APRIL 2020 THE RIDER /41 2020 Brosda Olympic Bursary Awarded To Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu


Ottawa, ON, Feb. 26, 2020 – Equestrian Canada (EC) and the Brosda family are pleased to an- nounce Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu of Saint-Bruno, QC, as the recipient of the $10,000 Brosda Olympic Bursary for 2020. “After our daughter’s life


ended in a tragic car collision, we created the Élisabeth Brosda Me- morial Fund, supported by EC and the Horsepower Foundation, to support NextGen dressage athletes who share her goal of representing Canada at the 2020 and/or 2024 Olympic Games,” explained Élisa- beth’s mother, Marie-France Maisonneuve, and step-father, Sébastien Normand. “Brittany shares that dream whole-heartedly and embodies Élisabeth’s determi- nation and dedication to dressage. We are pleased to honour Élisa- beth’s memory by supporting Brit- tany on the path to achieving her Olympic goals with the Canadian Dressage Team.” The Bursary High Perform-


ance Advisory Group selected Fraser-Beaulieu due to the thor- ough application she presented, which detailed plans to use the funds for training and horse care maintenance in preparation for the


Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Fraser-Beaulieu also received the inaugural Brosda Bursary in 2018, and that same year was the highest placed Canadian at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC, with her veteran partner, All In (Tango x Damiro), whom she co- owns with her father, Craig Fraser, and


husband, Marc-Andre


Beaulieu. “I am very honored to have


received the Brosda Bursary. This Bursary means a great deal to me because I did teach Elisabeth a number of times before her tragic accident,” said Fraser-Beaulieu. “I plan to use the bursary to help with my training expenses leading up to the [Tokyo 2020] Olympic Games. The Olympics have been a child- hood dream of mine, so my focus for the next few months will be getting the scores I need to be on the Canadian team. All In and I are off to a great start and excited to see what he future has in store.” For the past three years,


Fraser-Beaulieu and the 15-year- old Dutch Warmblood gelding have been the highest placed Cana- dian combination on the annual FEI Dressage World Ranking and were also named to the EC Na-


tional Team Program – National Squad. Despite shortening her 2019 season to welcome baby Theo to the family, Fraser-Beaulieu and All In managed to rack up sev- eral first place big tour finishes at the Adequan Global Dressage Fes- tival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL, and an impressive 76.520% in the AGDF 5 CDI 5* Grand Prix Freestyle for her last score of the spring 2019 season. Supported by coaches, Canadian Olympians Ashley Holzer and Jacqueline Brooks, Fraser-Beaulieu and All In are poised to make a big splash for Canada on the Olympic stage. As the successful candidate


for 2020, Fraser-Beaulieu will be an ambassador for the Brosda Olympic Bursary, promoting the Olympic values of excellence, teamwork, leadership and fair play, and sharing her stories and experi- ences through public speaking en- gagements and on social media.


About the Élisabeth Brosda Me- morial Fund On behalf of the Brosda fam-


ily, EC is honoured to facilitate support for the Élisabeth Brosda Memorial Fund through the Horse- power Foundation - a fundraising


program created by EC, in partner- ship with the Canadian Olympic Foundation, to inspire and support Canadians to embrace lifelong par- ticipation in equestrian activities. As a lasting legacy in mem-


ory of Élisabeth Brosda, funds do- nated to the Élisabeth Brosda Memorial Fund are directed specif- ically to the annual Brosda Olympic Bursary. Donations to the Élisabeth Brosda Memorial Fund can be made online or by cheque. Please make cheques out to the Canadian Olympic Foundation and include Élisabeth Brosda Memorial Fund in the memo area of the cheque. Cheques can be mailed to: Canadian Olympic Foundation, 250 Yonge St., Suite 3000, PO Box 19, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5B 2L7. Tax receipts can be provided for donations over $10. For more information on the


Brosda Olympic Bursary, visit www.equestrian.ca/sport/dres- sage/athlete-development.


PHOTO – Brittany Fraser- Beaulieu, pictured with All In) of Saint-Bruno, QC. PHOTO CREDIT – Susan J. Stickle


The Science of how Horses Think & Learn Counter canter: Why bother? Part 1


ever your riding discipline, this misstep is a biggie. Under AQHA rules, for instance, merely 1 or 2 strides on the wrong lead will cost you a major, 5 point deduction in horsemanship or equitation. A minor 3 point penalty for noticeably looking down to check your lead. In several other classes, even a “hiccup” onto the wrong lead is a 3 point penalty.


4. Horse’s education. Many horses are taught leads in re- lation to direction of travel (always picking up the inside lead as we travel around the rail). Instead, I want the horses I ride to know their leads in relation to the way I position their bodies. I should be able to pick up either lead, on a straight or curved line, anywhere in the arena’s “geome- try”.


Counter canter is a nifty balancing exercise – the horse learns, after a few sessions of awkwardness, to develop straightness and self-carriage.


By Lindsay Grice, Equine Canada certified coach and show judge.


same rider initiating the wrong lead …on pur- pose…Why? She’s discovered the counter- canter as an es-


sential step in building the solid training founda- tion she wants for her horse. Here’s why:


1. Rider education. I years of coaching, I see it over and over -once a rider masters the counter canter, a light bulb goes on. They graduate from elementary to high school in their understanding of leads and balance. You will too – gain an awareness for not only what feels right, but what feels wrong. You’ll acquire independent control of the horse’s hips and shoulders.


2. Preparation for the show ring. Counter canter is often asked for in pattern or test. Equitation, dressage and western horsemanship.


3. Avoid scoring penalties. Wrong leads - what-


rection of travel, but by the rider’s distinct aids and posi- tioning of the horse’s body.


horse learns, after a few sessions of awkwardness, to de- velop straightness and self-carriage.


5. Warm-up ring bonus. When I can navigate the prac- tice arena on either lead, I’m not dependent on the direc- tion of travel to train the canter lead I wish at a show. I can cruise around on the counter lead if necessary and not inconvenience other riders.


The counter canter is a nifty balancing exercise – the Horses should take their leads not in relation to their di-


young rider deflates… Fast forward a year down the road to see the


Wrong lead! The coach calls out and the


For those of us who asked in grade 9 algebra class, “How will I ever use this in real life?”, in the rear view mirror we see that every fragment of learning pieces together to build bigger skills and helps us make sense of the world. Wisdom, in riding and in life, is putting all the pieces together in the moment to figure out a solution as if we’ve done it before!


6. A building block for the flying change. In the next issue, we’ll consider how counter canter is a logical, lower-stress step for your horse in his flying change education. Why bother? It may seem counterintuitive to practice the wrong lead.


Next issue – how do teach the counter canter.


About Lindsay Grice. A horse show judge and certified riding coach with a special interest


in equine behaviour. After 25 years as a competitor and horse trainer, Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and travelling to Ontario farms as a freelance instruc- tor. She’s taught the science of equine behaviour and learning for horse as- sociations, courses for University of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges many disciplines and breeds and serves on an EC judg-


ing committee


Why do horses do what they do? “In the horse world, our traditions and evidence sometimes collide – I love to help riders solve their horse puzzles with logic, patience and equitation science.”


www/lindsaygriceridingcoach.com


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