahoma webecame tornado survivors ourselves.Gentle Carousel Miniature TherapyHorses was contacted by the communityof Moore and we traveled from Florida toOklahoma to help encourage children whohad been trapped inside schoolsdestroyed by an EF-5 tornado. While wewere visiting, another massive EF-5tornado hit our location. It was the biggesttornado in US history. The huge tornadofunnel was over two miles wide and madeup of multiple smaller tornadoes rotatinglike horses around a merry-go-round.Hamlet and I were evacuated south justminutes ahead of the monster storm. Thelocation where we were staying wasdestroyed and the hotel where the GentleCarousel volunteers were staying wasbadly damaged. Hamlet and I were not

bothered by the roar of the tornado, theloud tornado sirens or rushing people.After years of training and working insidehospitals we had heard many ambulancesirens and hospital helicopters. Thecameras in our horse trailer showed uscalmly eating during the escape.Hamlet loves working inside hospitals andis loved by many patients. His biggest fanis a patient named Pastor John. PastorJohn was injured in an accident and noone knew if he would ever walk again. Noone except Pastor John! He said he wouldwalk on his own before the year ended.While he was recovering at the hospital,Pastor John and his physical andoccupational therapists worked withtherapy horses from Gentle Carousel. Hisfavorite horse was Hamlet. Hamlet walkedwith Pastor John while he was learning touse his electric wheelchair. BrushingHamlet helped him gain strength in hisarms. "This is for you Hamlet," Pastor Johntold the horse before he stood for the firsttime with his equine friend by his side.Even after Pastor John was released fromthe hospital to continue his recovery athome, he would return to see the therapyhorses. Onhis lastv i s i t ,P a s t o rJ o h nwalked toHamlet onhis own.

LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOWOLYMPIA 2014

A Cossack rider during their piece.

Photo credit Kit Houghton/HPower

LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOWOLYMPIA 2014

The world’s best equestrian Christmas party, Olympia,The London International Horse Show, came to a closeafter seven days of outstanding sport andentertainment.Eleven out of the twelve performances were sold outbefore the doors even opened on Tuesday 16thDecember making it the mostpopular Olympia to date.British riders delighted the90,500 spectators with two newDressage world records fromCharlotte Dujardin and homevictories in Show Jumping fromScott Brash, John Whitaker andWilliam Whitaker, culminatingin Ben Maher taking theOlympia Grand Prix and H&MLeading Rider Award on thefinal night.Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward said: “This is the firsttime that Olympia has beenclose to selling out all of thetwelve performances, and we are delighted that thecombination of world-class sport and familyentertainment continues to attract generations offamilies to visit the show. We are enormously gratefulfor the support given to us by the equestriancommunity and have already started planning for 2015when we will be pulling out the stops to continue toimprove this very special Show.”Although Olympia regulars such as John and MichaelWhitaker, Edward Gal and Boyd Exell were competingonce again, there was certainly a feel at Show that anew generation of exciting horsemen and horsewomenhave now arrived on the scene. Teenagers, BertramAllen (IRE), Constant Van Paesschen (BEL) and JosVerlooy (NED) were stand out riders during the weekand 20-year-old Reed Kessler from the US also madean impression on her Olympia debut when winning theH&M Mistletoe Stakes.After an outstanding year, it was Britain’s Spencer Roewho took the Raymond Brooks-Ward MemorialTrophy which is given to promising young equestrians,presented to him by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.Relatively new to five-star show jumping, the 21-year-

old was selected for the British World EquestrianGames squad in August.The world class entertainment came from theUkrainian Cossack riders and the MetropolitanMounted Police – both acts were returning to thefamous West London venue for the first time since

2009.The show opened in sensational stylewith Charlotte Dujardin and Valegrosetting new world records in both theReem Acra FEI World Cup™Dressage Grand Prix and the ReemAcra FEI World Cup™ DressageFreestyle supported by Horse &Hound.Charlotte came straight to Olympiafrom BBC Sports Personality of theYear in Glasgow, and was competingwith a bad cold. However, the 29-year-old rode beyond all expectationsin front of a packed house to produce

two of the finest dressage performancesever ridden. Dujardin’s record scores of

87.46% in the Grand Prix and 94.3% in the Freestylewere both ahead of Dutch rider, Edward Gal who wasa record breaker himself at Olympia in 2008.Stephen Clarke, President of the Ground Jury saidafterwards: “Charlotte’s test was just out of this world.I am not sure whatit is about thisshow that producessuch dressage – thehorses wereincredible here.”

Young Irishman,David Simpsontook the AlltechC h r i s t m a sPuissance onThursday eveningwith 13-year-oldgrey gelding, RichiRich – who wonthe samecompetition at

Cossack Riding. Kit Houghton/HPower

Met Police. Kit Houghton/HPower

LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOWOLYMPIA 2014

Olympia back in 2011 with Britain’s Guy Williams.

The nail biting contest – an annual favourite with theOlympia crowd - saw one of the best quality line-upsfor years and went all the way to five rounds.Belgium’s Karline De Brabander - the only femalerider in the start list - matched Simpson all the way to7ft 3 in (2.20m), the highest it has reached since 2006.

“It gives you tingles when you land,” said the 26-year-old, who received his trophy from HRH The Duchessof Cornwall. “You don’t get a better wall jumper thanmy horse and, for atmosphere and intensity, this winis right up there as one of my best moments in showjumping. I really wanted my first proper win to be hereat Olympia.”The FEI World Cup™ Driving Leg presented byDodson & Horrell on Saturday evening producedbreath-holding excitement in a thrilling final whichsaw the world’s two top drivers World Champion BoydExell and Ijsbrand Chardon, member of the DutchGold Medal winning team, battle it out for first place.

Australian, Exell betteredChardon’s time but slippedbehind him on the leader board when picking up fivepenalties. With less than a second in hand, Chardonthundered round the course in the run-off, still goingclear. However, Exell then produced a drive that wasnothing short of a masterclass, shaving an impossiblefive seconds off his time in the previous round andstealing the victory from Chardon.German Olympian Marco Kutscher riding Cornet’sCristallo produced a typically virtuoso display ofsmooth horsemanship to triumph in a thrillingLongines FEI World Cup™ qualifier presented byH&M on Sunday.

Thirteen of the 38 combinations in the class wentthrough to the jump-off, with the last four riders –Kutscher, Belgium’s Constant Van Paesschen, Irishteenager Bertram Allen and Britain’s John Whitaker –all going clear. However, Van Paesschen had 12 faultsand Bertam Allen, who is 40 years John Whitaker’sjunior, just missed at the penultimate fence with thelovely grey mare, Molly Malone V.

Kit Houghton/HPowerr

LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOWOLYMPIA 2014

In the end, 2003 EuropeanChampion Kutscher snatchedvictory by just 0.78 seconds fromhis fellow countryman DanielDeusser on Carriere. Swedishrider, Malin Baryard finishedthird on H&M Tornesch andBritains’s Robert Whitaker, whowas drawn first in the jump-off,finished fourth with a masterfulperformance on Catwalk IV.For the second year running,Britain’s Ben Maher saved thebest until last to win the OlympiaGrand Prix on the final night infront of a delighted home crowd.

The 31-year-old had been placed in eight classesduring the week, but was yet to take a victory, until thefinal class of the week-long event. Riding fierychestnut mare, Diva II, the pair were one of only fivewho made it through to the jump-off. Only three ridersmanaged to go clear in the final round - the othersbeing popular Dutchman, Maikel Van der Vleutenriding VDL Groep Arera C and Frenchman KevinStaut riding Ayade de Septon et HDC. However, Benrode fearlessly but with complete accuracy andmanaged to take the victory by just 0.49 seconds fromVan der Vleuten. Staut, who was just 0.79 secondsbehind the winner had to settle for third place.

The former World No. 1, whowas also crowned H&M Leading Rider of Show, said:“It’s been a tough year but I’ve kept working hard. It’sall been down to my team who have been runningeverything behind the scenes. My aim next year is theEuropean Championships where I’m confident thatBritain will qualify for the Rio Olympics. We’vealways had good riders and we will get there.”The Kennel Club Medium Dog Agility Stakes kickedoff the dog action on Thursday afternoon and it wasreigning champions Natasha Wise and Dizzy who tookfirst place for a record fifth time.

The Kennel Club Small DogAgility Stakes Final on Fridaynight was won by Rose Cavill andcocker spaniel, Spice. Cavill andSpice took an early lead and thefinal runner was last year’s winnerClaire Burrell and Teasel.However, the pair went off-courseand picked up an eliminationleaving Rosie Cavill to claim thetitle.

Alan Bray was undoubtedly thestar of the dog agility at this year’sOlympia taking first and thirdplace in the Kennel Club LargeDog Agility Stakes Final onSaturday in front of a full house.

Kit Houghton/HPower

Kit Houghton/HPower

LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOWOLYMPIA 2014

His winning dog was collie, Indie with whom hewas also successful in this contest last year. Histhird placed dog was Indie’s mum.

The Kennel Novice Dog Agility Stakes Final onSunday went to Bruce Lyons and his dog, Wiz. Theloveable collie had had the crowd roaring with laughterwith her bottom-shuffling antics on the start line, butthis did not slow her for a minute as she raced hometo take first place.

Finally, the Kennel Club ABC Agility Stakes onMonday went to Becky Salisbury and her beardedcollie, Gadget, who stole theaudience’s heart with hisdisplay of control andathleticism.Saffron Walden & DistrictRiding Club were victoriousonce again in the South EssexInsurance Brokers and BritishRiding Clubs Quadrille of theYear. Team members Claire andSuzanne Englemann, Jane Hoodand Sophie Haylock impressedjudge Natasha Baker with theircomplicated routine to thecheerful strains of ‘Whistlewhile you work’ dressed as theSeven-Dwarves.

Felicity Vaughan from MeltonMowbray took the SeniorShowing and Dressage RiddenSupreme Title with her 20-year-old horse, What a Spark. Whilst,striking Highland stallion, CarrickHeston stole the In Hand SupremeTitle with handler Sarah Richardsfrom Southport.

Sam Roberts from Hampshiretook the honours in the Blue ChipNative BSPS Heritage SupremeChampionships with chestnutWelsh section C stallion,Moelview Prince Consort.

The final word has to go toShetland Pony, Mighty Mark, whoat the grand old age of 21 took part

in his last ever Shetland Pony Grand National atOlympia on Monday night.

The 41 inch steed has raced at Olympia Horse Showno less than 17 times and has contributed to raisingthousands of pounds to Great Ormond StreetChildren’s Hospital. A well-deserved retirement withhis owners in Yorkshire now beckons for the little darkbay gelding, who has given so much joy to many youngpeople.

Kit Houghton/HPower

Kit Houghton/HPower

REEM ACRA FEI WORLD CUPDRESSAGE - 5TH LEG - LONDON

Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro produced a performance close to perfection when winning theReem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Western European League qualifier at Olympia in London(GBR) with yet another world-record-breaking score.

They set the previous record at thesame venue 12 months ago whenposting a mark of 93.975, but thisevening earned 94.300 for an evenmore spell-binding display ofharmony between horse and rider.And this latest triumph came just 24hours after the dynamic duo beattheir own world record in the GrandPrix in which The Netherlands‘Edward Gal and Glock’s Undercoveralso had to settle for runner-up spot.Dujardin admitted tonight thatValegro’s performance this eveningalmost brought her to tears. “Whenwe were doing the last piaffe/passageI was welling up and I had to say tomyself don’t cry, don’t cry!” shesaid. “He tries so hard to get it right,it’s an incredible feeling when you

go in there in front of all thosethousands of people and he justwants to perform and to give you hisbest”, she added.There was a starting field of 14, andThe Netherlands‘ Katja Gevers andThriller took the early lead with ascore of 72.276 before Irish nationalchampion, Judy Reynolds, made alittle history as the first rider fromher country to qualify for theFreestyle at the prestigious Britishfixture, posting a creditable 70.000.Talented young German, SoenkeRothenberger, was out in front at thehalfway stage with Favourit on amark of 77.825, but that would onlyprove good enough for sixth place atthe end of a magical night.

1, Valegro (Charlotte Dujardin) GBr94.300; 2, Glock's Undercover(Edward Gal) NED 83.550; 3, UneeBB (Jessica von Bredow-Werndl)GER 80.725; 4, Siro NOP (DanielleHeijkoop) NED 80.325; 5, Nip Tuck(Carl Hester) GBR 79.925; 6,Vavourit (Soenke Rothenberger)GER 77.825; 7, Jojo AZ (AgneteKirk Thinggaard) DEN 77.275; 8,Santana (Minna Telde) SWE 75.650;9, Painted Black (Morgan BarbanconMestre) ESP 74.725; 10, Thriller(Katja Gevers) NED 72.275; 11,Axis TSF (Terhi Stegars) FIN71.650; 12, Silvano (DorotheeSchneider) GER 71.125; 13,Vancouver K (Judy Reynolds) iRL70.000; 14, Michigan (UlrikMoelgaard) DEN 65.300.

www.inthestirrups.com

(FEI/Kit Houghton)

CONFIDENT HORSEMANSHIPWITH ANNE GAGE

The language you use in your thoughts (self talk) andwhen you speak to others holds the power for buildingyour confidence or undermining it.  Have you noticedthat the little voice (ok maybe it’s a loud voice for someof you) in your head rarely stops?   Did you know thatthat your inner voice is affected by the language youuse when you are talking out loud?  Did you also knowthat you can influence your inner voice and get it to bemore supportive of you?It’s true … your outside voice really does affect yourinner voice.   Your language shapes how youexperience any given moment.   Minding yourlanguage by being aware how often you use dis-empowering phrases will help your mind use languagethat builds your confidence.Here are some examples of dis-empowering phrasesthat you may not be aware you are using.  Some ofthem are very subtle.   Even little things have apowerful impact on your confidence.

1. “I don’t know what to do!”2.  “I’m stuck.”3. “This won’t work.”4. “This is too much for me.”5. “I’ll never get this.”

Your sub-conscious mind believes everything you say– out loud or in your head. Everything you say –whether it is true or not.   So, when you say either to

yourself or to someone else, “I don’t know what to do”your sub-conscious mind  believes it and operatesbased on thatbelief.You will bestuck.It won’t work. It will be toomuch for you.And, you’ll neverget it.By changing yourlanguage to ap o s i t i v estatement such as“I can figure this out” you give your sub-consciousmind something to focus on that it can solve.  Yoursub-conscious mind loves to solve problems.  It willgo to work helping you figure it out so you will knowwhat to do.You will move forward.It will work.You will be able to handle it.And you will get it.Language isn’t just thoughts and speech.  Emotionsare part of our language.  How do you feel when yousay “I don’t know what to do”?  Confused? Helpless?

Incompetent? Lost? Alone? Angry? Frustrated? That’s a lot of negative emotion.How do you feel when you say  “I will figure out thisout”?  Hopeful.  Focused.  Determined.  Energized.That’s much more positive.Pay attention not only to the phrases you are using,but also the emotions you are feeling when you aretalking to yourself and toothers.  Practicechanging your languageto evoke positiveemotions.Here are 5 moreexamples of confidence-breaking phrases andtheir confidence buildingalternatives:“I’m afraid my horsewill spook”  becomes “Iadmit that I have a fearmy horse will spook.What help can I get towork through this?”“I hope I don’t fallapart in the show”  becomes “I have preparedmyself and my horse well for this show.  We will doour best.”“I can’t do what my coach wants me to do”becomes “There’s something I’m not getting yet. Ican ask for more help and I can practice more. I knowI will get it eventually.”“I’ll never get these transitionsright” becomes “We’ve only been working on thesemovements  for a short time.  It takes time to get themconsistently.”

  “I can’t afford riding lessons ortraining” becomes “This is something that’s reallyimportant to me.  I need xx amount of money.  I justneed to figure out a way to make that extra money.”Whatever you change the phrase to must ring true foryou.  Don’t just re-phrase a negative into a positiveby saying the exact opposite and then pretend

everything is rosy.   Ifyou are afraid ofsomething it’s ok toadmit you are afraid. Empower yourself bysaying something like“I am afraid, but I willget help”.To build yourconfidence, you mustbe honest and realistic. State the facts and theaction you can take atthe same time.   Mindhow you feel and createa positive emotion.Develop more

awareness for how you talk to yourself and how youtalk with others.   Notice how often you use dis-empowering, negative phrases.  Keep a journal (in abook or your favourite digital device).  Record yournegative talk and then re-write them into empoweringphrases that build your confidence.Mind your language and your mind will support youin building your confidence.

Anne

Based in Canada, Anne Gage created Confident Horsemanship because sheis passionate about helping horse lovers achieve confidence, enjoyment,and a willing partnership with their horses. As a Clinician, Riding Coach,Horse Trainer and Certified Professional Coach, Anne focuses on themental and physical aspects of both you and your horse so you can developtrust and respect while building confidence in each other. Anne is theauthor of the books “Confident Rider Confident Horse: Build Your Confi-dence and Improve Your Partnership with Your Horse from the Ground tothe Saddle” (paperback) and “Guide to Buying Your First Horse: 92 Tipsto Help You Find and Buy Your Dream Horse” (ebook) and a regularcontributor to Horse Canada magazine. Learn more by visitingwww.ConfidentHorsemanship.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

CONFIDENT HORSEMANSHIPWITH ANNE GAGE

LONDON MOVES WITH THE HELP OFHORSES

The rain held off for most of the day and all the horses behaved impeccably, making the ‘All The Queens Hors-es involvement in this year’s The London New Year’s Day Parade both an enjoyable and memorable experi-

ence for all involved,

Caroline Marsh, organiser and creative behindthe 'All The Queen's Horses' explained:

"As ever, we always look forward to the paradeand always have some fabulous and outstandingcostumes celebrating the theme (This year‘London Moving’) With so much effort andtime taken in the planning, the parade is alwaysa show stopping element of the event"

Amongst the jugglers, cheerleaders, acrobats,clowns and marching bands, the paradefeatured three teams of riders and 75 horses.Invited for selection from all over the UK andtravelling from as far afield as Belgium toappear in this annual event, the riders rangedfrom just six years old through to lateseventies and were unpaid volunteers unifiedin their passion for horses and bringingequestrianism to the capital!

The equestrian element of the parade startedoff 11.45am at Piccadilly Circus and finishedat Parliament Square, stopping off at TheHorse Guards and Buckingham Palace onroute home.

This year, amongst the creatively dressedhorses and riders ranging from Beefeaters tohighway men, war horses were also celebratedand remembered: A fitting reminder to theircontribution in WWI and following on fromthe ‘Tower Of London’ poppy installation.

TICKET TO RIO

During my last column inDecember I was in Geneva(Switzerland) for the RolexGrand Slam Indoor Eventing.Where I, with the rest of theBronze Dutch eventing teamwere invited. Again thanks tothe work of the entire team, Idid great with my ride Bayro,who came 2nd in this GrandSlam! For Bayro this was hisfirst indoor eventingcompetition ever and certainlya first time in such a setting,not to mention the 9000cheering spectators! He did so

well and got super results, asif he had done this many timesbefore. I was not just pleasedwith Bayro and hisperformance but also thewhole team. This will beremembered as a successfulteam outing for the Dutch!

At home there was theNational Sports Gala 2014 onthe agenda, which is a bigevent in the Netherlands.Following our performance atthe World Cup in Caen, the

entire Dutch equestrian teamswere invited and many werenominated for the fivecategories, including forSportsman of the Year, Coachand Team of the Year, ParaDressage and finest sportingmoment of the year. The othernominees included the skaterswho competed in Sochi 2014and the World Cup Dutchfootball team led by Louis vGaal. Unfortunately the nightbrought no concrete victoriesfor the equestrians, but wewere there for the first time in

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/TICKETTORIO.TIMLIPS

the history of the entire Dutch equestrian andwe have never been nominated in so manycategories! I am proud of the fact that we aredoing well and being positively noticed by theDutch people and the media based on ourperformance. The Dutch equestrian communityis being put on the map! This appetite for moreis certainly an encouragement to take anotherchampionship together! At Christmas wecelebrated with our staff and the JiangSu team,other than that we did the stables and horses asusual – once that was done then we could enjoythe quality time with our family and friends.Now during the January column I am in China,to train the JiangSu team. What a contrast with

the Netherlands, nothing seems too crazyhere?! It is unbelievable. To give an example:the stable block consists of 4 floors and horsesusing a horse lift?! (See my Facebook pageTicket To Rio, for movies, etc.) What are myplans for the rest of the month: After the lastopen training clinic of indoor cross country atmy home Vloeiweide stud was such a successwe have another event in the last weekend ofJanuary and also the first week of February sowe will be busy – as always!

Until then - best wishes!Tim

TICKET TO RIO

NEW FEI PRESIDENT ELECTED

Ingmar De Vos of Belgium has been elected as President of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)by an overwhelming majority in the first round of voting, earning 98 votes out of a possible 131. De Vos,51, Secretary General of the FEI since May 2011, was elected to take charge of the world governing bodyof equestrian sport during a session of the FEI General Assembly in Baku (AZE).

The result was announced by HRH Princess Haya, theoutgoing President, with the simple words, “I ampleased to announce we have a new FEI President,Ingmar De Vos”. Her words were met with prolongedapplause from close to 350 delegates representing 91National Federations, stakeholders, sponsors andinternational media. “I’m reallyvery honoured andoverwhelmed by this enormoussupport,” a clearly emotional DeVos said, “and I would like tothank you from the bottom ofmy heart for your confidence.Baku will be in my memoryforever. Shortly after hiselection, De Vos received aletter of congratulations fromIOC President Thomas Bach.“Please accept mycongratulations on your electionas President of the InternationalEquestrian Federation. The IOCenjoys a long-standingrelationship with FEI, its electedmembers and administration.We are sure that FEI willcontinue its growth under yourleadership. Your previousexperience in different positions

of the Equestrian sports will be invaluable for you inthis new office. On behalf of the IOC and the entireOlympic Movement, I wish you every success in thenew role you are undertaking.”

De Vos took over the reins as FEI President at theconclusion of at FEI GeneralAssembly for a four-year term,and is eligible for re-election forup to three consecutive terms.He resigned as SecretaryGeneral as soon as he took overthe Presidency that afternoonand will appoint an interimSecretary General to take overthe role until a permanentreplacement is found.

The other candidates standingfor election were Pierre Durand(FRA), Pierre Genecand (SUI),John McEwen (GBR), and UlfHelgstrand (DEN). Helgstrandwithdrew his candidacy beforethe vote, and a sixth candidate,Javier Revuelta del Peral (ESP)withdrew from the electionprocess in November.

Ingmar De Vos (51) holds degrees in political science, business administration and internationaland European law, and started his career as an advisor to the Belgian Senate. He joined the BelgianEquestrian Federation as managing director in 1990, and held the additional role of SecretaryGeneral from 1997 to 2011. During his time at the Belgian National Federation, De Vos was chefde mission for the Belgian Equestrian Team at all FEI World Equestrian Games™ from 1990 to2010 and at several Olympic Games. He was also Secretary General of the European EquestrianFederation from 2010, the year the organisation was formed, until 2011, when he joined the FEI.

DAISY JACKSON

This has been another fantastic, educational and simply wonderful year! From new horses and sponsors tocreating and preparing the release of my very own website which has just been launched I am beyond excitingfor 2015!

I have had a superb month as far as training Tango andBlackberry has gone. Tango is continuing to improveand process beyond words with these last couple ofmonths being an absolute pleasure. I cannot even beginto express how proud I am of him and cannot wait forhis next outings. Every lesson I have his talent isbecoming more and more apparent and I am nowincreasing excited about what the future has in store forus for the coming years.Part of this major step forward has to be credited to mytwo new sponsors working as part of my team to get thebest results, Caroline Bennetts Equine Massage

Therapist and Equine Physiotherapist Kate Boe. Boththerapists use different techniques which complementeach other which has produced great results and workedwonders for Tango. I have felt him become moresubmissive and easier to ride as he is more comfortablein his body. He is enjoying his work as he finds it mucheasier than ever before. So I owe a huge thank you toCaroline and Kate for their support and wonderful work,a big thank you from Tango as well. Do visit their webpages below for more details on the treatments anddifferent techniques that they offer as I highlyrecommend them.

Check out Daisys new website:

www.djdressage.co.uk

DAISY JACKSON

Blackberry is an absolute pleasure and the more I getto know her more excited I am about her. I am stillworking on her fitness and will start having lessonswith her shortly so will report lots more on her in duecourse.After delivering the exciting news last month of newsupermodel, princess Blackberry aka Pigley akaPremier Into The Black, I now have even more andequally amazing news. Of course the only thing thatcould possibly be more exciting than a new horse isTWO new horses! I am so ecstatic tointroduce…Larkshill Divinity. Divinity is by DonFrederico out of St Pr St Ronja by Rotspon /Weltmeyer. He is one of 6 full siblings including hisfull brother Darnell who licensed with the OldenburgVerband and won a Bundeschampionate qualifierwith 8.3 before being sold by his owner PaulSchockemöhle through his PSI auction for 190.000Euros! Divinity, now rising two was the FoalChampion of the Hanoverian regional show andproclaimed a stallion prospect and the best bit...nowhe has come to live with ME!I have had a long relationship with Heather Stack theowner of Larkshill who also bred Tango and Tänzer.She has always been so kind to me and has nowextended her support by becoming an owner andgiving me a 50% share in Divinity as she believesthat I am going to make it as a top international rider!With supporters like that I truly feel blessed andhonoured and will be working as hard as I can tomake all my team, supporters, sponsors and followersproud.

I cannot thank all my sponsors and supporters enoughfor their belief in me and my ambitions andcontinuing to support me. I will be working as hardas I can and do my best to make you all proud. 2015is OUR year!!

With Massive Thanks to:

Heather Stack and Larkshill Stud:www.larkshillstud.comTopSpec Feeds: www.topspec.comWolds Exclusive Bling:www.facebook.com/WoldsExclusiveBlingBespoke Bandages: www.bespokebandages.comCaroline Bennetts Equine Massage:www.carolinebennetts.com/Equine-Massage.phpJessica Grove Personal Training: https:www.facebook.com/jgonlineptKate Boe Equine: www.kateboeanimalphysio.co.ukTeam Premier EquestrianThe Balance Rider: http://thebalancedrider.co.uk/

All sponsors also have a page on my website:www.djdressage.co.uk

www.djdressage.co.uk

This is the Timothy Foxx Poncho in FoxgloveBlue tweed. Bringing together high fashion andthe Highlands of Scotland with its vintage floralprinted lining and stunning Scottish tweed, thiseasy to wear garment drapes over theshoulders to instantly and effortlessly updateyour look for spring. Available in four differenttweeds. RRP: £140.00 One Size Only

www.timothyfoxx.co.uk

FASHION

FASHION

Kate Negus Saddlery’s Limited Edition SR

Diamante range, designed with sponsored rider

Sam Rahmatalla, is now available, due to customer

demand. The SR Diamante range is available

online. Some styles are available in narrow width,

some in wide. Prices start from £80. To find out

more, see www.katenegus.com, call 0780 115 0571

or email contact@katenegus.com.

Hot Togs have added Lilac as a colour option to their

Thermolite and Knee Length sock ranges. The lilac option

has already been flying off the shelves, add a dashof colour

to your wardrobe this spring! Thermolite Socks are available

in sizes 4-8 and 8-12 and have a RRP of £9.50. Knee Length

Socks are available in the same size range and have a RRP

of £11.99.

To find out more, see www.hottogs.co.uk or call 01782

372662.

www.inthestirrups.com

The Limited edition SR range from Kate Nugus

TOASTY TOES WITH HOT TOGS

FASHIONThe Winner’s Circle Brush Collection uses all natural fibresand features an ergonomically designed handle, which isshaped so they fit easily and comfortably into your hand,allowing you a better grip when you are grooming.

Featuring six different styles, they also even offer two typesof Dandy Brush, one with natural ‘Union’ fibres, which isperfect for longer winter coats and the other featuring‘English’ fibres, which offers a slightly softer approach totackling mud on clipped coats.

So, from start to finish, Winner’s Circle Brushes offer theperfect brush stroke for tackling the worst that the field andstable can throw at your horse all year round!RRP: £12.00 For further information:

www.shadowhorse.co.uk

FASHION

Styled in a quality Cotton Drill cotton, the

‘Freddie Parker Sweet Heart Cushion’ is

printed with the equestrian inspired

fashion brands own unique valentine’s

design in Marl Grey and White with their

signature bold graphic galloping horse

and rider logo, interspersed with love

hearts and the message 'You Set My

Heart Racing'. RRP: £17.00 Size: 20cm

x 33cm www.freddieparker.com

Hiho Silver’s Exclusive Pearl & Snaffle Bracelet is now

available in bespoke colours, allowing the customer to

choose the colour of the pearls and beads used, to create

an extra special piece. The bespoke Exclusive Pearl &

Snaffle Bracelet has a lead time of four to six weeks to

enable the company to get the correct colour matches.

The length of the bracelet can also be adjusted. The

bespoke option has a RRP of £80, the original Exclusive

Pearl & Snaffle Bracelet has a RRP of £65. To find out

more, see www.hihosilver.co.uk or call 01460 221006

www.inthestirrups.com

Get your heart racing with Freddie Parker

New colour options with Hi-Ho

FASHION

Golly Galoshes are waterproof andbreathable gaiters, designed to keepyour horses’ bandages and bootsclean, dry whatever the weather thiswinter.

As seen here on top eventer VictoriaBax’s steed in Victoria’s favouritecolour, Golly Galoshes are also

available in a variety of coloursincluding classic Black or smartNavy.

Prices start from £25.99 per pairMiniature Pony through to £34.99for horse sizing.

www.gollygaloshes.com

Uvex sports has taken over the reinsat the helm of the historical glovemanufacturer Schwenkel as of 1st

January 2015. Uvex has decided toembrace the history and tradition ofthe company. “We want topreserve the brand and we willcarry on with the name Schwenkelwith the existing productportfolio”, Falk Pewestorf, CEO ofthe UVEX SPORTS GROUPGmbH & Co. KG explains. “Bytaking this step we can celebrate the100th anniversary of the brand

Schwenkel together this year.” Formany years Schwenkel hasprovided the perfect sport glove forthe professional sports person andthe ambitious amateur alike. Theuse of premium materials andinnovations combined with truecraftsmanship and rider input,enables the products to continuallyevolve alongside the ever changingneeds of riders, keeping abreast oftechnical developments. For moreinformation visitwww.zebraproducts.co.uk

www.inthestirrups.com

Uvex takes over Schwenkel Gloves

Look Hot-to-Trot with Golly Galoshes

EQUTECH CONTOUR KNIT HEADBANDTRIED AND TESTED

This month In the Stirrups trusted reviewer Tyne tried the Equtech Contour KnitHeadband. In the cold winter months it can prove distracting and down rightannoying having ice cold ears and the Contour Knit Headband is a verycompetitively priced product deigned to combat the winter chill!

It is a knited shaped headband with fleece lining. It is ideal for all yard duties, training, walkingthe dog and any chilly shopping trips to town! It features a silver metal Equtech shield badgeto the side and one size fits all. It comes in three colours,ever stylish Black, subtle Grey and for those of you wholike a dash of colour, Raspberry.

It is a great price at just £5.50 and can be purchased athttp://www.equetech.com/equetech-accessories/riding-headwear/equetech-contour-knit-headband.html

www.equtech.com

Tyne is In the Stirrups trusted reviewer. As well asbeing a qualified Equine Veterinary Nurse, she is a keenhorsewoman. She owns an 18yr old Connemara Marecalled Summer who still keeps Tyne on her toes. Whennot riding or covered in hay, Tyne enjoys walking andreading - usually still covered in horse hair.

EQUETECH CONTOUR KNIT HEADBAND

TRIED AND TESTED

I love this headband!!! I've worn itreligiously since receiving it and it'swonderful!It's stylish, soft and comfortable. Mostheadbands can itch after a few hours ofwearing them which is no good if like meyou're outside most of the day.I have quite a small head and most otherbrands tend to stretch after a few usesleaving the cold wind to get into the gapsresulting in sore ears! The equetechheadband keeps it's shape perfectly evenafter washing it once a week and it stilllooks brand new.I've worn it walking the dog, mucking out,washing the car...The list goes on! It'seven smart enough for a chilly day out. Itcomes in a range of colours and at justover five pounds why not have one tomatch each and every outfit!

Sadly Tyne’s horse of 17 yearswas put to sleep a few days beforeChristmas. Summer came intoTynes life on Christmas Day asan awkward and cheekyyoungster and provided manyyears of happiness (as well asinjuries for them both!). Tyne willcontinue to review for In theStirrups.

THIS BUSINESS OF DRESSAGE – PART 2In my last article I made a number of comparisons between

business values and how they can be applied to your

dressage journey. This month I am continuing that theme

with BIG thinking. I have been relatively successful in

business and it occurred to me that a businesslike

approach to training would not only bring a fresh look at

everything but also might just be a little thought provoking.

2015 has arrived and many of us will all be looking to either

continue our good work with our horses or find some

renewed vigour in our training. So, why not think BIG?

Stretch yourself and go for it! Here are some more great

business leadership ideas that you could help you find your

personal greatness as a rider.

1. CONSIDER FEAR AS GROWTH

Fear is scary, right? When it surfaces our instinct is to run

away, avoid and consider it as a bad thing. But why not try

to think of it as an opportunity, a gift really. What if, the

things that scare you are spectacular opportunities to

discover more about who you are meant to be?

Overcoming your fears leads to confidence, self-respect,

helps promotes growth and makes you better – at

everything!

2. DREAM BIG

The very nature of dreaming big dreams and stretching

yourself beyond the norm is dangerous in the sense that

you leave the place where you feel safest; you leave your

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTER

Patricia Pitt is In the Stirrups dressage training advisor. Known as The Dressage Tipster andjoint owner of www.likecrystal.com with her partner Mark, Patricia provides direct andusable advice to improve your ridiing each month…

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTERcomfort cocoon you will, without doubt, fail more! But part

of winning is the failure you experience on the way. Your

big dream means you risk more to reach your peak in

performance. So when you fall (metaphorically), get back

up, dust yourself off - and off you go again en-route to

success.

1. YOU FIND WHAT YOU SEEK

Every second you spend thinking about what you don’t want

is a second denying focus and energy from getting what

you do want. Why worry about what’s not working when

you could be creating what will work. Stop reflecting on the

disappointments of the past and

look to the possibilities that the

future holds.

Clarity precedes mastery and

the clearer you are about what

you want, the more powerfully

you generate that in your riding.

Your thinking creates your reality;

your thoughts form your world.

Why? because you will never act

against your thinking. Every

action is the offspring of your thoughts.

2. SUCCESS VIA SIMPLICITY

I love what the co-founder of Google recently said: “Success

will come from simplicity.” It fits with the ethos of The Crystal

System. Most riders struggle with the complexity of what

they need to do; more conflicting instructions; more and

ever complicated explanations; more flowery speak. The

best riders can see through those that try to impress with

‘techie talk’, the best riders understand what it is they are

aiming for and do fewer but smarter things to get there.

They get wonderfully focused and try in every endeavour

to get to the heart of the matter, discarding any unnecessary

chaos along the way.

3. ACHIEVE LONGEVITY IN BUSINESS DRES-SAGE

· Do you have a lust for learning? The cure for aging

that actually works is called lifelong learning! To always

be learning really helps you to stay young forever, at

least in your thinking. Dressage is a lifelong lesson,

there is no final destination. The best riders have

boundless curiosity and open minds and this allows

them to work with a childlike sense of wonder. They

read and research constantly. They understand that

everyone they meet knows at least one thing that they

don’t. So they ask good questions. This passion makes

them a sponge for learning.

· Have you stopped improving? Success is seductive

but it can make you complacent

and inefficient and stale. Too

often, once a person gains a

modicum of success, the very

things that created that success

get neglected. The best riders

have a hunger to make every

day better than yesterday. They

are relentless in their pursuit of

improvement.

· Is your Health your Wealth?Most of us take our health for granted. That is until we

lose it and if we do, we spend 24/7 trying to get it back.

Getting into world-class physical condition will make

you more creative, energetic, focused, happy and a

better rider!

4. THE BIG QUESTION

It is a well known fact that adversity introduces us to

ourselves. When faced with difficulty, obstacles and

stumbling blocks we get to see what we are made of. We

get to see our strengths and our weaknesses. Hard times

always pass but they serve us so well, they deliver wisdom

and teach us understanding. As you navigate your way

through these difficulties what should you be asking

yourself? Well, here’s the BIG question …

“What is The Lesson Here?”

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTERDraw on your setbacks to make you more knowledgeable,

better, wiser.

1. THE BIG IDEA

What’s the BIG idea? … You

may not know how powerful

you are but each and every

one of us has so many more

choices than we can currently

see. We see the world not asit is but as we are. Most of us

are looking through the eyes of our fears and our limiting

beliefs and our false assumptions. As you think about your

limiting beliefs, you’ll see that they are not the truth but the

opinions you adopted and if you question your assumptions,

you’ll realise that so many of them are just not true or real!

You are the master of your thought; you will mould your

character; you are the maker and shaper of your destiny.

Just allow your mind some expansion room, the possibilities

are endless.

What a great idea!

If you like this idea, why not subscribe

at www.likecrystal.com

You will get my three, free reports,

plus many hints and tips straight to

your inbox.

· 5 Dressage Tips to Revolutionise Your Riding

· 10 Test Tips to Take Your Scores to 8 or Better

· 99 Questions to Self-Assess your Progress

Until next time, have fun.

Patricia – The Dressage Tipster

Heroes of the Equestrianworld honoured

Equestrian heroes were celebrated at the glittering FEIAwards 2014, the “Oscars of the equestrian world”,presented by Longines in Baku’s fabulous Buta Palace(left to right): HRH Princess Haya, Jeroen Dubbeldam(NED), Melissa Tan (SIN) chairman of equine therapycentre Equal Ark, Jackie Potts (GBR), LambertLeclezio (MRI) with (centre) Sydney Collier (USA)and her service dog Journey. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

Company NameAddress Line 1,Address Line 2,Address Line 3,Address Line 4

Tel: (123) 456 7890,Mobile: (123) 456 7891,

Fax: (123) 456 7892Email: name@company.com

www.company.com

STARS GLITTER AT FEI AWARDS

The five winners of the “Oscars of theequestrian world” 2014 were presented withtheir awards by outgoing FEI PresidentHRH Princess Haya on her final day as FEIPresident at a dazzling ceremony in Baku’sfabulous Buta Palace.

The winners, who have made outstanding contributionsto the growth of equestrian sport in 2014, are:Reem Acra Best AthleteAward: World Jumpingchampion Jeroen Dubbeldam(NED)Longines Rising StarAward: Vaulter LambertLeclezio (MRI)Best Groom Award: JackiePotts (GBR), groom toEventing world number oneWilliam Fox-Pitt (GBR)FEI Solidarity: Equinetherapy centre Equal Ark(SIN)Against All Odds: Para-Equestrian Dressage athleteSydney Collier (USA) withher service dog Journey.

The equestrian heroes donnedtuxedos and gowns for thegala dinner, which wasattended by almost 350 guestsfrom National Federations,partners, VIPs and international media.Azerbaijani TV presenter Leyla Aliyevaand retiring FEI Endurance Director Ian Williams wereMasters of Ceremony for the evening.Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II also became the firstrecipient of the FEI Lifetime Achievement awardlast month as part of this prestigious FEI Awardsscheme in recognition of her leading role as supporterof equestrian sport throughout her reign as Britishmonarch. She was presented with the award atBuckingham Palace by HRH Princess Haya.HRH Princess Haya was herself celebrated in a specialpresentation tonight in acknowledgement of heroutstanding commitment to equestrian sport and to theFEI, during her eight year term in office as FEIPresident.

“It is a great honour for me to be here tonight on myfirst official duty as FEI President,” newly elected FEIPresident Ingmar De Vos said. “There have been anumber of awards tonight, but there is someone here,a very special person, who deserves to be recognisedand celebrated. Your Royal Highness, it is now myturn to surprise you with your very own special award.I hope you will wear it with pride and think of yourFEI Family” as he presented her with a beautifuldiamond brooch.

“You have had a lasting effect onevery single person in this room,on the organisation, on the FEIFamily and on the sport globally.You have led us to new frontiers.You had a vision and you took uson an incredible journey. Thankyou once again for everything!”HRH Princess Haya was joined onstage by her brother HRH PrinceAli Bin Al Hussein, FIFA VicePresident: “There is one questionshe always asks when she meetssomeone that she looks up to, butit’s a question she has neveractually asked me. She asks ‘Ifthere is someone in the past youwould like to see something youhave done, and they would beproud of you, who is it?’ I wouldsay tonight that I would love ourlate father and late mother to comeback and see you right now. Theywould be so proud of you.” Brother

and sister joined hands as they watched amoving video of the key moments of Princess

Haya’s family life, her sporting career and love ofhorses, and her eight years as FEI President.

Against All Odds: Sydney Collier (USA) withJourney:

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sydney Collier wasdiagnosed with the rare Wyburn Mason syndrome atthe age of seven. The disease has meant that she hasbeen faced with significant obstacles, but these havenot prevented her from reaching her goals. The 17-year-old has undergone a series of operations,including three brain surgeries, is blind in one eye, anda stroke at the age of 11 led to paralysis on her left side.

FEI/LIZ GREGG

STARS GLITTER AT FEI AWARDS

Despite these challenges, she has pursued her dreamsrelentlessly, and after competing at the Alltech FEIWorld Equestrian Games™ 2014 this summer, isdetermined to continue training and represent the USAat the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. In between trainingin New York, 10 hours away from her family andfriends, she also volunteers once a week to speak,motivate and encourage young people of her age whodo not have the same motivation and family support thatshe does. Sydney Collier was also recently announced2014 Junior Equestrian of the Year by the United StatesEquestrian Federation.Journey, the star service dog in BakuSydney’s service dog, the white standard poodleJourney, who became famous during the Alltech FEIWorld Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy forbeing the first dog to get accreditation for a WorldChampionship, created a buzz again tonight when hearrived on stage at the Buta Palace in Baku, completewith bow tie. After travelling over 9,000 kilometresfrom New York, Journey took to the stage to receivehis own FEI Award, a personalised dog bowl."Winning the FEI Against All Odds Award means somuch to me as an individual, and as an athlete,” SydneyCollier said. “Life has routinely thrown speed bumpsand curves on my plans, but my passion for horses andtheir incredible spirit has repeatedly helped me find away around obstacles that others might have seen asinsurmountable.“In winning this award I now have the incredibleopportunity to share with so many others facing similarcircumstances that their goals do not ever have to be putaside. The world out there is filled with wonderful

opportunities as long as youare willing to push yourselfto reach them. I would like to thank the FEI forcreating this award to help continue to inspire everyathlete, regardless of challenging circumstances, tostrive to be their best every day in and out of thesaddle. And to my family and my trainer Wes Dunhamwho have been beside me every step of the way. Iwouldn't be standing here today without each one ofyou supporting and cheering me on through thick andthin."It means even more to me to have my special servicedog Journey by my side to accept this award. WhenJourney was granted his credentials at the Alltech FEIWorld Equestrian Games a world of opportunity andeducation was opened. Together Journey and I arenow able to share with others the special workingrelationship and independence that service animalsgrant their handlers. The icing on the cake? Journeyloves horses as much as I do!"

Photo: FEI/Liz Gregg

The FEI Awards were launched in 2009 to put a spotlighton the men, women, young people and organisations thatare making an outstanding contribution to the progressand excellence of equestrian sport – in or out of the arena.Make your nominations now and let us roll out the redcarpet for the stars of today and tomorrow.The five FEI Awards categories are:Longines Rising Star, for a person aged 14 to 21 whodemonstrates outstanding sporting talent andcommitment.Reem Acra Best Athlete, for the athlete (equine orhuman) or combination that, over the past year, hasdemonstrated exceptional skill in the arena and taken thesport to a new level.

Best Groom, for that important person who worksbehind the scenes and ensures the horses he or she looksafter are given the best possible care.Against All Odds, for a person who has pursued his orher equestrian ambitions despite a physical handicap orextremely difficult personal circumstances.FEI Solidarity, for an FEI Solidarity or equestriandevelopment project, an individual or organisation thathas demonstrated skill, dedication and energy inexpanding the sport.The nominationsNominations in five categories are open to the equestriancommunity worldwideA jury of international experts chaired by FEI PresidentHRH Princess Haya selected the winners.

FRANCISCO VIERHELLER - POLO

USEFUL TIPS FOR BEGINNERS -INTRODUCTION

It is the intention of this article to become auseful tool for those who intend to get in-volved with the sport of polo or progress intheir techniques. Just as in Golf, Polo is a sportof layers, so in order to build up or improveyour skills, it is important to have a fresh startby understanding the real challenge.The main objective is to modify your muscularmemory in order to provoke a more efficientriding posture, which will be your startingpoint, and become the platform for furtherimprovement in the different aspects to betaken into account.Allow me to start by saying that the big differ-ences between a low goal polo player and highgoal one are nothing but the summation oflittle details in the body movements from headto toes while performing a swing.I will be describing you a multitude of thesedetails in the coming articles in order for youto comprehend the concepts and start addingthem to your knowledge backpack.Before we start going through all of those littledetails that make that big difference it is cru-cial to clarify that this is primarily a mentalprocess that you will challenge you from thevery beginning.I highly recommend to my pupils that theybuild up a mental routine before mounting;this should not take longer than one minutemaximum, and will help enormously to doublecheck your stance integrally.

So remember when you are withyour boots and helmet on,approaching your mount, to keepan eye turned inward on that

correct mental picture of yourselfand you will have reached thenext plateau!

Francisco

Heroes reflect with Mirrors forTraining

Mirrors for Training has recently donated fourof its mirrors to Help for Heroes, the charitythat supports veterans and serving personnelwho have been wounded, injured or becomeill while serving their country.

The company, best known in the equestrian

industry for its non-warp arena mirrors, also

produces gym and fitness mirrors. Four portable

mirrors on wheels have been donated to Phoenix

House at Catterick in North Yorkshire -one of

Help for Heroes’ four Recovery Centres, and the

only one in the North. “Help for Heroes

approached me asking if they could purchase

four gym mirrors,” says Andrea Miles, Managing

Director for Mirrors for Training. “My immediate

thought was that I could give them the mirrors,

so that’s what I did. The mirrors supplied are fully

portable, so can be moved around to different

rooms or next to different pieces of equipment as

needed. Help for Heroes is an amazing charity

who do extraordinary work with injured

servicemen and women. It’s nice to feel that I’ve

been able to help in a small way, and that the

charity can put the money that they would have

used for gym mirrors towards other equipment.”

The mirrors will be used in the Recovery Centre’s

gym to facilitate the rehabilitation and recovery of

wounded, injured and sick servicemen, women

and veterans.

To find out more about Mirrors for Training, seewww.mirrorsfortraining.co.uk or call 01902791207. To find out more about Help for Heroes,see www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Junior Academy Lead Coach,Nadine Warwick, put Charleyforward for the award“Charley has shown greatimprovement this year andshe is now achievingconsistent double clears andtop placings. This year sawCharley head to the WelshHome Pony at Wales & Westfor the first time and she hasalso been selected to jump atOlympia in the Mini Majorwith her pony Bee Bop ALula. She has also contestedher first 1.10m class.”Charley has been a memberof British Showjumping sinceJuly 2011 and since joiningher local Junior Academy, she

has been working her waythrough the NAF Pony 5*Performance AwardsProgramme and has gainedher 1*, 2* and 3*. She iscurrently working towards her4* and she was pleased tolearn that she had won thismonth’s NAF Shining Star“I’m really excited to havewon as I really enjoy beinginvolved with the JuniorAcademy. The coachesNadine Warwick, EileenCraig and Sarah Hamiltonhave provided me with lots ofgreat training opportunitiesand the ponies are goingbrilliantly as a result of this.’

LOSS OF EVENTING LEGEND

Richard Meade (GBR) OBE, triple Olympic goldEventing champion, former member of the FEIBureau, FEI Eventing Committee and Chairman ofGroup II (Northern Europe), has passed away aftera battle with cancer. He was 76 years old.

Twelve year-old Charley Hamilton from Milltimber, Aber-deen has been awarded November 2014’s NAF Shining Staras a result of the dedication and performances that she hasshown during her time as a member of the British Show-jumping Aberdeen Junior Academy.

He became the first British athlete to win individualEventing gold at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, aftermaking his Olympic début in Tokyo eight years earlier.In Munich, he also helped Great Britain to secure theirsecond consecutive Olympic team gold medal followingthe Mexico 1968 Olympic Games where, in a tropicaldownpour in the Jumping phase, he clinched the teamtitle and secured fourth individually with a clear roundon Cornishman V, a horse he had never sat on before.“Richard Meade was a brilliant, courageous horsemanwith a strong sense of team responsibility, who becamea household name in Great Britain,” said Hugh Thomas,Chairman of the Board of British Eventing and Director

(Bob Thomas/Getty Images)

US REINING

SHANE BROWN

Competition. It drives a large part of my training. Not only do Icompete at a Regional and National level, but I coach my clients aswell. With our barn alone, there are many different personalitiesand riding levels. Some are just starting out, some are youth andsome have been riding for decades. Each person has a differentpersonality, a varied experience level and even very different goals.There are also big variables between coaching my students andcoaching myself and my training staff. Competition is a complicatedendeavor. As I thought about this subject and how I would simplifymy thoughts, my wife came up with an acronym to help her makesense of all the little things one must remember when we enter intothe show ring: P A V E. She had looked at me and smiled, “Pavethe way to the show pen.” While it is true that competition has manydifferent facets and so many variables, I agreed that this is a goodplace to start.

P: Practice: No great team exists that hasn’t put in the hours ofpractice. Take lessons, ride patterns, attend smaller shows, gainconfidence in what you know, but whatever you choose, practice.Be open to many types of learning, whether you watch videos, readbooks, have a personal trainer and take lessons, you must take timeto learn. Of course, practical application is absolutely necessary soRIDE! Get fully comfortable in the saddle. Know your horse, know

your equipment and know your own skills. The more you ride, the more your muscles begin to do thingsautomatically. The more automatic your responses, the better you become.

A: Acknowledge/Accept: You are not alone in that competition. You have a partner: your horse. Accept thatjust as you may wake up on the wrong side of the bed, with a bad attitude, your horse may have a wrong sideof the stall day. Horses can feel irritable, sore, hungry, scared and all of that can affect how they perform. Thebad news is, they can’t tell you they don’t feel up to snuff. The good news is, you will likely know if you havepracticed as we discussed in the first item. Accept that not all horses are great competitors. Some of them feelour nerves and spend the entire time wondering what they need to be on alert for. Some of them are old hatsat it and can help us gain confidence. No matter which horse you are paired with, accept that not all of thecompetition is up to you.

www.shanebrown.net

SHANE BROWN - REINING

V: Visualize: Everyone needs a moment to take a deepbreath, remind yourself that this is just anothercompetition and no matter who is riding alongside you,you have prepared and are there to have fun. In our sportof Reining, we go over the pattern for our class, wevisualize the maneuvers and try to gauge how our horsesare going to react to those cues. We try to imagine thatthings go as expected, that we complete each step to thebest of our ability and receive a score. Other times, wemay have a partner that has a hard time with certainaspects of the competition.Changing leads may bedifficult, or arena banners tend to frighten them; in thoseinstances, we visualize what we will do, how we willreact, if our equine athlete has a hiccup. The more wepractice, accept and visualize what to do, the better ourresponses will be.

E: Execute: Now it’s time to do our thing! Preparationis key, but in the end, we have to show up and executeour pattern. All competitive settings require that weremember what we’ve learned, and apply it to the bestof our abilities. Breathe, stay calm, and assure yourselfthat no matter what level of competition you are at, youhave practiced, you understand your partner and youare ready to show the judges what you know.

In closing, I would like to say that I feel very stronglythat anyone desiring to ride and compete horsebackneeds a coach. For whatever reason, horsemen oftenthink this aspect of competition isn’t necessary. I begto differ. In every other sport, professional or amateur,athletes have someone to coach them, to remind themwhat they know, to hone the skills you have learnedand practiced. Whether they are a novice competitoror a professional, all athletes have coaches. Horsemenshould be no exception. The best non-pro competitorshave a coach and even professionals in the reiningindustry have coaches: someone we trust to encourageus, tell us when to step up, do more, do less, etc.Having a coach doesn’t make you weak, it doesn’tpoint out your novice tendencies, it strengthens youlike the third strand in an unbreakable cord. It is asupport that gets lost if we let our ego take control.After all, isn’t it easier to PAVE your way with a littlehelp and encouragement? Of course it is!

Good luck to you all in this New Year

Shane

Wojtek Markowski (POL), FEI 5-star Dressage Judgeand Technical Delegate (TD) at the London 2012Olympic Games, passed away on 5 January after a battlewith cancer. He was 67 years old.He judged at his first Olympic Games in Athens (GRE)in 2004, and he viewed his TD role at London 2012 asa major career highlight. He had also been appointed asTD for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.Markowski obtained his first riding instructor diplomafrom Poznan Academy of Physical Education in 1975and became active as an international judge in 1982. By1989, he had become a 5-star judge, and during his longassociation with the FEI he acted as Foreign Judge,Technical Delegate and Ground Jury President andmember at numerous high profile FEI events, includingthe FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2006 and 2010,FEI European Dressage Championships and FEI WorldCup™ Finals.

“No words are adequate to express the sadness wefeel,” Secretary General of the Polish EquestrianFederation  Łukasz  Jankowski  said.  “WojtekMarkowski was a great person and internationalfive-star Dressage judge, a great supporter of dressagein Poland and around the world, and a great EEFBoard member.”

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Dressage community mourns Markowski

LONGINES FEI WORLD CUP JUMPING- 7TH LEG - OLYMPIA

German riders dominated the prizewinner’s line-up at the seventh leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping2014/2015 Western European League at Olympia in London, where Marco Kutscher steered Cornet’s Cristallo tovictory ahead of defending series champion Daniel Deusser riding Carriere.

Britain’s Robert Whitaker made the first-round course designed by Ireland’s AlanWade look deceptively uncomplicated whenfoot-perfect as first rider into the ring.However it quickly became clear that thetrack was best suited to horses requiringminimal adjustment to their stride pattern,while the time-allowed of 72-seconds tookits toll. And for three of today’s starters -Britain’s Ben Maher and Michael Whitakerand Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander - itwas utterly frustrating to miss out on thedeciding round when collecting just a singletime fault each.Wade tested control of pace all the way, andthe tall vertical at four was influential as wasthe following triple combination of a doubleof oxers followed by a vertical. The next lineof three fences also proved testing, thevertical at six requiring caution beforekicking on to the wide oxer at seven and thena tricky three-stride distance to a water-tray

vertical at eight which came up very quicklyfor onward-bound horses. Wade also setthem a challenge on the last line of fences,with the oxer at 11 followed by a double ofverticals before the run down to the finaloxer. The was a huge moan from the crowdwhen long-time World No. 1, Britain’s ScottBrash, made it all the way here only to leaveit on the ground with Hello Sunshine.

1, Cornet's Cristallo (MarcoKutscher) GER 0/0 37.66;2, Carriere (Daniel Deusser) GER0/0 38.44;3, H&M Tornesch (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) SWE 0/0 39.70;4, Catwalk IV (Robert Whitaker)GBR 0/0 40.49;5, Edesa S Banjan (Geir Gulliksen)NOR 0/0 41.42;

6, Connery (Luca Moneta) ITA 0/042.10;7, Molly Malone (Bertram Allen)IRL 0/4 36.81;8, Colorit (David Will) GER 0/437.27;9, Singular LS la Silla (MarcusEhning) GER 0/4 38.08;10, Argento (John Whitaker) GBR0/4 38.35;11, Domino (Jos Verlooy) BEL 0/438.85;12, VDL Groep Sapphire (Maikelvan der Vleuten) NED 0/4 39.38;13, Citizenguard Toscan de Sainte(Constant van Paesschen) BEL 0/1237.14.

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FEI/Jon Stroud Media

LONGINES FEI WORLD CUP JUMPING- 8TH LEG - MECHELEN

Simon Delestre produced a devastating turn of speed from the stallion Qlassic Bois Margot toclinch victory at the eighth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014 Western EuropeanLeague at Mechelen, Belgium.

Last to go in an intriguing nine-horse jump-off, the 33-year-oldFrenchman shattered the earlytarget set by Britain’s Joe Clee toscoop maximum points and sethimself firmly on the path to theseries Final in Las Vegas, USAnext April.The first-round course set byBelgian course designer, LucienSomers, presented a tough test forthe 39 starters, with the double atfence seven and the triplecombination at fence 12 provingparticularly influential. “The triplewas very difficult - the double ofoxers with one stride followed by a

vertical at the end of the coursemeant you needed a fit horse with alot of scope today” Delestrecommented afterwards.America’s Lucy Davis and Barronlost their chance at the very firstfence, but Sweden’s DouglasLindelow left all the timber intactwhen steering Casello home in35.07, and he wouldn’t regret beinga little cautious when thiseventually proved good enough forthird place.

Result:1, Qlassic Bois Margot (SimonDelestre) FRA 0/0 32.42;

2, Utamaro d'Ecaussines (Joe Clee)GBR 0/0 34.93;3, Casello (Douglas Lindelow)SWE 0/0 35.07;4, Cornado ll (Christian Ahlmann)GER 0/0 39.53;5, Barron (Lucy Davis) USA 0/432.88;6, Qurack de Falaise HDC (KevinStaut) FRA 0/4 33.91;7, Domino (Jos Verlooy) BEL 0/434.60;8, Nippon d'Elle (Roger Yves Bost)FRA 0/4 34.82;9, As Cold as Ice Z (Judy-AnnMelchior) BEL 0/4 35.64.

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Photo: Dirk Caremans/FEI

FEI WORLD CUP DRIVING -MECHELEN

Koos de Ronde produced an excellent performance to win the FEI World Cup™ Driving at the Nekkerhal inMechelen, Belgium for the fifth time in his career.

Sweden’s Fredrik Persson drovewith enormous skill to finishsecond ahead of Germany’s Georgvon Stein whose team is finallycoming together. Top favourite,Boyd Exell from Australia,knocked four balls down to line upin sixth place.De Ronde was the last man tocompete in the Winning Round, inwhich the Top Three drivers startedfrom scratch for the first time. Hefelt the pressure after FredrikPersson had driven a clear round tobeat De Ronde’s time of the firstround by two seconds. The teamgold medallist of the Alltech FEI

World Equestrian Games™ 2014 inNormandy decided to go for it anddrove at full risk. He knew exactlywhere he was able to make up sometime and drove his team fast,fluently and faultlessly through thecourse, cheered by the manyenthusiastic spectators in Mechelenwho created a fantastic atmosphere.De Ronde, who also topped theline-up at the Belgian fixture in2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012,finished four seconds faster thanPersson. He started with a wildcard, and therefore did not earnWorld Cup points, but with onemore leg to go in Leipzig, he is

lying fifth in the standings and itseems very likely that he will beamongst the Top Six drivers for theFinal.

Results:Koos de Ronde (NED) 115,65Fredrik Persson (SWE) 119,68Georg von Stein (GER) 138,05Christoph Sandmann (GER) 132,60Theo Timmerman (NED) 136,16Boyd Exell (AUS) 136,89 GlennGeerts (BEL) 143,52.

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Photo Dirk Caremans/FEI

FEI WORLD CUP VAULTING -SALZBURG

Nineteen-year-old Lisa Wild, theyoungest athlete in the series and thefirst athlete to perform a full backflipon her horse two years ago at the FEIVaulting World Championships inLe Mans (FRA), started thecompetition with a dream score of8,898 in the first round on Robin,lunged by Nina Rossin.Wild then performed a fascinatingfinal round in front of a packedarena, overwhelming spectators.Former German national coach andFEI judge Helma Schwarzmann,who this time was watching thecompetition from the stands, wasnearly speechless: “Lisa really

inspires me with her own style. Sheis extremely fluent and very precisein her movements.”“Unfortunately I was not able tocompete in Salzburg for two yearsdue to several injuries,” said Wild.“Now I am finally back and it was anamazing feeling to do my show herein Salzburg.” She credited hersuccess to Robin, who received thebest horse score. The victory secured15 World Cup points and their spotat the FEI World Cup™ VaultingFinal, which will take place in Graz,Austria, on 19-22 February 2015.

Male individual: 1. NicolasAndreani (FRA), 8,973; 2. JulianWilfling (GER), 8,207; 3. LukasKlouda (CZE), 8,028(full results: here)

Female individual: 1. Lisa Wild(AUT), 8,910; 2. Simone Jäiser(SUI), 8,853; 3. Regina Burgmayr(GER), 8,393(full results: here)

Pas-de-deux: 1. EvelynFreund/Stefanie Millinger (AUT),9,127; 2. Jasmin Lindner/LukasWacha (AUT), 9,057(full results: here)

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Evelyn Freund and Stefanie Millinger,winners of the FEI World CupVaulting™ third qualifier in their homecity of Salzburg, left nothing to chanceby training with the world’s bestacrobats from the Cirque du Soleil, theworld’s largest theatrical producer.

(Daniel Kaiser/FEI)

Local heroes Lisa Wild (AUT) andEvelyn Freund with Stefanie Millinger(AUT) vaulted to individual female andpas-de-deux victory at the FEI WorldCup™ Vaulting third qualifier at theSalzburgarena.

Defending FEI World Cup™ vaultingchampion and former world number oneNicolas Andreani (FRA) also stormedto male individual victory at the venue,where a total of 17 athletes from sevencountries battled it out.

Sometimes, winter seems to go on for ever and forage suppliescan take a real hammering. Eking out every last bale or havingto contend with poor quality – or hay or haylage that may bein short supply – is something of a challenge. Topping up withother fibre sources such as short-chopped fibre feeds – orusing them as a total forage replacer – can be a great help.

Feeding a hay replacer

Replacing forage with a fibre feed is really

simple – just work on a weight-for-weight basis.

If you usually give your horse 5kg of hay in the

stable, you can swap this with 5kg of chopped

fibre feed. One from Dengie’s popular Hi-Fi

range would be perfect.

Hi-Fi Lite is ideal for horses and ponies that are

prone to laminitis. It combines alfalfa and top-

quality cereal straw with a light molasses

coating to deliver a tasty feed with less sugar

than average-quality hay. It is available in 20kg

bales with an RRP of £11.99 to £12.69.

Hi-Fi Senior is suitable for a wide range of

horses – not just golden oldies. It is made from

grasses that are dried at extremely high

temperatures and blended with alfalfa.

Formulated to be soft and easy to chew, it is

also extremely “clean”, which makes it top of the

menu for performance horses or those with

respiratory issues. Hi-Fi Senior comes in 20 kg

bales and costs £12.99 to £13.69.

How tomeasure

As a guide,

one section of

hay from a 20kg bale would weigh about 2kg.

To replace this, you would need to feed two

measuring buckets of Hi-Fi Lite or Hi-Fi Senior

product or 5 to 7 large, round scoops.

Obviously, a fibre feed cannot be fed in a hay or

haylage net, so it should be given in a large

bucket in the corner of the stable, where your

horse can munch away when he wishes.

In the beginning, some horses might bolt their

feed, so pop in a large football or some large,

smooth pebbles on top of the feed to slow things

down.

For further information about feeding Dengie

hay replacers, telephone the Dengie Feedline

on 0845 345 5115 or visit www.dengie.com,

where you can chat live to a nutritionist.

Donec est nunc, ornare non, aliquet non

Fibre and ForageDengie senior nutritionist Katie Williams,MSc (Dist), looks at topping up andreplacing forage with chopped fibre feeds

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