NYSMHS Sport Horse Happenings
May News
Another Letter Perfect Weekend
By: Kristen Sackett
It was a year ago that members of the NYSMHS were first introduced to
Michelle LaBarre, an enthusiastic and energetic dressage instructor from
Pennsylvania. Those who attended the clinic were left amazed with the
changes in their horses, the new insight into their discipline, and
walked away with an arsenal of new knowledge.
On May 1st and 2nd, Finger Lakes Morgans (owned by Nick and Robin
Pelham, and Danielle Rice) and the NYSMHS Sport Horse Committee again
hosted another clinic with Michelle looking to continue building on the
knowledge acquired from the previous year. It was another beautiful
weekend, albeit hotter than most would have expected for the first
weekend in May (not that anyone was complaining!). This year, the clinic
with Michelle was held in conjunction with the club’s Mid-Year meeting,
giving members a chance to catch up with each other and also to see what
dressage is all about.
There were eight riders in all, with six Morgans, a Friesian, and a
Thoroughbred who took lessons over the course of the weekend. Michelle
worked one on one with all of the riders making suggestions and
adjustments through positive encouragement on how to achieve noticeable
changes in their horses. She explained her way through two days of very
exciting dressage training with all levels of riders, from those just
learning about dressage to veterans of the sport. Michelle was able to
focus on each horse/rider combination and provided the appropriate level
of instruction, while offering encouragement and pointers to "step it
up" to the next level. Riders and auditors alike could see an immediate
change, almost as if a light bulb went off and an “Aha” moment was
realized.
Although everyone worked hard during their lessons, including the horses
that let us know this with a few moans and groans, there wasn’t a single
person who didn’t walk away with a smile on their face. Everyone had
huge amounts of praise for Michelle and her ability to walk through the
issues they were facing with their horses without bringing on any sense
of frustration; only positive feelings and outcomes arose at this
clinic. By the end of Sunday afternoon every rider was able to walk away
feeling accomplished and looking forward to taking their new found
skills and confidence home.
Finger Lakes Morgans, owned by Nick and Robin Pelham and Danielle Rice
provided a great indoor facility as well as stabling for the
participants and a lovely door prize of horse goodies won by Deb Keiffer.
Creekside Morgans, owned by Marion and Joe Gaigal, along with Nick,
Robin, and Danielle were co-sponsors of the clinic and provided a grand,
delicious breakfast, a hardy lunch, and yummy snacks (i.e. Nick’s famous
cookies) for both days.
Participants included Shannon Walsh, Deb Keiffer, Annette Bakic, Chris
Hand, Robin Pelham, Danielle Rice, Cathy Halm and Kristen Sackett.
There is no doubt that this was another highly successful clinic with
Michelle LaBarre and we hope that there will be more clinics held with
her in the future. Actually, there are plans in the works to hopefully
have more clinics with Michelle over the summer… so be sure to stay
tuned for your opportunity to ride with her. You won’t be disappointed!
Thank you again to Finger Lakes Morgans and Creekside Morgans! The
NYSMHS Sport Horse Committee can’t thank them all enough for their
generosity, hospitality, and for the time and effort they put into
helping us have another successful clinic! Thank you also goes to all of
the participants (and their horses) for all of their hard work and
enthusiasm throughout the weekend!
April News
April is finally getting close and the snow is (almost) gone. Time to get working the horses again outside-in between mud puddles and rain showers. The NY riding and driving season is here! We're excited about the carriage classes offered this year at three of the NY Morgan shows, all eligible for point accumulation not only towards year end high point but also the Jerry Kropp Memorial Carriage award.
The NY Regional plans are coming along and we are delighted to have John Greenall judging the carriage division for us. We are also pleased to announce a few changes in the class schedule for the carriage classes. All classes will again be on Saturday, but the obstacle classes will be the first classes of the morning, allowing for an easier set up and less wait time for harnessed horses. The working class will be a turnout class - a subtle change from working, where appointments and appearance are important factors in the judging as well as performance. Finally, we are bringing back the Heritage Americana class as a salute to our show's 50th anniversary. This class, with antique vehicles and period dress is always a lovely class and will start the Saturday evening session.
The clinic with Michele LeBarre is coming up in early May, so if you haven't signed up, please contact Kristen Sackett and take a lesson. You'll be tired, but VERY glad you did! And it will be a perfect prep for the two days of dressage at the WNY show Memorial Weekend.
We're always looking for extra hands and help, so if you're interested in either discipline, and want to learn more, please consider helping out at the shows and clinic. A great opportunity to learn and fun too!
February 5th News
NYSMHS Dressage Happenings
Submitted by Christine Sackett
2009 was a great year for NYSMHS dressage enthusiasts, and it looks like 2010 will be even better.
Clinic. Again this year, the NYSMHS along with our good friends at Finger Lakes Morgans (Nick and Robin Pelham and Danielle Rice) and Creekside Morgans (Joe and Marion Gaigal) will be sponsoring a two-day dressage clinic with Michelle LaBarre. Anyone who attended last year’s clinic knows that Michelle is a knowledgeable and skilled clinician full of energy and enthusiasm, with an eagle eye for just what needs attention. It is safe to say that everyone who rode or watched last year learned something (and, in my case, a lot of somethings!). The clinic will be held on May 1 and 2 at Finger Lakes Morgans in Bath, New York. Additional information and the registration materials are available on the NYSMHS website.
Also, as you may have heard, the mid-year meeting is being held on May 1 in conjunction with the clinic. For the dressage folks, this is an excellent opportunity to get in front of a broader audience and, for those unfamiliar with dressage, I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to learn about this challenging and beautiful sport. I invite everyone attending the mid-year meeting to please stop by the arena and watch a lesson or two. I am confident that you will be glad you did. And we will be delighted to have you there.
WNY. In 2008, we added dressage back to the Sunday schedule at the Western New York show in Elmira. Although we started off modestly, entries nearly doubled in 2009. For 2010, there are many exciting changes planned for the WNY show, most notably its move to a new facility in Hamburg, New York. To add to the excitement, the show committee has added a second day of dressage to the schedule. The dressage competition will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 28th and 29th. Our judge is Jackie Smith (“r”) from Hanoverton, Ohio. We are looking forward to a good turnout so please spread the word.
NY Regional. In an effort to expand our division, we added a second day of dressage at the Syracuse show a few years ago. We have seen a steady increase in our numbers since then and, in 2009, we were nearly fully subscribed, with dressage tests running from 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. It was great! And, but for a few passing sprinkles, it didn’t rain. For 2010, the dressage competition will be held on Thursday and Friday, September 16th and 17th. Our judge is Scott Peterson (“S”) from Penn Yan, New York. Let’s make the 2010 show even bigger and better than 2009!
New Sport Horse Web Page. With the help of Valerie Low, we are adding a new sport horse page on the NYSMHS website. If you have articles or news items for the new webpage, please forward them on to Valerie at valjlow@gmail.com. Thank you, Val!
It may seem hard to believe with the ground covered with snow and ice in the water buckets, but spring is just around the corner. As you plan for the 2010 show season, I hope you will keep the many events sponsored by the NYSMHS in mind.