trainer’s


point of view Understanding Mares


A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE PASSIONATE OPINIONS ABOUT MARES. Maybe they had mares in their childhood who taught them all they needed to know about patience or fun on horseback. Remembering this they “don’t have a problem” with the girls. Some folks however would never, ever consider owning one, and still others only prefer mares in their barn. Professionals aren’t usually as sided on the subject. Yet,


their attitude isn’t “a horse is a horse is a horse.” Instead, their experiences provide insight into the female equine’s complex and diverse nature which, when misunderstood, can damage that important relationship and partnership necessary to succeed in the sport horse world. Three professionals, John French, Allie Slusher and Jan


Ebeling, have each trained numerous mares in sport successfully and agreed to share their valuable opinions and personal experiences with us. John French, two-time Professional World Champion Hunter


Rider and winner of the inaugural 2009 $100,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals at Kentucky Horse Park, began his illustrious riding career on the back of a pony mare in his native Maryland. Today the California-based winner of the 2009 USEF Emerson Burr Horsemanship Award has guided such winning mares as the legendary hunter Holsteiner Vida Blue to countless championships, both for himself and his students. A Maryland native now home-based at Waldenbrook Farm in


Northern California, John has also demonstrated prowess in the international Grand Prix jumping arena. In five years, he rode as Rookie Grand Prix Rider of the Year to a qualifier for the World Cup Finals and represented the U.S. on the Nations Cup teams in Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and Sweden. Alexandra (Allie) Slusher of Auburn, California, recently


was accepted into the US Equestrian Federation’s 2010 Eventing Developing Rider Program with her Mecklenburg mare Last Call (Fergie), owned by Christie Campbell. This year Allie and Fergie finished first at both the 2010 Summer Event at Woodside at Preliminary level and at Galway Downs Winter Horse Trials at Intermediate. Ranking at “A” Level in U.S. Pony Club, Allie has trained under the direction of Canadian Olympian Hawley Bennett and worked closely with U.S. Equestrian Team member Buck Davidson. She has competed at the Advanced level in national and international competitions. As a member of the U.S.


54 November/December 2010


By Patti Schofler


John French and Vida Blue competing at the 2006 Washington International Horse Show. Photo by Diana Derosa


Eventing Team she has been coached by Capt. Mark Phillips and trained under U.S. stadium jumping coach George Morris. Allie’s stable today also includes the mare Juicy Couture


(Ellie), a Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred cross who won at Intermediate level at the 2010 Summer Event at Woodside, and placed 7th out of 26 at the Event at Rebecca Farm CCI*. Before coming to the United States, Jan Ebeling apprenticed under the late German dressage master Herbert Rehbein and earned his bereiter, a German license to train horses. In 1984, he moved to the U.S. to work with Olympian Robert Dover. After winning several U.S. national dressage championships


as a U.S. citizen, in 2003 he earned a spot on the U.S. team competing at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic where he was the highest ranking U.S. rider and clinched the gold medal for the U.S team. He finished 5th overall individually with the stallion, Feliciano. In 2006, Oldenburg mare Rafalca was purchased for Jan and the pair took third place at Gladstone, New Jersey for the USEF Intermediare Championships. In 2009, Jan and Rafalca represented the U.S. at the World Cup in Las Vegas. Rafalca is owned by Ann Romney, wife of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney who ran for U.S. president in 2008, along with owners Beth Meyers and Amy Ebeling. The Ebelings own and operate the training and sales facility, The Acres, in Moorpark, California.


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