POINT OF VIEW “But rewarding breeders with that vision
and funneling those quality American bred horses to American riders is going to be the next step in boosting the American team at
international competitions. We have to make sure that the breeders making that effort are getting the recognition they deserve.”
there’s not a lot of incentive. I do it because I enjoy it. I’ve prob- ably started 200 or 250 horses under saddle. You get smarter with time and learn quickly how to read all the signals. You know when one needs more time on the groundwork. My barn isn’t fancy, but it’s functional, and I get horses from
everywhere—Georgia, Pennsylvania, all over. That’s when you realize it’s hard to find good young horse trainers, when people are willing to ship their horses from all over the country when you have a good reputation.
What do you think would help to encourage more trainers to focus on young horses? More competitions for young horses? Prize money?
Lauren: Those are certainly incentives but for the American breeding programs we need to have a long-term vision rather than just breeding for the sake of breeding. The European breeding programs are very specific and thought out—there are few programs like that in the United States. But in saying that, we do have some breeding programs here that are pro- ducing sport horses with that long-term vision and we need to support them as much as possible. I know from being involved in Landmark Farm’s breed-
ing program (Plains, Virginia) that it takes a lot of planning and research, quality mares and the patience to wait nearly a decade before [the youngsters produced] are at the top level. But rewarding breeders with that vision and funneling those quality American-bred horses to American riders is going to be the next step in boosting the American team at international competitions. We have to make sure that the breeders making that effort are getting the recognition they deserve.
Nicki: More “hype” around young horse classes the rest of year, not just at finals, would be helpful, along with more prestige and prize money. Making young horse classes a special time that everyone can plan on watching, and announcing the horse, rider, AND the breeder, sire and dam, would also help promote the young horses. I was just driving across Wyoming and had plenty of time
to think about this! I think that this kind of hype around young horse classes would make it so that breeders, along with shop-
92 March/April 2014
pers, could plan to come and watch as well, creating an outlet so that breeders could find riders to campaign their young horses. Some top breeding facilities in this country still send their horses to Europe to be campaigned. Do our profession- als not work with young horses enough? Is the hype around young horses better in Europe? Admittedly the programs here are relatively new. In Canada
they even have four-year-old championships through eight- year-old championships. The four-year-old classes are a nice segue. At the [jumping] championships in Kentucky you have classes for four-year-olds, but I don’t see that here in Colorado. It’s up to you to have your horse ready to jump a meter twenty in their five-year-old year, which is a lot. North America in general has made leaps and bounds in
providing classes for young horses; it’s certainly appealing to have prize money and the shows that don’t charge a nomina- tion fee make it more appealing to travel with your young horse. I think providing the prize money incentives would encourage trainers to be involved with young horses. I believe we’re making steps in the right direction.
Marjory: I would like it if there were a way to promote rid- ers who are capable with young horses. It’s hard to advertise and build a reputation, because when you’re on young horses you’re not always showing left and right. In Europe, it’s a lot more commercialized and people there realize you need to get them to the right place. Here people are trying to save money and send them to the cowboys or to whoever will ride them.
I wish there Marjorie Berkache schooling the mare Rica.
would be some kind of center where you could have young
horse trainers, and people from all over the U.S. could send their horses there. People could go there to find young horses instead of flying to Europe. I think it could work! You could also show people what it’s like to be a young horse trainer and encourage them to do it too, because we definitely need more young horse trainers.
Publisher’s note: Warmbloods Today is expanding its 2015 Sport Horse Breeder’s Directory to include a directory of young horse trainers across North America. If you are a young horse trainer or have a young horse training center that would like to be included in the directory (for free) that will print in our November/Decem- ber issue, as well as be listed online, please send your contact information to
directory@warmbloodstoday.com.
Heidi Payne Fine Art
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