Stephen started by commenting that Claire sits a horse
They worked on trot to passage and back to trot transitions and then on canter pirouettes thinking about using an “invisible shoulder fore” to put them on the correct bend for the pirouette. Stephen also advised her to finish each training session with something relaxed and easy for the horse. The third rider in
the arena each day was 15-year-old Claire McNulty. She was the first young rider ever
to participate in the USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference since the inception of the program in the 1990s. Claire was riding the flashy chestnut gelding Reel Adventure, “I am involved in Lendon Gray’s Dressage 4 Kids Winter Intensive Training Program and was offered the opportunity about a week before the clinic to participate on my own horse. I was unable to use my own horse due to our first CDI coming up the day after the clinic ended. I had been riding another horse at a barn where I had been keeping my horse before the season started and the owner generously offered the chance for me to ride him here at the conference. I was very surprised and excited for the opportunity to ride with Stephen Clarke,” she said.
Top: Jennifer Baumert on Ramiro, an eight-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Don Romantic, demonstrated the USEF Developing Prix St. Georges test. Bottom: Christina Vinios rode her nine-year-old Oldenburg mare Donna Carina 6 by Don Primero. The pair worked on strengthening exercises for Prix St. Georges. Opposite page: Noel Williams and the young Grand Prix horse Sir Velo, an eight-year-old Westfalen gelding by Sandro Bedo.
24 May/June 2015
beautifully, then said he would like to see the horse improve in the reaction department and be more through. “’Rigger’ has a tendency to be a bit behind your leg at times and encouraging him to go forward can be challenging. So we really worked on getting him in front of my leg and making him stay there. Some key exercises that we did were that you would walk out of the corner from the short side and then literally gallop to the other end of the arena on the long side, then bring him back and then gallop again on the next long side. Trust me this got him in front of my leg!” Claire says. He reminded Claire to make sure she rode with her thumbs up and asked her to imagine that her hands were pushing the horse’s mouth away from her. He also asked her how to make Rigger raise his poll and told the audience that raising her hands was the answer. Stephen had them work on a 20-meter circle with Claire asking Rigger to go forward immediately when asked. She said that the exercise really helped. “Stephen would say, ‘Ride like a tiger when he needs to go and sit quietly as a mouse when he does go.’ Then I would bring him back and try it again,” she explained. “This really seemed to help him understand the whole concept of leg on means go and then leg off is your reward. Rigger is very smart in that way.” The fourth rider in the order each day was U.S. team
member at the 1998 World Equestrian Games and USDF silver medalist Shelly Francis riding the muscular dark bay gelding Danilo. Stephen watched them do a Grand Prix test while he made comments during and after the test for the benefit of the audience. He commented that the pair exhib- ited a classically produced piaffe and passage and labeled their work impressive, saying Danilo’s ability to carry weight on his hind legs was amazing. After the test he asked Shelly to demonstrate the difference between a piaffe that would get an 8 or a 7 or a 6. The pair also demonstrated canter pirouettes while
Stephen emphasized that preparation for the pirouette begins on the centerline. He said height, spring and fluidity should be rewarded in scoring collected movements, even if the horse travels a bit forward at the piaffe or the circle made by the back feet is a bit large in the pirouette. “Consider quality first, then address the formal, technical aspects,” he explained.
Shelly shared her interest in riding for Stephen, saying, “I
respect him greatly as a judge. I’ve always felt he was super fair and very accurate and correct with his judging whenever I’ve ridden for him. I also thought it would be a good place to take Danilo out before the horse show to expose him to some atmosphere, because he is sensitive to sounds and things. I was also interested in getting some feedback in how he felt my training is.” D’Re Stergios and her expressive bay mare Sarumba took
the ring each day following the lunch break. The 46-year-old mother of five was formerly a figure skater ranked third in the nation and is a USDF gold medalist. She started riding dres- sage in 2005 and purchased Sarumba as a baby in Germany
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