P S
ublisher’s Welcome
Are We Over-Connected?
ometimes my head starts to spin. Emails are flying in, the phones are ringing and Facebook is dinging, while text message alerts are beeping. I don’t “tweet,” nor do I “snapchat,” and I just can’t find any time for LinkedIn. And what is a hashtag, anyway? Today’s
technology smorgasbord gives us so many choices of how to connect with the world—at least virtually—that it appears to be spiraling out of control, yet many of these techno-tools have become a necessary evil to grow a business or stay in touch with friends and family. Clearly, connecting with the right people at the right time in the right way can bring good results. And if we substitute the word
‘horse’ for ‘people’ in the prior sentence, the outcome is potentially the same. “Without a good connection, you have nothing,” trainers oſten advise. As I gathered this issue’s articles, I noticed the words ‘connect’ and ‘connection’ resonating more than normal. For instance, the
AIEC was an international organization I had never heard of and, as it turns out, it’s a great way for equestrian college students to compete internationally and meet other college students around the globe. We even had a “Team USA” at the recent World Finals in Germany, where American rider Makayla Benjamin placed third individually! In the story starting on page 14, one team member describes the experience as “extremely fun and supportive, and I’ve met some of my best friends from all around the world.” She refers to the people there as “AIEC family” and hopes her connections now will gain her employment opportunities in Europe aſter college. In our point-of-view piece (page 37), Olympians Gina Miles and Clayton Fredericks discuss how significant and challenging
the dressage phase has become in eventing. Both summarize how important it is to build a partnership and strong relationship over time with a top event horse, otherwise your chances of success in the dressage ring are poor. And Michael Barisone, contributor to the Warmblood Whoas column on page 73, emphasizes the importance of connecting with a good trainer, and sticking with him or her—a common thread among three young contenders for our Olympic dressage team. Perhaps the best advice we’ve ever published for breeders comes from Maggie Sjoberg in the “Breeders’ Best Bloodlines” article
starting on page 43. As she says, “Te bloodlines that you find you can connect with will, in the end, make you the most successful.” And from what I can see, the breeders who have connected well with a certain set of bloodlines, particular breed or consistent breeding strategy are indeed the ones who find success—in a very tough business, I might add! So with only 24 hours in a day interrupted with beeps, buzzes, bell tones, rings and 20 bars of your favorite song, are you feeling a
bit over-connected? Some argue that people actually feel less connected and lonelier due to the internet and social media, while others say the internet simply attracts people who are already lonely. Tese are topics I’ll leave to the experts to analyze and debate. For me, it’s a question of priority: how much time out of each blessed day will I devote to the internet, social media or the
telephone? I have my cyber limitations. At some point I drop all techno-tools to pursue other ways to develop my relationships and connections, especially with my horses. Our tagline at the top of each issue has always been, “Your Connection to the Modern Sport Horse,” a message that I spent days
agonizing over eight years ago, during the launch of this magazine. It was, and still is, vital that readers instantly understand the focus of the magazine, and for eight years, this message hasn’t wavered. We provide an alternative way to connect with and learn about sport horses and its people, but in a quieter, refreshing and inspirational way. So in the spirit of relaxation, leave behind the rings, dings, beeps and bells, to enjoy this, our forty-third edition of Warmbloods Today. Enjoy the issue,
Liz Cornell
editor@warmbloodstoday.com
Our Mission: Warmbloods Today is the leading magazine in North America focused on the entire spectrum of Warmblood breeds. It’s a place where people from all aspects of the sport horse community can come together: amateurs, owners, trainers and breeders. Each issue contains interesting, informative and often heart-warming stories of peoples’ experiences with their horses, along with thought- provoking opinions from various professionals and amateurs. We cover all horses from European descent bred for the sports of jumping, dressage, eventing and driving including the Iberian breeds and American Warmbloods.
10 May/June 2016
Ed Haas
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76