DressageMeetingOnline.com
LIVE Webinar Saturday August 17, 2013
Starts 11:00 AM U.S. East Coast Time
8 AM U.S West Coast Time
5 PM Central European Summer Time

The Warm Up: An In Depth Discussion & Analysis presented by Steffen Peters

DressageMeetingOnline.com the new Educational website for dressage presenting LIVE webinars by the world’s top international dressage trainers has revolutionized dressage education around the world.  Last week Christoph Hess presented his live webinar with participants from France, Belgium, New Zealand, Canada and all over the U.S.  International trainers Volker Brommann and Arthur Kottas also presented webinars in the recent past with great success.

The next upcoming Webinar is with one of the top International riders in the world, Steffen Peters, who will be conducting a LIVE interactive online meeting discussing “The Warm Up”, one of the most important phases of training for the development of Dressage horses and riders.  Steffen will also be accepting questions from participants attending this lively discussion.

There is limited seating for the webinar and very highly in demand, so book your seats now and don’t be left out.  Participants who join can submit their questions in advance if they so choose.

If you are an active member of our Education Partner DressageClinic.com, you are entitled to a 15% discount by using the coupon code DC4DMO … for further assistance and membership information telephone DressageClinic.com Customer Care Team at 1-561-728-0318 or 1-604-746-9222 or email at info@dressageclinic.com.

Lexington, KY – The
country's top junior riders will head to Stanley Park Fairgrounds in Estes
Park, CO to compete …

The inaugural forum will be held September 14-15, 2013, hosted by the New England Dressage Association, at Apple Knoll Farm, in Millis, MA.  The forum will be led by internationally renowned sport horse development experts, and educators, Scott Hassler, USEF National Young Dressage Horse Coach, and Ingo Pape, one of Germany’s most respected breeders and horsemen.

Preregistration ends August 30th!  There will be a limited number of auditors allowed, so please sign-up asap!

Hotel Special Rate Ends Friday, August 16th!!

ATTENTION ALL SPORT HORSE OWNERS, TRAINERS AND BREEDERS: (all participants/horses have been chosen)

The purpose of this program is to bridge the gap between the current USDF Sport Horse In-Hand Program and the USEF Young  Horse Program.  Those interested in other sport horse disciplines are encouraged to audit, as attending this program can be beneficial to anyone involved with young sport horses.

“The USDF is excited to bring this much needed educational opportunity to the USDF membership and the dressage community, as well as other sport horse disciplines,” added Katherine Robertson, USDF Senior Education Programs Coordinator.

For more information about the new USDF Sport Horse Prospect Development Program, contact the USDF office at shprospect@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277

Unfortunately Mistral Hojris, ridden by Laura Tomlinson (neé Bechtolsheimer), has sustained a slight injury and it has been decided not to risk his health and wellbeing by taking him to the European Championships in Denmark, which begin next week.

Reserve Gareth Hughes with Mrs Jane Brewin’s DV Stenkjers Nadonna will now join Charlotte, Carl and Michael in Herning.

World Class Dressage Programme Manager, Richard Waygood commented; “We are hugely disappointed not to have Alf [Mistral Hojris] out at the Championships. We feel he has been the most amazing servant to the British team and British Dressage and that he owes us nothing and we owe him everything; we wish him a speedy recovery. We welcome Gareth onto the team, for what will be his senior Championship debut.”

Equestrian Performance Director, Will Connell, commented; “Mistral Hojris has been at the forefront of British dressage and for GB. All within Great Britain owe Laura, Mistral Hojris and the Bechtolsheimer’s a huge debt of gratitude and this decision has been made with the welfare of the horse in mind. We welcome Gareth to the team and look forward to the competition in Denmark”.

British Dressage.

Charlie Hutton and his talented grand prix prospect Don Dino enjoyed a double victory in the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges and Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I, both with impressive percentages at Mount Ballan.

Previously owned by Talland client Penny Manning, Charlie (pictured) took the opportunity to buy the nine-year-old 17.1hh Hanovarian gelding by Don Vino a couple of years ago.

“I have ridden him since a five-year-old; we just clicked. I believe in him and he is everything I had hoped for. This was only his fourth show at small tour level. He’s done two Premier Leagues and a couple of local shows. He made mistakes in both tests, but the quality of his work bought the marks back up. I didn’t find out our scores until we got home in the evening and it was a lovely shock.”

“My goal with him is grand prix, so I’ve taken it quietly and carefully to give him a sense of security, but we will be starting the bigger shows now,” said Charlie, who trains with Carl Hester.

Julia Stockley and the nine-year-old Sambuca II scored the highest percentage of this regional with 73.33% in the Visualise Sportswear Preliminary, despite this being only their third show in three years. In 2010, Julia turned out the then six-year-old 17hh Shire/Hanoverian cross mare by Waterlands Dancing Satyr a week after having qualified for the winter championships at prelim and novice level.

Julia, who works full-time as a coach driver and beer taster, said: “My leg was crushed when somebody else’s horse rolled on it, so she became a broodmare just nine months after I bought her.

“We’ve had lots of hurdles to overcome since I brought her back into work in March. I had to have two weeks off after I had an operation to take the metal out of my leg, she got cast, then she lost her footing on the road and skinned her hocks, so had to have another couple of weeks off. She only did her first competition on the 21st June and her second on the 29th. I don’t know how we managed to squeeze in one lesson with Tessa Thorne.

“She’s nine going on five as she’s not had more than one year’s work in her life, but she was awesome at Mount Ballan,” says Julia, who schools her in an undulating field.

Visualise Sportswear Preliminary
Julia Stockley and Sambuca II (owner: Rider) 73.33%
Louise Magris and Holme Park Salcido (owner: Rider) 70.76%
Ondine King and Florienne (owner: Natalie Brown & Rider) 70.76%

Dodson & Horrell Novice Restricted
Georgia Herbert and Megastar (owner: Rider) 70.46%
Katharina Sievert and Samba Song (owner: Rider) 69.20%

Dodson & Horrell Novice Open
Lucy Pincus and Sheepcote Fiesta (owner: David Pincus) 70.11%
Jonathan Boswell and Centaur Commadore (owner: Rider) 69.66%
Helen Askey and Boston HS (owner: Rider) 69.08%

Stretch & Flex Elementary Restricted
Karen Beddows and Michael Angelo (owner: Rider) 69.06%
Caroline Horn and Narramore Musicman (owner: Rider) 67.81%

Stretch & Flex Elementary Open
Zoe Sleigh and Bequila (owner: Christine Sleigh) 71.35%
Alice Peternell and Supreme (owner: Debra Coessens) 70.73%
Lucy Pincus and Sheepcote Doncalisto (owner: David Pincus) 68.96%

Dressage Deluxe Medium Restricted
Elizabeth Charlotte Albon and Zidane (owner: Rider) 68.47%
Sara Squires and Irish Dream (owner: Linda Penfold) 68.02%

Dressage Deluxe Medium Open
Matt Hicks and Don Carissimo (owner: Anne Keen) 71.44%
Zoe Sleigh and Bequila (owner: Christine Sleigh) 68.11%
Georgia Stokes and SOS Talented Mr Ripley (owner: Rider) 67.75%

Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Restricted
Lucy Anne Baker and Llancloudy Phantom Menace (owner: Shirley Tibbs) 67.89%
Sophie Rowcliffe and Fairways Lord Of The Ring (owner: Rider) 65.44%

Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open
Michael Garman and Ripple (owner: Rider) 68.60%
Lucy Straker and Farramir (owner: Rider) 68.51%
Clare Poole and Zero (owner: Rider) 67.72%
Deb Criddle and LJT Akilles (owner: Lady Joseph Trust) 67.54%

Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Charlie Hutton and Don Dino (owner: Rider) 71.32%

Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Charlie Hutton and Don Dino (owner: Rider) 72.94%

Shantelle Roberts.

Being able to weigh your horse from time to time not only helps you monitor his body condition for overall health, it’s also important when developing a feeding program and calculating appropriate dosages for dewormers and medications. Unfortunately, your bathroom scale doesn’t stand a chance under the 1200 or so pounds of the average horse. A livestock scale typically provides the most accurate measurement of a horse’s weight, but this equipment is not available at all large animal veterinary clinics. In this case, there are two primary alternatives – the standard equine body weight formula or a weight tape.

Using the Equine Body Weight Formula

Calculating your horse’s body weight using the following formula is generally considered to be a more accurate method than a weight tape, and requires only an ordinary soft measuring tape.

Weight (kg) = [heart girth (cm) x heart girth (cm) x body length (cm)]/ 11,990

The heart girth of the horse is obtained by measuring the circumference of the horse’s midsection just behind the elbows and withers.

The body length of the horse refers to the measurement from the point of the shoulder straight back along the horse’s side to the point of the buttock. Measuring the body length of a horse will require two people.

Plug your values for heart girth and body length into the equation to calculate the weight of your horse in kilograms.

Using a Weight Tape

Available at most tack and feed stores, weight tapes, which are essentially soft measuring tapes calibrated in pounds and/or kilograms instead of inches, can be purchased in pony, horse, and draft sizes. While quick and easy to use, it should be noted that a weight tape will not always generate an accurate result for pregnant mares, foals, miniature horses, and significantly overweight or underweight horses. In these situations, other weight estimate resources should be utilized.

Step 1: Equipped with a weight tape specific to the size of equine you are weighing, begin with the horse standing squarely on a flat surface.

Step 2: Position yourself at the horse’s left shoulder and anchor the starting end of the weight tape with your hand just behind the withers of the horse with the tail of the tape draping down on the horse’s right side.

Step 3: Carefully, reach under the horse’s belly to grasp the tail end of the tape, pulling it up and around behind his elbow as you would a girth to meet the starting end. Correctly adjusted, the tape will be snug, but not overly tight, and lying flat and untwisted against the horse’s side with the two ends meeting on a slightly diagonal angle.

Step 4: Note the weight measurement that occurs at the point where the two ends of the tape intersect.

Photo: eXtensionHorses

Dubbed the supermodel of the dressage world, Woodlander Farouche did not disappoint at the most competitive of the seven area finals, the Central Regional Championships at Addington Manor EC, scoring the highest percentage across the board with more than 77% in the Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open.

Having won the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Dressage Horses as a five- and six-year-old, the latter with a record score, the seven-year-old Furst Heinrich mare, piloted by Michael Eilberg, made her main circuit debut in May and this was only her fourth advanced medium test.

Expectations for this horse are always ridiculously high, but even more so since she scored more than 83% in the advanced medium at the Hartpury Premier League in July.

Michael said: “Her test at Hartpury was flawless. You don’t produce a test like that every day, so this was always going to be a let down in a way. She was a little nervous: she spooked on a circle and struck off on the wrong leg in the walk-canter transition, but her walk, extensions and flying changes were superb.”

Michael enjoyed further success, this time in the Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I with the nine-year-old Dimaggio mare, Half Moon Dynasty.

He said: “I was chuffed with her as she’s not done much at this level – it was her fourth Intermediate I – and is not fully established, but she has so much quality and we pulled off a great test.”

Rob Waine topped what he described as a “fantastic” week. He’s moved to his new training and livery yard in Beaconsfield and won the Dodson & Horrell Novice Open Section B and the Stretch & Flex Elementary Open with Rhodesia (pictured), thereby securing his first trip to the summer nationals.

Rob, who is trained by Louise Spate, has had the ride on the six-year-old 17.3hh British-bred gelding by Keystone Rhondeo since last November: “Linda Bennett bought him as a three-day-old foal because of his amazing walk. I started teaching them in February last year and then Lynne offered me the ride after a few months; she didn’t have to ask me twice and we haven’t looked back since.

“Having qualified at novice level, we thought we’d try him in a couple of elementary classes, which he won with more than 70%, so then we decided we might as well try and qualify him at that level and won at Patchetts with more than 73%.

“He keeps on getting stronger and is so sweet natured,” says Rob, who reckons the key to their success is Granny Smith apples. “He is obsessed by them and has to have one before I ride him, otherwise he’s not happy. They may be more expensive than Polos, but we will be stocking up on them before Stoneleigh!”

The third double winner was Gareth Hughes. He won the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges with the 10-year-old Sandro Hit stallion, Samba Hit III, whom he has competed since last May, as well as the highly competitive Dressage Deluxe Medium Open with Classic Briolinca, in which seven combinations went through to the nationals.
Gareth’s wife Rebecca talent spotted the latter, a seven-year-old mare by Trento B as a three-year-old and Gareth has ridden her for the past two years.

After already securing two places at the nationals by winning the novice open and elementary restricted at the Eastern Regionals with Judy Firmston-Williams’ Cleopatra II, Daisy Coakley earned another place at the nationals with Bing, also by Trento B, after winning the Stretch & Flex Elementary Restricted Section A with more than 75%.

Daisy has been unbeaten in all seven tests she has entered with Bing, a seven-year-old gelding owned by Melise Witkin and Judy.

She said: “It’s going to be interesting as Daya and Bing will be up against each other for the first time in the elementary. It will be a showdown and I really don’t know who will come out on top.”

Picture: Kevin Sparrow

RESULTS

Visualise Sportswear Preliminary – Section A
Ashley Jenkins and Lukien Von Tespe (owner: Dan Greenwood & Jamie Reynolds) 72.27%
Emilia Wogan and Radway Harlequin (owner: Alicia Patrick) 71.36%

Visualise Sportswear Preliminary – Section B
Caroline Bunce and Moonlight Serenade (owner: Rider) 72.27%
Katie Davies and Tinkers Tomahawk (owner: Rider) 68.79%

Dodson & Horrell Novice Restricted
Kirsty Borton and Longacre Clorde (owner: Paula Cook) 68.74%
Liz Mackenze and Hotlinels (owner: Rider) 68.51%

Dodson & Horrell Novice Open – Section A
Rebecca Cowderoy and Celicia (owner: Tony Cockshutt) 74.60%
Garry Williams and Furst Edition II (owner: Rider) 74.02%
Nathalie Kayal and DHI Clever Boy (owner: Rider) 72.99%

Dodson & Horrell Novice Open – Section B
Robert Waine and Rhodesia (owner: Linda Bennett) 70.92%
Sarah King Wells and The Contact People Destiny D (owner: Rider) 70.34%
Nathalie Kayal and DHI Bravo (owner: Rider) 69.77%

Stretch & Flex Elementary Restricted – Section A
Daisy Coakley and Bing (owner: Aimee Witkin and Judy Firmston-Williams) 75.10%
Jade Clark and Uno Diamond (owner: Sue Brennan) 72.19%

Stretch & Flex Elementary Restricted – Section B
Tracey Lawson and Alfero (owner: Rider) 71.56%
Marsha Webb and Rosario Royale (owner: Lorraine Sattin) 69.38%
Rebecca Haryett and Bjornsun (owner: Rider) 69.38%

Stretch & Flex Elementary Open
Robert Waine and Rhodesia (owner: Lynne Bennett) 73.13%
Nathalie Kayal and DHI Bravo (owner: Rider) 73.02%
Caroline Princz and Praestegardens Dan (owner: Rider) 71.15%
Mat Burnett and Nibeley Union Hit (owner: Rider) 70.83%
Stephanie Toogood and Florian Himself (owner: Christine Trendell) 69.58%

Dressage Deluxe Medium Restricted
Helen Philip and Rubens (owner: Rider) 70.36%
Lisa Price and Angelo VI (owner: Rider) 68.47%

Dressage Deluxe Medium Open
Gareth Hughes and Classic Briolinca (owner: Rebecca Hughes) 72.70%
Lisa Hopkins and Coole Contender (owner: Margaret Phizacklea) 72.43%
Sam Dewar and Parsons Resume (owner: Alexandra Boyce & Rider) 71.62%
Daniel Odell and Amour G (owner: Pippa Childerhouse) 70.45%
Paul Friday and Christoph Himself (owner: Rider ) 70.36%
Judy Harvey and Blitz (owner: Rider) 70.18%
Nikki Crisp and Ardie (owner: Anne King) 69.55%

Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Restricted
Fiona Bull and Pipers Ustnar (owner: Rider) 68.16%
Casey Mckenna and DHI Zanzibar (owner: Mary Gerrie) 67.72%

Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open
Michael Eilberg and Woodlander Farouche (owner: Ferdi Eilberg & Lynne Crowden) 77.11%
Maria Eilberg and Royal Concert (owner: Penny Pollard & Hermonie Black) 70.79%
Jacky Stolper and Luciano Pavarotti (owner: Caroline Wheatley-Hubbard & Rider) 70.35%
Lucy Cartwright and Fergana (owner: Carole Felton) 69.12

Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Gareth Hughes and Samba Hit III (owner: Kate Byron) 71.10%

Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Michael Eilberg and Half Moon Dynasty (owner: Julie Deverill) 71.80%