Collective Equestrian Summer 2015

The college and young professionals edition

Collective

SUMMER 2015

The

EQUESTRIAN

4Under 35: Georgia has an exciting future in horses - meet some of the state’s most promising

young equestrian professionals (and some who are soon to be)

2 champs, 1 state: Berry & SCAD storm

Intercollegiate Nationals

Once in a lifetime: Splurge a little on a personalized

gift for your equestrian grad

Sweet Briar: The battle is far

from over

The Collective Equestrian Summer 2015 2

SUMMER 2015

Contents Reaching Out 3 Message from the editor

In Profile 4 Ryan Genn Grand Prix jumpers, IHSA and

veterinary courses: this is the

college equestrian experience

6 Sarah Dubois Breaking out on her own in the

competitive world of youth

coaching

8 Chad Rice Stepping up the professional

game using competition as the

vehicle

10 Miguel Wilson Beginning an Olympic journey

with an eye toward altruism

On the cover:

Miguel Wilson pilots “Cayden A”

through a course in Tyler, Texas.

IHSA Nationals 22 Behind the scenes Statistically speaking, this was

a historical year for the IHSA

23 IHSA: a primer

A quick rundown of the

collegiate competition system

24 Berry College Berry solidifies its status as a

Western powerhouse

28 Savannah College of

Art and Design The art school with a decidedly

equestrian bent rules the

huntseat

Opinion 16 Karen McGoldrick

The battle for Sweet Briar is far

from over

Our Picks 18 The CE gift guide At a loss for what to get your

special grad or young

professional? Make it personal!

6 10 24 28 18


MY COMMITMENT TO YOU: Welcome to the first edition of The Collective Equestrian. I’m your editor, Liz

Crumbly. I won’t take up too much of your valuable time with an extensive back-

ground on myself right now, but suffice it to say, I’ve been in the business of local

journalism for a long time, and I’ve been an avid equestrian nearly all my life.

I’m looking forward to bringing my knowledge of both worlds to you on a quar-

terly basis.

Think of the Collection as grassroots, hyperlocal journalism: you won’t be seeing

this material on every blog or in every other magazine. Each edition of the Collec-

tive will revolve around a theme or trend on the Southeastern horse scene, and you

can expect to find unique stories that will connect you to your fellow horsemen

across the region.

Our stories about equestrians across Georgia and the South have been handpicked

to intrigue, compel and inspire you, as readers and horse enthusiasts. For this, our

inaugural edition, we chose to highlight Georgia’s young equestrian professionals.

We present to you four profiles of varying length on the state’s most promising ex-

perts under the age of 35 who are currently - or will soon be - working in the local

horse industry.

We also provided a detailed summary of the triumphant journey two Georgia

teams made to IHSA nationals in May. This is a unique group of young competi-

tors, many of whom are about to be working as professionals. I hope you’ll enjoy

our take on the nationals results for IHSA riders across the state.

I think, after reading about these motivated young people, you will agree with me

that Georgia has a very exciting future in the equestrian world.

You’ll also notice we’ve been building a directory of local horsemen and equine-

related services. (See page 33). I encourage you to add a listing for your equine-

based business and become visible to our growing circulation. See the directory for

details on how to do this.

Please take a moment to peruse the magazine’s website at

www.collectiveequestrian.com and our Facebook page at facebook.com/

collectiveequestrian. You will find a bevy of material pertinent to your local horse

scene, as well as my full biography on the website.

Before I let you go, I ask that you consider doing me one favor: if you like what

you see, subscribe to the Collective via ISSUU; I promise we’ll never waste your

time when you do us the honor of opening up one of our editions. In fact, I feel

confident in saying this publication will compel and inspire you to better yourself

as a horse enthusiast.

Sincerely,

Liz

From the editor ...

Liz Crumbly

Editor


This is how to build

a college education

around horses

Poised to be a professional:

FROM CE STAFF REPORTS

Although Ryan Genn is technically

a resident of Ohio, Georgia gets to

claim him for most of the year, as he is

a full-time student at Savannah College

of Art and Design. Genn has plans to

eventually make his profession in train-

ing and riding showjumpers.

This is a world that, at first blush,

seems like the champagne of riding

disciplines - colorful, effervescent, ex-

citing. Genn would probably agree that

piloting a gifted jumper around a grand

prix course is all of these things, but he

has taken great pains to make sure his

bank of knowledge includes a lot of

experience gleaned outside the show-

ring.

A comprehensive education

Genn, who just wrapped up his Jun-

ior year, plans to graduate with a Bach-

elor of Arts in Equestrian Studies. The

program, according to its scad.edu de-

scription, brings a comprehensive ap-

proach to those looking to enter the

Ryan Genn, at a horseshow here,

is an equestrian studies major at

Savannah College of Art and De-

sign. He plans to pursue a career

as a professional trainer after

graduating and spending some

time training in Germany.

Contributed photo

Ryan G

enn: T

he Eq. S

tudies

Majo

r

Age:

23


horse world as professionals.

Upper level offerings include classes

like “Equine Systems, Disorders and

Lameness,” “Rules and Regulations for

Competition Horses” and “Equine Busi-

ness Law and Ethics.”

Genn said he has gleaned quite a bit

of useful knowledge from his classes. He

cited one professor, Dr. Rebecca Evans,

as being particularly influential in his

learning process.

Evans teaches veterinary courses;

these are the classes Genn feels have re-

ally elevated his education. This is where

he is learning, as he puts it, “things that

every professional doesn’t get to know,”

during in-depth studies of subjects like

horse anatomy and equine medications.

“It’s a cool program,” he said,

“especially for me - being focused on the

horses.”

In the ring Another thing that’s been a positive

experience is the catch-riding he’s had to

learn in order to help lead SCAD’s IHSA

(Intercollegiate Horse Show Association)

to the 2015 national championship. Genn

said he feels a lot of people underesti-

mate the challenges of the IHSA format

because the obstacles in the equitation-

style courses are lower in height than the

ones in typical jumper competition. The

jump height in Genn’s division, open

equitation over fences, do not exceed

3’3”, according to the official IHSA rule-

book.

The trick is that riders are not al-

lowed any time to test ride the horses

they draw for competition.

“Catch riding with no warm-up; that

was difficult for me.” Genn said.

He came to SCAD with the experi-

ence of having ridden significantly big-

ger jumps - but on horses he knew, in

training that he described as “a lot more

physical.”

“You really get in tune with what

you’re riding,” he explained. “You sit up

one way with your weight, and they lis-

ten.”

Genn quickly picked up on the catch-

riding concept, and it shows in his record

for SCAD. He logged IHSA national

team placings for the school during his

freshman year and again this year.

He’s also been instrumental in the

school’s ANRC (American National Rid-

ing Commission) success, helping secure

SCAD’s second consecutive Nationals

division win this year with a final indi-

vidual standing of second place. (A quick

overview of ANRC national competi-

tion: riders are split into Novice and Na-

tionals divisions; with fence heights of

2’6” and 3’, respectively. Each division,

according to an ANRC press release, is

“judged and scored in four phases: a pro-

gram ride (including USEF hunter equi-

tation tests); a hunter seat equitation

medal course; a derby style equitation

course (over natural obstacles in a field);

and a written test based on riding theory

and equine science.)

Future plans

Genn plans to eventually land back

home in Ohio where he will help his fa-

ther and older brother operate the family

training business. His father, Wilhelm

Genn, has found significant success as a

professional jumper. Ryan said his dad is

ready to form a partnership with his sons

and let them begin taking the reins.

First, however, Ryan plans to do

somewhat of a walkabout session in Ger-

many where much of his family, includ-

ing a prominent veterinarian uncle, still

lives. Ryan plans to take advantage, not

only of the excellent quality of riding

training, but also of the opportunity to

expand his command of the German lan-

guage. He hopes to be fluent by the time

he returns to the states.

Despite having been raised in a fami-

ly where uncommon riding talent and

highly-trained horses are part of the eve-

ryday scenery, Genn seems to realize his

unusual fortune. Growing up in a riding

family, he said, has had its perks.

“It’s good to have people you trust,”

he explained. “It’s awesome to have

those connections.”

You work hard at

your job. Let us do ours by serving

your publicity needs.

See our online home,

collectivequestrian.com, for information on our

competitively priced

display & classified advertising

packages.


Be honest: you’ve dreamed

about giving your two-week notice at your ‘grown-up’ job

and riding horses for a

living instead.

Sarah Dubois

has done it.

How to escape the corporate grind:

By LIZ CRUMBLY

Contributed photos

B reakaway Farm - the name symbolizes not just a new beginning but a bold start. That’s ex-

actly what its owner, Sarah Dubois, was getting at when she christened her then-fledgling training business in Braselton, Ga. almost four years ago.

And a bold start it was. Dubois began a new career, a family and competition in a new discipline at vir-tually the same time, but her tenacity has paid off in spades. She recently returned from Wellington, Fla. hav-ing coached her first rider to IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Associa-

tion) Nationals.

Breaking out Dubois, by her own admission,

has finally found her passion teaching young minds the ins and outs of the hunter ring, but she took the long way around in becoming a coach. After college, like so many lifelong eques-trians, she felt compelled to get, in her words, a “real job.”

So, she flew a desk with Progres-sive Insurance for five years, handling auto claims.

“It was a really well-paying job,” she recalls, trailing off in the way

horsemen do when it’s obvious their calling lies elsewhere.

She hung on to that nine-to-five security, but she had soon manufac-tured a double life for herself, teach-ing lessons in the evenings at a farm in Gainesville where she boarded her gelding, Ditto. Her typical workday ran from daylight to dark: Progressive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the barn af-terward.

“I would be working all day, and I’d be at the barn by 4:30,” she re-calls.

Despite the rigorous schedule, Du-

Sarah

Dubois:

The T

rain

er

Age:

32

See DUBOIS page 14


Opposite page: Sarah Dubois,

right, stands with the Breaka-

way Farm IEA Team.

This page, clockwise from

top: Dubois and her husband,

Sean; Sarah jumping at a

horseshow; Angelica Davis,

Sarah’s Future Beginner Equi-

tation competitor, showing

“Winston” on the flat at IEA

nationals in April; Sarah with

her son, Caleb, in a leadline

class on her gelding, “Ditto,”

whom she has owned since

she was 12.


Education through competition:

Age:

34

Chad R

ice: T

he Farr

ier

Above: Chad Rice, CJF, (left) com-

petes in the two-man portion of a

World Championship Blacksmiths

competition with the aid of a strik-

er. Left: Rice (far left) with his

2012 WCB World Horseshoeing

Classic teammates, Chip Crumbly,

CJF, AWCF; Nick Starr, CJF; and

Billy Lewis, CJF.

Ph

oto

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to- W

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up

ph

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CB


FROM CE STAFF REPORTS Chad Rice, CJF, is known among his

farrier contemporaries for his quick wit and willingness to manufacture a practi-cal joke at the drop of a hat. He’s taken ample opportunity to participate in his fair share of them while attending some of the nation’s most intense shoeing com-petitions, but when it’s actually time to compete, Rice is completely serious.

These competitions, most of which have taken place under the WCB (World Championship Blacksmiths Association) tent, have pushed Rice to take responsi-bility for elevating his education to new heights. The required travel takes a lot of logistical planning and time - especially for farriers like Rice who are supporting families and operating full-time shoeing businesses.

The WCB events take place at vari-ous far-flung locations across the country - Wyoming, Virginia, Las Vegas. Coke forges are provided for competitors; par-ticipants pack their tools and check them before boarding a plane. Just getting there can be a feat, but it’s worth it to Rice.

“It’s about dedication,” he explained. Participants compete in one of four

categories, based on level of aptitude. All competitors are assigned the same shoe to attempt to produce. At the time of judging, participants are placed within their competitive categories and also overall. Judging takes place in an open format, so all competitors can observe the process. This factor makes WCB events particularly educational, according to Rice, and it also ups the ante of the concept of shoeing competition.

“I think the coolest thing about the WCB is that your work is up against eve-ryone that’s there,” he explained. “It’s just raising the bar.”

Some years he’s on the road more than others. He attended about 10 compe-titions with various associations in 2012, often traveling with several fellow farri-ers with whom he has developed close friendships through competition.

Rice has also participated several times in the WCB’s World Horseshoeing

Classic, an international level competi-tion held in the four-man format. In these competitions, each farrier team is as-signed a horse, and each team member trims fits and and nails on one of its shoes - all within two-and-a-half hour timeframe. The prep work requires nu-merous weekend practice sessions with each team member typically hosting at least one session and the others driving several hours to attend.

Rice said the experience, as a whole, was immensely beneficial.

“That was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done - the team aspect of horse-shoeing,” he explained.

When Rice isn’t traveling, he calls Nashville, Ga. home, shoeing horses from as far north as Tifton, Ga. down to Live Oak, Fla. on a regular basis and sometimes even doing work in Palm Beach or Ocala. His wife, Lacey, is a teacher and an avid rodeo competitor, and the couple has two children, who are also involved with horses.

For someone who works and plays as hard as Rice, farriery seems to be the per-fect fit. Next year marks his 10th year shoeing on his own. Although he serves a comparatively large book of clients and keeps a packed schedule, Rice maintains that he’s never had a “real job -” a char-acteristic statement from someone who has found his niche.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate,” he said simply.

He likes to give credit for his hard-won education where it’s due, including to the dozen or so horseshoers for whom he has worked and from whom he has learned over the years.

Travel seems to have become some-what of a theme for Rice. He recently worked the Capital Challenge under the show’s official farrier, Bud Adams, of Atlanta. Rice was one of several farriers Adams brought to help him at the promi-nent two-week hunter event, which took place indoors in Upper Marlboro, Md.

He’ll be on the road competing a few more times this year, among his upcom-ing destinations - the WCB’s June com-petition in Herriman, Utah.

About the WCB: This competitive farriery association

is the brainchild of New Mexico-based

farrier Craig Tyrnka, CJF, and its pri-

mary purpose is to foster knowledge

about the intricacies of the art of farri-

ery. According to its website,

www.worldchampionshipblacksmiths.

com, the association was formed with

an eye toward educating not only the

participating farriers, but the horse-

owning public, as well. The associa-

tion was formed in 2006, and compe-

titions were held around the country

in conjunction with other large horse-

centric events that would provide au-

diences for the competitors.

Now approaching its 10-year anniver-

sary, the WCB has kept its of commit-

ment of supplying everything for par-

ticipants, except for their hand tools.

When the competitions began, this

was an unprecedented concept for

farrier competitions in the U.S.

“The idea of horseshoeing competi-

tors being able to arrive at a destina-

tion with just their hand tools was a

completely new concept,” the site

states. “All of the equipment was

there for them; the anvil, forge, vice

and all the little pieces that competi-

tors used to have to haul in the back

of a pickup truck if they were going to

go to any other horseshoeing compe-

tition.”

The WCB format, according to the

site, includes three areas of competi-

tion: matchplay, a speed round,

where shoers compete against each

other in brackets; the two-man, in

which a competitor has 60 minutes to

make a pair of shoes with the help of

a striker; the single man, in which a

contestant produces a single pair of

shoes with no striker; and the live por-

tion, during which competitors must

shoe a single foot on a horse and sim-

ultaneously produce a specimen

shoe.

See

worldchampionshipblacksmiths.com

for more information.

Chad Rice has advanced his

knowledge of the hoof through

a rigorous contest schedule


Mig

uel W

ilson: T

he Work

ing Stu

dent

Age:

16


This 16 year old shows us how

to start scaling the Mount Everest of all riding goals

with an extraordinary dose of class and generosity.

Meet (very possibly) Atlanta’s next equestrian Olympian:

Miguel Wilson

In a sandy arena, the June sun

beating down, a young man puts a

jumper through its paces during an

afternoon schooling session. The rid-

er’s performance is so eye catching

that a trainer teaching a lesson nearby

stops her students to watch; her as-

sessment of his talent: “He wants it.” That rider is Atlanta native Miguel

Wilson; he remembers the comment

clearly, and he concurs with it whole-

heartedly. So, what exactly is it? Wilson, at 16, can tell you pre-

cisely. He has skyscraping dreams

that, should he achieve them, will

leave a lasting impression on the

horse world in more ways than one.

He is currently building a riding ca-

reer that he hopes will propel him to

the 2024 Olympics in showjumping,

and he plans to be the first African

American member of the United

States Equestrian Team to achieve

this feat. These things alone should be dis-

tinguishing enough, but Wilson insists

that this goal is not just about him. He

wants to impact other young people

along the way, those who might not

have a chance to ride otherwise, and

he plans to act as a launch pad for

them to begin working toward their

equestrian goals. Wilson’s Ride to the

Olympics Foundation is the platform

he is using to involve the public in his

Olympic goal and also in his endeav-

ors to reach underprivileged children

who want to find a foothold in the

equestrian world. “I wanted to give kids who aren’t

exactly born into great means the op-

portunity to ride and to be around

horses,” Wilson explains. He has al-

ready hosted a successful “Day at the

Barn” event in which he introduced a

group of local kids to horses at an Al-

pharetta barn, and he has plans to ex-

pand and build the experience.

Chasing an education

In the meantime, Wilson’s in the

trenches figuring out how to advance

his own riding. For someone who has

had to pretty well blaze his own trail,

he has laid the foundation for his

higher education in riding fairly

quickly. A little more than two years

ago, the next step in his horse-

showing experience was just in the

idea stage. Today, he’s riding full-

time (save for regular visits home to

Atlanta) as a working student at Pine

Hollow Farms in New Caney, Texas,

under professional hunter and jumper

trainer Will Roberts.

A lot of his story up to this point

involves carving out his own toe-

holds, without a whole lot of financial

capital, in an industry where a lack of

funding can be the kiss of death for a

burgeoning career. Two years ago,

according to his father, Miguel was a

standout runner on his eighth-grade

track team, and he was succeeding

academically. It looked like running

would be an opportunity he would

pursue very competitively. Miguel Sr.

realized things had begun to take a

different turn, however, when Miguel

returned from a horse show in Penn-

sylvania and sat his father down for a

serious conversation. “‘Dad, I don’t want to go back to

school next year, and I don’t want to

run track anymore,” he remembers his

son saying. Miguel wanted to pursue riding

full time, and he had hatched a plan to

do it. He presented a scenario that

By LIZ CRUMBLY

Contributed photos

Left: Miguel Wilson riding

“Commander in Chief.”


would take him to Texas. He had

already obtained information, his

father recalls, about an online edu-

cation program that seemed to be

competitive as or more so than the

brick-and-mortar one he was en-

rolled in at the time. This is one of those scenarios

that would have a lot of parents ap-

plying the brakes immediately, but

Miguel Sr. realized that his son’s

horse obsession was not something

he could ignore or tamp down. As

he puts it, when Miguel began rid-

ing, “the bug bit him hard.” And Miguel had another thing

working in his favor: his father

knows what it’s like to love horses.

Miguel Sr. rode as a child at horse

camp; equines were a breath of fresh

air for a kid growing up in Washing-

ton D.C. “He’s the one who got that pas-

sion,” he says of his son. “When I

was a kid, I was similar. I fell in

love with them just like he did -

from the start. Horses were my es-

cape from the inner city.” Given his understanding of hors-

es and of his son’s determination, he

believed Miguel had a chance to as-

cend to the top ranks of the competi-

tive riding world. So instead of be-

coming overwhelmed by the direc-

tion things were taking, Miguel Sr. Miguel Wilson takes a break during a horse show at the Colorado Horse

Park last July.

The blog:

Miguel Wilson has taken pains to

document his walkabout adventures in

his ridetotheolympics.com blog. Last

year, he attempted to post every day,

and he came fairly close.

The blog is a delightful portal into

his daily life at the barn and on the road.

It’s hard to turn away once you read

posts like one titled “I Can’t Feel My

Legs,” written after a mid-June day of

training. In fact, it inspired the lede for

this very story:

“I bested my record today!” Wilson

writes. “I rode 13 horses today! Six of

them were ridden without stirrups. It’s

safe to say that I’m exhausted. Some-

thing that stuck with me today was ‘feel

the burn’. That burn means you’re doing

something right. It means that I’m im-

proving in my riding. The highlight of my

day was was when a trainer stopped her

group lesson to use me as an example.

She said, ‘He wants it.’ Truer words

have never been spoken. I want to be

the best rider I can be, and I’m willing to

put in as much hard work as I have to.

It’s amazing to have your hard work no-

ticed.”

Wilson has decided to back his post-

ing down, frequency-wise, but he’s

proud of the effort he put into docu-

menting 2014, and he feels like he ac-

complished his goal of bringing his read-

ers in on his experience.

“The thought was there,” he says,

“The thought stayed true.”

Be sure to subscribe to Wilson’s

equestrian musings via the RSS button

on the Ride to the Olympics blog page.


began brainstorming. The two Wilsons took a road trip

from their home in Atlanta to Virgin-

ia, and they had some frank discus-

sion about the financial backing that

Miguel’s goals would require. “I told him that I did not have the

resources at the time,” Miguel Sr.

says. But he also told his son not to give

up and that they would find a way to

begin scaling the Mount Everest of

riding goals. “Don’t get discouraged,” Miguel

Sr. recalls telling his son. “There’s

always more than one way to get what

you want in life.” Miguel Sr. felt the horse-owning

public would want to help, but he re-

alized they had to hear Miguel’s story

in order to do that.

“We’ve got to create a vehicle for

you to introduce yourself to them,” he

told his son. By the end of that road trip, they

had hashed out a framework for the

Ride to the Olympics Foundation: it’s

part charitable foundation for other

young people who want to ride, part

publicity vehicle for Miguel’s Olym-

pic dream. When Miguel discusses the

Foundation, his excitement for the

myriad of charitable events he has in

the planning stages is palpable. Right

now, though, as Miguel Sr. points out,

the pair have their hands rather full as

they negotiate the challenges of build-

ing Miguel’s career. Miguel is hopeful that the Founda-

tion will help in bringing him the at-

tention, and by extension the funding,

that he needs to eventually step into

the international spotlight. “We thought this could definitely

happen,” he says, “having it out there

- it would help … Even if I don’t

make it to the Olympics, I’ve definite-

ly done something … with the right

amount of funding, I could do it.”

A day in Wilson’s life

Miguel Wilson is living out the

dream that so many young people say

they wish they could pursue: the one

that ends with riders piloting lavishly

talented horses through Olympic

jumper courses. The nagging question

most teenagers circumnavigate is this:

what does it really take to get there? Apparently, what it takes is the

ability to keep the vision through the daily grind and through the changing

The Ride to the Olympics Foundation:

A LEG UP:

One of the key concepts of 16-year-old Miguel Wilson’s

Ride to the Olympics Foundation is rooted in helping oth-

ers kickstart their equestrian dreams.

Wilson has already hosted a Day at the Barn event at an

Alpharetta-area barn, during which he introduced a group

of visiting youth to the resident horses and provided a rid-

ing demonstration. His plans for the Foundation go far be-

yond just getting kids into the barn, though.

The next step:

Wilson plans to host a Day at the Show in order to intro-

duce would-be competitors to the rigors of an actual show

day. He also wants to host a horse camp - this one will be,

he admits, “a big undertaking.”

He needs significant resources to pull off an event of

this magnitude; some of the biggest needs would be coun-

selors, horses and a facility to host the camp.

Another big goal is to provide a support system for kids

getting started in the horse show world; this desire in-

spired the rider level system he wants to institute as the

Foundation becomes capable of sponsoring young people.

The levels will run the gamut of rider ability, and he has a

vision of donations to the Foundation providing funding for

kids at the advanced level to travel and show.

Basically, the Foundation would provide “anything

you would need to get to live out the rider dream,” Wilson

explains.

How you can help:

The Ride to the Olympics Foundation is currently ac-

cepting donations both for Wilson’s Olympic goal and his

outreach efforts. The Foundation, according to Wilson’s

father, Miguel Wilson, Sr., is in the process of becoming a

nonprofit organization, so donations will soon be tax de-

ductible. Donations may be made via credit card or Pay-

pal.

For more information and to donate visit

www.ridetotheyolympics.com.

Miguel Wilson, Sr., far right, stands with children and vol-

unteers from a local Boys and Girls Club during the Ride

to the Olympics Foundation’s Day at the Barn, which took

place at an Alpharetta stable. The children got an intro-

duction to barn life, getting to meet the horses and see a

riding demonstration.

See WILSON page 15


bois realized she was finding deep satisfaction conducting those evening lessons. She became the assistant trainer at that barn, and her affinity for teaching grew.

“That’s where I found my passion to teach kids to ride horses,” she says. “To me, it’s not work.”

One day, on impulse, she stopped by a facility in Braselton that she had heard was in need of a trainer. That barn, as it turned out, was the stepping stone that finally allowed her to stride fully into the equestrian world again. She took the head trainer position, and through a series of events over the following few months, she became the lessee of the property on Union Church Road, and Breakaway Farm was born.

Of course, none of these events were as simple as they seem on paper. Moving on from the barn in Gaines-ville where she had taught lessons for the past few years was a particularly difficult emotional decision, and Du-bois also had to let go of the proverbi-al handlebars and make her final exit from the corporate world.

Perhaps the most complicated turn of events was this: as Breakaway was forming, so was another facet of Du-bois life - she was pregnant with her son, Caleb. Somehow, the stars aligned, and she was able to keep her position at Progressive throughout her maternity leave - a particular point of relief.

“I was able to have a kid without the stress of not working,” as she puts it.

And then Dubois found herself as an entrepreneur handling the ins and outs of boarding, training and selling horses and hauling clients to shows. At the same time she also made her own break from hunters to take on the jumper ring competitively. Her con-stant reinforcement has been her hus-band Sean, a reliability engineer for Ethicon without, according to his

wife, a horsey bone in his body. “I don’t think he had ever touched

a horse until he met me,” Dubois says of her husband.

He’s been game for the adventure, though, helping to propel her emo-tionally through the process of start-ing her own business.

“He’s been my 100 percent sup-portive backbone,” she says. “I was really worried about the security.”

He’s gotten pretty good with his fence-building and barn repair skills, and Dubois doesn’t hesitate to put him to work.

“Anything I need done, he does it,” she says.

All the way to Nationals Breakaway soon became a hub for

youth competitors, and today Dubois has a thriving IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association) program in a region where there seems to be a high school team on every corner. Read that to mean the competition is stiff in Zone 4, Region 6.

Despite the pressure, Dubois has thrived coaching middle and high schoolers in the Interscholastic for-mat, and she has seen a path of leader-ship among her peers begin to open before her. She just completed her first year as Region 6 IEA president.

She is there every step of the way for her middle and high school teams, whose members compete all school year in what Dubois admits is a long season. All those long practice ses-sions and weekends on the road payed off this year, though, culminating in Wellington April 24-26 when Dubois shepherded middle school rider An-

gelica Davis, then 11, to IEA nation-als as an individual competitor.

Davis is a tiny rider with a big heart; she “probably weighs about 50 pounds wet,” by Dubois’ estimation. There was no callback for finals this year for Davis, but Dubois was pleased just to have made that first trip as a coach.

Davis rode on the flat in the Fu-ture Beginner Equitation division, which, according to the IEA’s official website, rideiea.org, is open to riders in grades 6-8. Only the top eight rid-ers, out of the handful who filter past the region and zone competitions, are placed at the national level, as Dubois points out.

“It was a huge accomplishment to go,” she explains. “(It was) the top 22 riders in every class in the country. Just to ride at nationals, I think, is a huge accomplishment.”

Dubois would know. Ten years ago this year, she

placed sixth in her individual novice over fences class at IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Associa-tion) nationals, where she rode for Berry College, an institution with a historically strong huntseat team that has been represented well and often at the national level.

That top-10 national ranking capped off an intercollegiate career for Dubois that had been studded with huntseat wins on the flat and over fences. Little did she know at that time that she would find herself on the other side of the rail, watching her own riders compete in a format much like the one she had become so famil-iar with.

Dubois From Page 6

Breakaway Farm: 5840 Union Church Road,

Braselton, Ga., 30517

For more information: www.break-awayfarm.net or

www.facebook.com/BreakAwayFarmIeaTeam


scenery. Miguel has already had working student positions at several large barns, and he’s picked up differ-ent skills and responsibilities during each one. When he is “at home,” i.e. not helping at a horse show, Miguel’s routine is fairly unchanging. It often involves non-horse-related tasks like feeding a farm’s dogs early each morning or painting jumps. That one actually took up quite a bit of his time last fall. Each day, Miguel found him-self in jump makeover mode, paint-brush in hand; the experience was a new one that quickly grew old.

“I had never painted before, ex-cept for finger painting in art class,” he recalls.

The actual riding gig is far more interesting, but it’s not for the faint of heart, due to the sheer number of eq-uines Miguel is responsible for work-ing day in and day out. He’s on his first horse of the day by 9 a.m., and then he rides … and rides, working five to 10 training horses each day, depending on which clients will be visiting. It’s the kind of rigorous schedule that weeds out the wishful riders from the really driven ones, and Miguel acknowledges that fact. Existing as a teenager in settings typi-cally reserved for adults has its chal-lenges.

“I’m always thrown in situa-tions,” he remarks. “I’m always sur-rounded by adults, the grooms, the trainers. Sometimes they lose sight of the fact that I am 16.”

He says the growing pains that a working student position brings are well-worth the effort, however. If a rider doesn’t have the fortitude to “tough” these situations out, he says, a training career probably isn’t right for them.

“I wouldn’t trade what I’m learn-ing for anything,” he says. “It’s some-

thing that you kind of have to be tough-skinned about and have to push through because there will definitely be a lot of setbacks.”

An A average

Finding a balance between riding, academics and his charitable pursuits is also a hurdle.

“My head is spinning,” he says, “all day long about schoolwork, the Foundation, schoolwork …”

Despite a rigorous show schedule (during a previous working student position, he regularly helped his em-ployer transport between 15 and 30 show horses between Texas and fara-way destinations like Wellington, Fla.), Wilson maintains a A average in school, according to his father. Ac-ademics are something that always hover at the edge of Miguel’s thoughts, and he mentions school a lot when talking about his daily life. Sometimes it’s difficult to retrieve his online course materials when travel-ing, as wireless access is spotty at some venues, but he gets the work done in the end.

“It’s something that my parents kind of instilled in me,” he explains. “Education is important.”

He’s not sure how academics and riding will meld in the future, but post-secondary education is very much part of his plan.

“I do want to go to a university,” he says. “I’m not sure which one.”

Even with college on the horizon, he still has his sights firmly set on riding professionally.

“When you invest so much into something, it’s really hard to imagine doing something else with my life,” he explains. “I love riding, and it’s basically what I base my life on at this point … I’ve moved away from my family to ride and to live the dream.”

Wilson From Page 13

Are you

hooked yet? Find out more about

The CE online

(and pardon

our progress)

We’re in the process of building

an top-of-the line website to

better serve you.

See our online home,

collectivequestrian.com, for information about us.


My life was changed completely the

day I arrived at Sweet Briar in ways I

never could have imagined.

I grew up in Claremont, in Los Ange-

les County, California. I had never seen

Sweet Briar before move in day. I had

never even visited the State of Virginia.

Neither of my parents had seen Sweet

Briar either. We did not have money for

such things as travel.

Sweet Briar had been recommended

to my family by a graduate student of my

father’s. Alan Balch had become Vice

President of Santa Anita race track, and

manager of the Del Mar horse show, and

the Forum International horse show. He

later would run the equestrian venue for

the 1986 Olympics, and become President

of the AHSA. He highly recommended

the riding program at Sweet Briar, and

especially its director Paul Cronin.

I did not want to go to college…I just

wanted to ride. But, as my father was a

college professor, he was firm. I was go-

“I am so impressed, as always, by my brilliant Sweet Briar sisters. They are still blazingly bright and

clever. To hang onto their blasts of brilliance, to just be part of the conversations, is still like catch-

ing hold of mildly electrified wire.

The world learned just how determined and resourceful the Sweet Briar Vixens can be when the alumnae of the Virginia

women's college kicked off an aggressive attempt earlier this year to save their beloved alma mater from closure.

The negative reaction was widespread and swift among the alumnae when the college administration announced that the

school would close its doors this coming August. Champions of the 114-year-old women’s institution, which is located just north

of Lynchburg, Va., launched Saving Sweet Briar, Inc., a non-profit organization that is seeking to raise $20 million in order to

keep the college afloat for the time being. According to the group’s website, savingsweetbriar.com, $16 million has poured in

since March. Donations are still being accepted and are tax deductible.

The organization has also launched a legal battle in an attempt to halt the impending closure of the school.

Sweet Briar’s situation has been of particular interest to many equestrians because of the college’s historically strong horse pro-

gram. Today, it offers an equine studies program, and its riding teams are competitive in national associations including IHSA

and ANRC.

One of the Georgia equestrian community’s most vocal champions of Sweet Briar has been Karen McGoldrick, a 1979 gradu-

ate. Today, she makes her home in Alpharetta, Ga., and is a successful dressage instructor and novelist. Her literary offerings

include “The Dressage Chronicles” and its followup, “The Dressage Chronicles II: A Matter of Feel.” McGoldrick wrote the fol-

lowing of her beloved college:

Saving Sweet Briar:

Sweet Briar House, one of numerous historic buildings on the Sweet Briar

College campus, is the traditional home of the school’s president.

- Karen McGoldrick

The battle to keep the

women’s college

open is very much on

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ing. Sweet Briar was our compromise.

Everything was foreign. My clothes

were all wrong, the air, the light, the

overwhelming greenery and especially

the humidity kept me off balance my first

days. I had never seen sweat beading on

my skin before, and remember the confu-

sion of seeing drops on the pommel of

my saddle, and looking skyward for the

rain. When people cheerily yelled “hey”

at me, I remember thinking, “hey, what?”

But, it didn’t take me long to realize,

getting thrown into the Briar patch at

Sweet Briar was the opportunity of a life-

time.

My roommate also rode, and we

were both placed into Paul Cronin’s only

freshman riding class. We forged an in-

stant friendship and soon just referred to

each other as sister…as we still do today.

My advisor was a handsome guy

with a red setter and an odd accent; Ross

Dabney. Dabney taught my Freshman

English class too. His classes were lively

and fun and the books we read were en-

gaging. Pretty soon I found that class

never really ended. I found that some of

us just kept talking and did not stop for

the next four years. I was impressed by

my classmates, some of whom were

blazingly bright and clever. To hang onto

their blasts of brilliance, to just be part of

the conversations, was like catching hold

of mildly electrified wire. You felt it

though your entire being and darn it but

you couldn’t let it go.

And then I met my future husband, at

a Wednesday night mixer in the gym;

another bolt of electricity, more endless

conversations. And he was from Georgia,

a state that I only knew from Gone with

the Wind.

Los Angeles, even with its sunshine,

never stood a chance. I graduated with a

degree in English and creative writing.

Lawrence and I got married on the

Monday after graduation, at the chapel at

UVA. That way my SBC sisters and fac-

ulty members could be there.

We moved to Houston, where my

first job was at a small advertising agen-

cy as a junior copywriter. I did get to

write and produce radio spots and write

newspaper, magazine, and billboard ads.

I bought a cheap horse and rode after

work.

But I hated the advertising work and

quit after 10 months. I really had no ex-

pectations after graduating about my ca-

reer. I never felt that the world owed me

anything. It was up to me to design the

life I wanted. And after casting about,

and aborting a Masters degree in educa-

tion after I finished my student teaching

stint in the classroom, I went right back

to the horses and became a professional

rider and trainer, focusing on dressage.

I never stopped reading and writing,

for the pure love of it. I decided to write

a novel as a tool for teaching about train-

ing horses and riding. I did not see any-

thing out there like it, and as I loved

reading historical fiction as a way to dive

into a time in history, I thought others

would enjoy learning through story-

telling about horses.

And so I wrote The Dressage Chron-

icles. It was well received, so I wrote the

sequel, “A Matter of Feel.” And now I

am writing the third book and final book

in the series, “Rings of Fire.” Today I

split my day in two, teaching and riding

in the mornings at my beautiful little

farm, and writing in the afternoons. I

couldn’t ask for anything better.

The announced closing of Sweet Bri-

ar hit me like a physical blow. It was a

betrayal by those entrusted with her care.

You do not kill that which you are

charged to protect and preserve. I be-

lieve, that now, perhaps more than in

recent decades, women’s education is

critical.

I now feel guilty that I assumed that

those leading our beloved Sweet Briar

would love her and be proud of her and

fight to carry her forward for future gen-

erations. I will never be so complacent

again. I have one gift that I can offer, and

that is my voice. I have been interviewed

and I have written opinion pieces. I have

my audience among horsewomen and

readers. I am engaged and vocal.

I am so impressed, as always, by my

brilliant Sweet Briar sisters. They are

still blazingly bright and clever. To hang

onto their blasts of brilliance, to just be

part of the conversations, is still like

catching hold of mildly electrified wire. I

still feel it though my entire being and

darn it, I still can’t let go. I am proud to

fight this battle, shoulder to shoulder

with you.

Holla Holla.

Karen Jaffa McGoldrick,

Class of 1979

“I did not want to

go to college. I just

wanted to ride.

But, as my father

was a college pro-

fessor, he was firm.

I was going.

Sweet Briar was

our compromise.” - KAREN MCGOLDRICK


Monogrammed whip A quality whip doubles as a keepsake when its colors are customized and

its cap is monogrammed. Find a world of options at Signature

Spurs where you can add up to three colors to

whips and bats. Add initials to the cap to ensure

your special equestrian can always find it. . The

company offers a plethora of whip options, from

jumping bats to Dressage whips of vary-

ing lengths. Personalized

whips start at

$69.95.

Silver box buckle A silver buckle with engraved name or initials will

be a welcome addition to any show wardrobe. Harris’

offerings include many shapes in both the traditional

and box styles. A completely custom creation like this

one typically starts around $1,000.

Jump online! The websites, themselves,

will provide hours of entertainment as you

imagine your next custom creation.

harrisleather.com

www.signaturespurs.com

Truly special occasions call for once-in-a-lifetime gifts Are you still looking for the perfect graduation gift for the equestrian in your family?

The Collective Equestrian has put together a collection of unique, customizable items that your special horse

person will use frequently and for a lifetime. Why not make this a once-in-a-lifetime purchase and splurge a little

for a special occasion? We’ve included options for both English and Western riders.

These suggestions work for young professionals, too, and are the perfect statement of “congratulations” for a

competitive title earned or just a job well done. These items are also unique in that the come from family and in-

dividually-owned companies located in the Southeast. See page 21 for company descriptions and contact infor-

mation.

The CE Gift Guide

Commemorate. Personally.


Sterling silver & stainless bit Provide that special young professional in

your life with a work of art they can use for

many years with many horses. Har-

ris offers hand-etched silver and

stainless bits with a variety of ver-

satile mouthpieces. This one sports the

company’s logo but bits like this can be customized

to include initials.

Custom Harris bits start around $395.

Silver box buckle A silver buckle with engraved name or initials will

be a welcome addition to any show wardrobe. Harris’

offerings include many shapes in both the traditional

and box styles. A completely custom creation like this

one typically starts around $1,000.

Jump online! The websites, themselves,

will provide hours of entertainment as you

imagine your next custom creation.

harrisleather.com

www.signaturespurs.com

The CE Gift Guide

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Custom Western spurs Commemorate a Western title win with a pair

of Harris custom spurs. These blued steel

beauties feature sterling scrollwork that is

hand-engraved. The customization options are

virtually endless - choose from blued steel or

sterling silver models in two sizes, six differing

shank lengths and shapes, endless silver designs and 14

different rowel options.

Pricing starts around $495.

Custom Western spur straps If you’re going to order the spurs, why not spring for

the straps, too? Or purchase the straps alone to add a per-

sonalized touch to any pair of spurs.

These men’s custom models (women’s

models available too!) from Harris

start at $450.

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Personalized English spurs Personalized spurs are the perfect splurge for the

English rider in your life. Add a name or initials to

these elegant stainless steel models by Signature Spurs. The company offers an array of styles, including

Prince of Wales, roller ball, rounded

and traditional Dressage, with a

variety of stem lengths. These

personalized hardware items

each come in their own blue

velvet bag. Spurs start at

$59.95; bump it up to

$89.95, and the company

will include straps.

The CE Gift Guide


Signature Spurs:

Pompano Beach, Fla.

Signature Spurs, based in Pompano

Beach, Fla., offers a versatile line of

riding aids - think spurs, whips and

bats - for the English rider. “It all came about because my

spurs

kept disappearing at the ingate at

horseshows,” explains founder Lisa

Forman. “It was just getting crazy.”

In an effort to stymie the outward

flow of valuable hardware from her

tack collection, she took her spurs to

have some identifying information

engraved on them. She was told stain-

less steel could not be engraved, but

she vowed not to give up on

the concept of placing

names and initials

on metal riding

aids.

Forman found that

stainless steel can ac-

tually be permanently

marked in black with initials and

many other personalized insignias rid-

ers desire. Forman ran with the con-

cept, and today Signature Spurs offers

a vast line of personalized options.

The spurs come in a wide array

of styles - Prince of Wales, roller ball,

rounded, traditional Dressage - and

the whips run all the way from short

jumping bats to 43-inch Dressage

length with a plethora of popper and

handle options. “We pretty much cover any shape

and size you want,” Forman explains

of her products.

See www.signaturespurs.com for

more information.

Harris Leather: State Road,

N.C.

Harris Leather, located in State

Road, N.C., has been producing high-

quality, customizable leather and sil-

ver works since the 1970s, according

to the company’s website, harrisleath-

er.com.

The business is truly a family af-

fair, with generations of Harrises hav-

ing engaged in leather tooling and sil-

ver making since the company’s in-

ception. Today, Eddie Harris handles

the custom silver engraving work,

giving special thought to each of the

pieces ordered. He considers the prod-

ucts of his craft to be works of art in

and of

themselves,

and there-

fore price

and time

vary on each order. “Everything hinges on the com-

plexity and the amount of time that it

takes to make it,” he explained.

“When people order something cus-

tom, you want to give it the due that it

demands.” Orders can be placed online or

by phone, Harris said, adding that for

complex custom orders, sometimes a

call is better.

Visit harrisleather.com for more

information.

Keeping it in the family … and in the South

These companies bring a tradition of providing a personalized experience to the customers they serve. They

are both located in the Southeast, but their names are synonymous with quality nationwide. Their websites

showcase an abundance of options when you are ready to add a special item to your tack collection or show

wardrobe. Are you stuck behind a desk and dreaming of the barn right now? These sites, as listed below, will

help you pass the hours more quickly and are guaranteed to provide inspiration for your next special equestri-

an purchase!

The CE Gift Guide

IHSA Nationals


“You’re a champion just for being here:” it’s the acknowledgement IHSA Executive Director Bob Cacchione has been de-livering for years to every rider he encounters at the association’s annual national competition. It’s a genuine sentiment; Cacchione knows how hard the riders have worked to be at Nationals to represent their colleges either on an individual basis or on a team.

Cacchione is perhaps IHSA’s most recognizable leader and also one of its creators. He has seen the organi-zation grow from its infancy as the six-person club he co-founded in 1967 to an association that, by his count, plays host to upwards of 400 teams and more than 10,000 riders.

Cacchione credits the associa-tion’s success to a combination of factors, not the least of those being its

Steve Max-well, has be-come a bona fide aficionado of college rid-ing teams since

he first began covering the IHSA more than a decade ago; he can - and regu-larly does - rattle off placings and point counts like an auctioneer.

Over the years, he has come to be known as the association’s unofficial statistician - a historian, as he puts it.

According to Maxwell’s detailed

research, this is the third time two IH-SA National Championship teams have come out of the same state, how-

ever, this year is unique on several counts. The previous two in-

stances each involved a catch, of sorts, he ex-

plained. The Western and

huntseat team titles both

went to

Ohio teams in 2001, he explained, but both teams were from the same school: the University of Findlay. In 2002, the huntseat champion was the University of Ohio; the Western championship, however, was a tie between Ohio State University and Texas A&M Universi-ty, he said. The IHSA does not break ties between teams that place at Na-tionals.

Therefore, this year produced a new situation: “2015 is the first time neither of those titles are a shared championship or from a single school,” Maxwell explained.

Maxwell’s website, campuseques-

trian.com, is devoted entirely to IHSA stats, results and little-known facts that, in some instances, date back near-ly 20 years.

A visit is certainly worthwhile - just give yourself plenty of time to look around. It will prove to be a true trip down memory lane for many IH-SA alumni and an educational experi-ence for those looking to learn more about the association.

For the third time in its history, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association has produced two

championship teams from the same state. Here’s how all the moving pieces fit together.

IHSA:

FROM CE STAFF REPORTS

This is a banner year for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Associ-ation; for only the third time in its 48-year history, it has produced two championship teams from the same state.

The honor went to Georgia which has for some time been put-

ting down roots in the IHSA, be-coming a consistent producer of winning riders. The Savannah College of Art and Design captured the huntseat team win for the first time in its history, and Berry College, in Rome, Ga., proving itself a reliable Western powerhouse, took the

team win in that discipline for the second time in five years. The fol-lowing is a detailed look at the moving pieces (and people) that came together in just the right se-quence, making it possible for these two schools to perform so masterfully at this year’s IHSA Na-tionals.

Anatomy of a national championship

The statistician:

Steve Maxwell

The

co-founder:

Bob

Cacchione

IN DEPTH WITH THE GEORGIA TEA

MS:

Berry College: page 24

SCAD

: page 28

IHSA Nationals


IHSA: a short primer:

Competitors are assigned mounts via a draw that takes place at each regular season and post-season show. Riders are given no warm-up and must “catch-ride” the horses they draw. At regular season shows, each school chooses a rider in each class to compete on behalf of the college; the points that rider earns are credited toward the school’s cumulative season score. Riders not designated as “point riders” earn individual points, which are also cumulative. (Points earned by “point riders” also count as those riders’ individual points.) Points carry over between school years, and riders who earn the 36 points required to move up a divi-sion qualify for regional finals. Open division riders must earn 28 points to qualify for regionals.

The march to Nationals:

Individual riders: Regional Finals: top two huntseat riders/ top two Western riders ad-vance to Zone competition Zone Finals: top two huntseat rid-ers/ top two Western riders ad-vance to Nationals National Finals: top 16 huntseat riders/ top 16 Western riders in the nation compete for huntseat and Western championships Teams: Regional Finals: champion huntseat team/ champion Western team advance to Zone competition Zone Finals: top huntseat teams/ top two Western teams (numbers vary according to area) advance to Nationals National Finals: top huntseat teams/ top Western teams in the nation compete for huntseat and Western championships Classes are also held at post-season shows for individually quali-fying riders. The placing require-ments for individual riders to ad-vance to Nationals are the same as the team requirements (Regionals - top three; Zones - top two). The above rules are available on the IHSA website, ihsainc.com.

grassroots-style expansion and its appeal to riders of all skill levels. For instance, it’s possible for a college to begin a club IHSA team and compete at shows even without school funding, provided the team can secure trainers and school hors-es. Huntseat riders, as Cacchione points out, can range in skill level from begin-ners at the walk-trot level to Maclay Medal Finals qualifiers in the open divi-sion, while Western riders run the gamut from beginner walk-jog to open-level reiners. STRONG LEADERSHIP: Despite his undeniable involvement in the organiza-tion’s success from the time of its found-ing to present day, Cacchione is quick to deflect credit toward the individuals from all walks of equestrian life who have con-tributed.

“This is not all Bob Cacchione,” he insists. “It’s the board of directors, it’s the coaches out there … They’re the ones who are helping the youth of this country.”

A wide array of leaders has been in-

tegral to the success of IHSA, Cacchione says, and as the association has grown, so has the scope of influential equestrians who have joined the program at the direc-torial and coaching levels.

“I can go right around the country,” Cacchione says, listing off a collection of board members from across the nation. “When you have these professionals on the board for a number of years, there are your credentials right there.” BEYOND RIDING: The intercollegiate format of putting riders with widely vary-ing levels of experience together on teams to compete on horses they do not necessarily know makes for a unique ed-ucational opportunity. It’s also a breeding ground for networking and, for many, a gateway into the professional world.

Cacchione pointed out, for instance, that some of the students who enter IHSA to ride at the beginner level find such a calling that they pursue careers in the equine industry after college.

“They are out there in the industry today where maybe they wouldn’t (have been),” he says.

And while these riders are still in school, they’re out in the community too. Teams are promoting more and more community service work, Cacchione ex-plained. He cited several examples of riders helping out during community cri-ses: students from the College of Charles-

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Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Executive Director Bob Cacchione

with huntseat riders at this year’s IHSA National Championships in West

See CACCHIONE page 32

IHSA Nationals


Berry College Equestrian Head Coach Margaret

Knight said she saw that Western win was a possibility for Berry early Sunday, May 3. Berry wasn’t leading, but they were ranked in the top five teams at that point.

“I was confident it was in reach, for sure,” Knight said.

She knew she had several strong com-petitors still to ride for the team, and despite the fact that a national championship hung in the balance, she felt a certain optimism.

“I wasn’t terribly nervous. I was excit-

ed,” she explained. “We just had a game-plan for each of the girls.” BUILDING A LEGACY: Berry has, for some years, been a strong huntseat presence on a national level (its huntseat team bare-ly missed qualifying for nationals this year). Recently, however, it’s been picking up speed as a Western force, bagging nu-merous top-10 nationals placings and a na-tional championship in 2011. Experienced riders looking to show in college are taking note, and the Berry Western program is reaping the benefits.

“It hasn’t changed as much in the mid-

dle levels, but more on the upper levels,” Knight explained. “We’re getting more sea-soned riders coming in.”

The college’s equestrian program also got an infusion when it went from club sta-

tus to varsity in 2007 and began receiving school funding. The school’s athletic direc-tor, Dr. Tom Hart, actually attended nation-als and was on hand to see the women win.

“He’s been really supportive,” Knight said. “It’s a really good experience. It means good things for the program.” THE TEAM: Berry’s nationals team was made up of relatively young members this year - Amanda Petersen, the Intermediate Horsemanship rider, was the only senior - and Knight expects most riders to return next year.

Meanwhile, she’s down to the business of recruiting more talent.

“I have a couple interested that I’ve already recruited, and I’ve got one that I’m going to look into,” she said.

Knight herself has been a part of Ber-

See KNIGHT page 26

Berry College, Rome Ga.: 2015 IHSA National Championship Western Team The Head

Coach:

Margaret

Knight

IHSA Nationals


Debra Wright has

served on and off

as the team’s Western coach for the past 15

years or so.

This year, she formed a particularly

close bond with the women she coached,

and she said there was just something ex-

ceptional about this group from the start.

A UNIQUE TEAM: “It was a special team

from the get-go,” she said. “This year, I just

got extremely involved. They wanted to

work so hard, and they were just so sweet. I

just knew in my gut they were going to be

successful. I just felt blessed.”

Team captain Elizabeth Poczobut, a

sophomore this year, was a particular stand-

out in Wright’s eyes.

“She was captain for a reason,” Wright

said.

When the championship came down to

the last class, Open Western Horsemanship,

the other riders knew Poczobut could drive

the team to the overall win, Wright said.

Poczobut placed fourth in that class, propel-

ling Berry to first place.

THE FASHION: Wright, who has made a career as a

judge in the Western world, has officiated

at many world-level competitions for breed

and performance associations, and she has

developed a keen fashion sense for the

show pen.

A TRADITIONAL LOOK: Her influence

on the team’s competition appearance can

be clearly detected in the photos from na-

tionals. She went for a traditional, clean

look for this year’s team.

“I redid several wardrobes,” she ex-

plained, adding that the women were will-

ing to take a leap of faith in some instances

and invest in some classic, custom pieces.

“The fashion is in the fit and the tradi-

tion,” she said. “I’m not about the bling -

See WRIGHT page 26

Berry College, Rome Ga.: 2015 IHSA National Championship Western Team

The Western

Coach:

Debra

Wright P

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The Berry College IHSA

National Championship

Western team stands in

the Eastern States Expo-

sition arena after their

win in early May.

IHSA Nationals


ry’s equestrian growth for nearly 20 years. She became head coach of the team in the 1997-1998 season after a very successful IHSA Huntseat career of her own at The University of the South. Coaching at a school that is notoriously huntseat-dominant but has an emerging Western program has necessitated creativity at times, she explained. Sometimes, she doesn’t have a seasoned Western rider available to fill a critical open slot.

In fact, this was the case with Peter-

son, the nationals team senior, who actual-ly only began her Western career this year. Knight recruited her from the huntseat team for the Intermediate Horsemanship.

“I saw her ride in a Western saddle,” Knight said. “I was like, ‘I really think you need to go Western next year.’ She just tore it apart.”

Indeed she did; Petersen’s nationals performance was near flawless - she won her class for the team.

there’s nothing traditional or basic to it.”

While appearance doesn’t determine

performance, it is a factor in the judge’s

perception of a rider, she explained.

“From a judge’s standpoint, we’re

looking for that person who we would like

to show a horse of ours,” she said.

“You’ve got to look the part. You’ve

got to make a statement that you want it.”

WRIGHT From Page 25

KNIGHT From Page 24

E l i z a b e t h

Poczobut, the

Western team

captain, credits

good draws as a

significant part of her success during

her two rides for the team, both of

which put her in the top 10 riders.

GREAT DRAWS: “All my horses were

great and easy to get along with,” she

explained. “They were straightforward;

I had great draws.”

Each horse was unique, however,

she said. For instance, one of her rein-

ing draws was a great stopper but need-

ed more encouragement in its spins;

another was a good spinner but not so

strong on its stops. Poczobut had plenty

of opportunity to assess the Nationals

horses; she actually rode six times for

Berry this trip: twice as an individual,

twice for the team and twice in the

AQHA High Point Western competi-

tion. A SENSE OF TEAMWORK: She

concurs with Wright that there was a

special feel to this year’s team. “We all got along really well,” she

said, adding that the women were all

invested in each others’ performances.

Help for each team member with hair,

makeup and clothes before each class

was just part of the team experience.

“There’s a huge group of support

for each ride,” Poczobut explained.

The rising junior said she looks for-

ward to the coming season. “We had a great season, great

coaches,” she said. “We’re going to hit

the ground running for next year.”

Poczobut has plenty of time left to

compete, but she’s already looking

ahead to post-graduate education op-

tions. She’s a political science major,

and she plans to go to law school. Hors-

es will remain a part of her life one way

or another, though, it seems: she’s al-

ready looking at the possibility of prac-

ticing equine law.

This year was

somewhat of a

whirlwind jour-

ney for Senior

Amanda Peter-

son, whom Knight handpicked from

among the English riders to represent

the team in the Western Intermediate

division. Petersen said she enjoyed the

equine partners she found in her new

discipline, and she expressed apprecia-

tion for Knight’s intuition. “It was a good call on her part,” Pe-

tersen said. “It was just really fun rid-

ing Western. I really enjoyed some of

the horses that I rode at school and

with our assistant coach, Debra

Wright.”

ADAPTING: Despite a lack of ex-

perience at the beginning of the season,

Petersen seemed to come into her own

in a Western saddle. “Some of the things I was fighting

in the English just helped me to be bet-

ter Western,” she explained. Petersen’s Nationals draw, “Red,”

owned by Cazenovia College, was a big

part of her first-place ride, and the two

had something in common: they both

came from the English world. “Red,”

Petersen explained, had been a dres-

sage horse before he began his Western

training. “We had both done something else

before Western,” she said. “He was a

superstar. I felt like I had ridden him a

lot.”

Petersen, who returned home to

Arizona after graduating from Berry in

May, said she plans to continue with

the discipline when she can fit in rides

between law classes at Arizona State. In

fact, she’s already put in some calls to a

couple of people she knows own West-

ern horses.

Standout Rider:

Amanda Petersen

Standout Rider:

Elizabeth Poczobut

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The Berry team poses for a light-

hearted photo in the SmartPak pho-

to booth at IHSA Nationals.

IHSA Nationals


Berry College: the riders

Autumn Clark: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals events: Open Equitation Over Fences; (I) - 4th; Cacchione Cup - 15th;

Major: English

Ashlyn Clay: Discipline: Western and Huntseat;

Nationals event: Beginner Western Horsemanship (T) - 8th; Major: Nursing

AnnaLee Cooley: Discipline: Western and Huntseat;

Nationals events: Advanced Western Horsemanship (T) - 2nd;

Novice Western Horsemanship (I) - 4th; Major: Nursing

Taylor Eickoff: Discipline: Western; Nationals event:

Beginner Western Horsemanship (I) - 11th; Major: Biochemistry

Amanda Petersen: Discipline: Western;

Nationals event: Intermediate Western Horsemanship (T) - 1st; Major: Political

Elizabeth Poczobut: Discipline: Western;

Nationals event: Open Western Horsemanship (I) - 2nd; Open Reining (I) -

6th; Open Western Horsemanship (T) - 4th; Open Reining (T) - 8th; AQHA

High Point Western: 19th; Major: Political science

Mariel Wrench: Discipline: Western;

Nationals event: Novice Western Horsemanship (T) - 1st; Major: Exercise science

These are the riders who represented Berry College at the 2015 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship in

West Springfield, Mass. An “I” indicates that the rider represented the school as an individual. A “T” means he or she rode as a team

member. Photo credit: Berry College Sports Information

Class:

Senior

Class:

Sophomore

Class:

Sophomore

Class:

Freshman

Class:

Junior

Class:

Sophomore

Class:

Senior

IHSA Nationals


The hunt seat

team champion-

ship can be at-

tributed to a lot of

preparation and a little bit of luck, ac-

cording to the SCAD Bees’ Head Coach

Ashley Henry.

DOING THE HOMEWORK: She

prepped her team extensively for the un-

expected occurrences that can ruin a class

if a rider doesn’t keep a cool head. She

had her riders simulate these obstacles

during practices leading up to Nationals -

getting cut off, being boxed in, even

drawing a challenging horse. She videoed

lessons so the students could see just how

their progress looked, and she staged a

slew of mock shows.

Henry didn’t want to leave room for

any surprises during the few critical

minutes each Nationals rider would have

to showcase his or her skills, and coach-

ing her riders to think through challenges

was significant for her.

“Mentally, you’re preparing yourself

for that competition,” she explained.

She also made sure to research the

type of riding each judge seemed to pre-

fer. It’s necessary, she said, to determine

what kind of presentation a particular

judge looks for in order to stand out in a

tough class.

SHOWTIME: During the pressure of the

show, Henry said she really didn’t pay

that much attention to the score, choosing

to pour her energy into her riders instead.

Prioritizing their mental well-being and

keeping them focused was paramount on

her agenda.

“They get emotional because they

want to do so well,” she explained.

She kept reassuring them of their

abilities: “You made it to the national

finals … this is a huge thing.”

See HENRY page 30

SCAD, Savannah, Ga.: 2015 IHSA National Championship Huntseat Team The Head

Coach:

Ashley Henry

IHSA Nationals


The Savannah College of Art and Design IHSA National Championship Huntseat team after their win in West Springfield, Mass. last month.

Ryan Genn, a

Junior at SCAD,

represented the

team in the Indi-

vidual Equitation on the Flat and in the

Open Over Fences. He said the team’s

emphasis on mental preparation was what

really shone through during the classes.

He attributed the team’s success to

“nobody caving under pressure.”

“I was really proud of everybody,”

Genn, who served as team co-captain this

season, said. “You get so close to your

teammates.”

Genn, like his coach, was pleased

with the quality of the draws.

“It was a really even playing field” in

terms of the quality of horses at this Na-

tionals, he said.

His draws, both tall bays, were top-

notch, he said, and “not tricky at all.” He

described the gelding he rode on the flat

(the same one Devon Walthers flatted

later) as a “really cool” horse who “went

nicely in the frame.”

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: He said

it was the team members’ collective hope

for SCAD to finally ascend to the top

huntseat team slot after several narrow

misses.

The Bees, he explained, finished

third in the nation his freshman year; they

tied for a 2014 fourth place with Dela-

ware Valley College, but they came away

last year with the biggest point count they

had ever scored. Genn said the team went

in with “huge expectations” this year.

They had, he pointed out, run away

with their region win this season and also

won the Zone 5 huntseat semifinals.

“We had such high hopes,” he said.

“We had been knocking on the door for

so long.” Ph

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SCAD, Savannah, Ga.: 2015 IHSA National Championship Huntseat Team Standout

Rider:

Ryan Genn

IHSA Nationals


SCAD Junior

Heather Partlow is

relatively new to the

world of horseshow-

ing. She joined the

school’s riding team

during the winter of her sophomore year, and

she represented SCAD in the Walk/ Trot Equi-

tation this past year.

Evidently, horseshowing was a good fit

for her, as she won the team Walk/ Trot class

at this year’s IHSA Nationals.

Partlow recalls visiting the school’s barn

to do some riding in hopes of exempting one of

her equestrian studies courses. Her ride evi-

dently made an impression on two of the most

prominent figures in the IHSA huntseat world:

SCAD Head Coach Ashley Henry and the

school’s Equestrian Studies Program Director

Eddie Federwisch.

“Eddie and Ashley just pretty much didn’t

let me leave the barn until I told them I’d join

the team,” Partlow recalls, laughing.

Crossover techniques: Partlow attributes

some of her success to the fact that she’s a

seasoned competitor in another sport: she also

represents SCAD in swimming. She has found

similarities between the two sports that have

helped her perform in the showring, she said.

“I find myself comparing a lot of what I

do in my riding to a lot of what I do in my

swimming,” she explained.

The fact that she was already so familiar

with the pressures of competition paid off, and

she implemented some of the techniques she

uses to ensure success when she’s swimming.

For example, she made a habit of designating

Standout rider:

Heather Partlow

All p

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sp

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The horses, she said, were a big part

of SCAD’s standout Nationals perfor-

mance.

“I think we got some incredible hors-

es,” she said, crediting Cazenovia Col-

lege, Skidmore College and Centenary

College for a good portion of them.

No matter the amount of rider prepa-

ration, one of the inherent challenges pre-

sented in IHSA competition is the fact

that riders do not practice on their as-

signed horses ahead of the class. Some-

times, even obedient, well-trained horses

present peculiar challenges, as the Bees

saw at Nationals this year.

“It’s hard because it’s luck of the

draw,” Henry explained.

For instance, Devon Walthers, the

Open Flat rider drew a 17.1 hand horse

that Intermediate Flat rider Ryan Genn

had already ridden earlier in the show. A

taller horse can be a nice draw, simply for

the visibility factor, as Henry pointed out

to Walthers. The catch: Walthers is five-

foot-one.

Henry and Walthers committed to

making the best of the size mismatch.

“I said, ‘This is great. You’re going

to stand out so well,’” Henry recalls.

And Walthers did stand out: she took

second in a marathon of a class in which

the riders were asked to drop their stir-

rups for an extended period of time.

However, no stirrups work was one of the

things that factored heavily into all those

virtual-reality practices at home, and

Henry knew Walthers was a machine.

“It was an endurance race, that’s for

sure,” Henry said.

As the classes wrapped up one by one

and the scores began to add up, Henry

and her Bees realized the championship

was theirs.

“I started crying,” she remembers. “It

was just absolutely amazing.”

And about that dash of luck - Henry

said, after every possible scenario is

hashed out, she still relies on a few talis-

mans: a SCAD scarf, maybe SCAD socks

or bee earrings.

FULL CIRCLE: This season was espe-

cially poignant for Henry, as it marked

her 10th year coaching for her alma ma-

ter. She came to the school, she said, with

a specific interest in its equestrian pro-

gram.

Although it’s widely known for its art

and design offerings (as its name would

suggest) Henry explained that SCAD has

made its equestrian program an integral

part of its curriculum. The school now

offers a Bachelor of Arts in Equestrian

Studies. The curriculum description on

the school’s website lists classes like

“Advanced Horse Care and Manage-

ment,” “Principles of Equine Anatomy”

and “Equine Business Management”

among a slew of upper-level courses.

The horse program has expanded in

recent years to include an off-campus

equestrian center that encompasses prop-

erty and a barn where the riders train.

These additions were a part of the

school’s growth plan for quite a while,

according to Henry.

“It was always in SCAD’s plan to

have an equestrian center,” she said.

The school’s horse-related opportuni-

ties were attractive to Henry when she

chose to attend SCAD.

“I liked art school, but I knew I need-

ed to ride,” she explained.

After a particularly successful senior

show season, during which time she was

captain of the equestrian team, the admin-

istration asked her to stay on as huntseat

coach. Despite the fact that the jewelry

design major had an internship lined up in

New York, she decided to embark on a

completely different journey with SCAD,

and her enthusiasm for the horse program

has only grown.

“I love my job,” she said simply.

THE FASHION:

Huntseat show apparel is traditionally

understated, even uniform, to a degree.

The school funds the team’s wardrobe as

part of its varsity status - coats, breeches

and a team show shirt with the bee logo.

A CUSTOMIZED LOOK: Henry said

she doesn’t hesitate to make clothing rec-

ommendations designed to cater specifi-

cally to each of her riders while still up-

holding time-honored customs. The cut of

a coat, for instance, can greatly enhance a

rider’s look.

“I’m going with what I think looks

best on them,” she said.

The clothing, even the jewelry, avail-

able in the equestrian world is a product

of thoughtful design, and according to

Henry, the design curriculum at SCAD

factors significantly into the equestrian

program.

“It has everything to do with art and

design,” she said. “There are so many

innovative students (here). It’s a huge

industry.”

Henry From Page 28

See PARTLOW page 32

IHSA Nationals


Savannah College of Art & Design: the riders These are the riders who represented Savannah College of Art and Design at the 2015 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association

National Championship in West Springfield, Mass. An “I” indicates that the rider represented the school as an individual. A

“T” means he or she rode as a team member. Photo credit: Savannah College of Art and Design Sports Information

Jessica Amsberry: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals event: Walk/ Trot/ Canter Equitation (T) - 5th; Major: Production design

Lindsay Baker: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals event: Intermediate Equitation Over Fences (T) - 3rd;

Major: Equestrian studies

Tess Mroczka: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals event: Novice Equitation Over Fences (T) - 1st; Major: Graphic de-

Kayla Myles: Discipline: Huntseat; Nationals event:

Walk/Trot/Canter Equitation (I) - 8th; Major: Equestrian studies

Devon Walther: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals event: Open Equitation on the Flat (T) - 2nd; Major: Undeclared

Ryan Genn: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals event: Intermediate Equitation On The Flat (T) - 3rd; Open Equita-

tion Over Fences (T) - 6th; Major: Equestrian Studies

Heather Partlow: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals event: Walk/ Trot Equitation (T) - 1st; Major: Equestrian studies

Quinn Lowsky: Discipline: Huntseat;

Nationals event: Novice Equitation on the Flat (T) - honorable mention;

Major: Equestrian Studies

Class:

Sophomore

Class:

Senior

Class:

Junior

Class:

Freshman

Class:

Senior

Class:

Junior

Class:

Junior

Class:

Sophomore

IHSA Nationals


ton team helped clear debris and round up loose horses after a hurricane hit that area a few years ago. Mount Holyoke riders “put in hundreds of hours,” he said, at a stricken zoo near their school after a hur-ricane hit the area in Massachusetts a cou-ple of years ago. Still other teams have participated in rescuing horses from slaughter. All of these service opportuni-ties get riders plugged into the wider world before they even begin their ca-reers.

“They’re not just riding in the ring,” Cacchione said. “We want them to see many aspects of the horse community.”

ON THE SOUTHERN CHAMPIONS: The South-east has experienced a surge in recent years with its Zone 5 teams placing in the top 10 at Nationals on a regular basis. “This year,” as Cacchione put it, “they exploded.” A dedicated Berry College coaching staff is a big reason for the team’s West-ern success, he said. “Margaret Knight and Debra Wright - they do a great job down there,” he said, referencing Berry’s longtime head coach and its part-time Western coach, who has worked with the college on and off for years, assisting them during several trips

to Nationals. He also had high praise for the SCAD leadership, citing Head Coach Ashley Henry and Equestrian Studies Program Director Eddie Federwisch as the driving forces behind a team that has become a veritable powerhouse in the huntseat. “Those two do an incredible job at SCAD,” he said. “They have always been, let’s say, in the top six. To come out grand champions like this is a feat in itself.” He was also complimentary of another standout Zone 5 program, the College of Charleston, coached by Bob Story, which produced the leading huntseat rider in Cacchione Cup winner Elizabeth Hay.

Cacchione From Page 23

time for a warm-up session before each ride.

She used exercises like lunging up stairs to

stay limber and relaxed before the Nationals

class.

“Warming up helps me to calm my

nerves,” she said.

Class strategy: Despite having some lingering

butterflies going into the class, she said her

performance went smoothly. One of her main

objectives was finding a space where she could

be visible to the judges in such a large group.

“I stayed relatively on my own,” she ex-

plained. “When you have so many people, you

want to make sure that you get seen.”

Her draw, a big bay named “Lance,”

“ended up being awesome,” she said. “He was

really sweet. In the Walk/ Trot group, you tend

to get the bombproof ones.”

Partlow is still deciding exactly what she

wants to do after graduation. Her family owns

land in Indiana, she said, and she has thought

about moving back there and implementing her

education in the area of barn management.

For now, though, she’s enjoying being a

newlywed. She and her husband married earli-

er this year. He is an Army Ranger, and she

plans to travel with him while he completes his

tour of duty.

Partlow From Page 30

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DIRECTORY The following is a directory of trainers, organizations and services from throughout the Georgia horse commu-nity and beyond. We hope you’ll take time to familiarize yourself with the abundant equestrian resources we have here. If you would like to submit a listing for your equine-based business, or organization, please email the a short summary, along with your contact information or website, to [email protected].

Boarding, lessons and training: Jennifer Buck - riding instruction for be-

ginners through advanced riders; all

ages from four up. Also boarding, train-

ing, shows, leasing, camps, judging.

Serving two locations in Woodstock and

Marietta (newly opened Stables at

Towne Lake). See jenniferlbuck-

stables.com for more information.

Rebel Woods Boarding Stables, Mariet-

ta, Ga. Unique trail riding opportunities.

Facility borders nearly 3,000 acres of

trails at Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield

National Park. See Rebelwoods.com for

facility details.

Phoebe Loughrey Stables in Milton, Ga.,

offers students an intimate teaching

and showing experience. Students

show at AA rated and local shows; rid-

ers of all ages accepted. See

www.plstables.com for more infor-

mation about sale horses and other

services.

Paradise Ranch, Locust Grove, Ga.,

trainer Gudrun Dees specializes in safe

horsemanship for adult riders new to

horses or starting over with a riding ca-

reer. Competitive trail instruction and

clinics. Call 770-634-5812 or visit Face-

book.com/deeshorsemanship for more

information.

Victory’s Gait at Sweet Dreams Farm, in

Ball Ground, Ga., offers a faith-based

learning experience through natural

horsemanship. Serving mainly youth,

this is a home-school friendly atmos-

phere. Giddy-Up classes, promoting

foundational horsemanship learning,

are offered throughout the year. For

more information, see victo-

rysgait.weebly.com.

Ashley Crooms Equine Development

offering boarding, lessons and full train-

ing packages at In Your Dreams Farm in

Alpharetta, Ga. Farm amenities include

covered arena, jumping arena, ample

turnout. Ashley has experience with a

wide variety of breeds and disciplines

that ranges from showing AQHA/APHA

to AHA and hunter/jumpers. For more

information, see ashleycrooms.com.

Canter Ridge Equestrian, Canton, Ga.,

offers a variety of services, including

boarding and hunter/ jumper lessons.

State-of-the-art, 16-stall facility on 40

rolling acres. See canterridgeequestri-

an.com for a complete list of services.

Breakaway Farm in Braselton, Ga., of-

fers boarding, training and sales. Les-

sons and an IEA team under the leader-

ship of trainer Sarah Dubois make for a

youth-friendly environment. Visit break-

awayfarm.net for more information.

IRIDE (Indian River Institute for Dres-

sage and Equestrians) in Mentone, Ala.,

offers instruction for all riders with an

emphasis on dressage. Trainer Mary

McGuire Smith has 30 years of riding

experience and has trained extensively

in Europe. She is available to travel to

teach in the tri-state area. See

www.iride.at for more information.

Fairhaven Farm in Coosa, Ga., offers a

range of boarding, training and lesson

options. Trainer Kimberly Wallace has

more than 30 years of riding experience

that has included training in Europe.

She offers lessons with an emphasis on

classical principals. See

www.fairhavenfarm.info.

Rolling Ridge Farm in Tunnel Hill, Ga., is

located conveniently to U.S. 41 and I-

75, just 30 minutes south of Chattanoo-

ga. Services include lessons and board-

ing in two facilities, which include a

100×170 indoor. Students have the

opportunity to show in GHJA shows as

well as on an IEA team. See

www.rollingridgefarm.com.

Equestrian Training Center in Canton,

Ga., offering lessons for riders of all ag-

es and levels of experience in English

and western disciplines. Trainer Jean-

nette McDonald has 32 years of experi-

ence with judging and teaching. See

Equestriantrainingcenter.org for a com-

plete list of services available.

Silver Lining Stables, located in West

Cobb County near Powder Springs, of-

fers a range of services including full

board, pony parties, custom leather

working and lessons with various pro-

fessionals in hunters, jumping and dres-

sage. See www.silverliningstables.com

for more information.

Rising Star Farm in Silver Creek, Ga.,

provides a complete range of breeding

services. Standing approved and li-

censed warmblood hunter, jumper and

dressage stallions; offering professional

mare and foal care, as well as limited

boarding and training. See

www.risingstarfarm.net.

Cedar Lane Farm in Chickamauga, Ga.,

offers American Warmblood horses for

sale, many with the champagne color

from their sire, Magon. Owner/ trainer

Amy Humble Lanier, a USDF “L” gradu-

ate, offers lessons and training in dres-

sage, eventing and IEA equitation. See

Cedar Lane Farm on Facebook or email

[email protected]. DIRECTORY continues on page 33


Services: gahorsefarms.com: your source for

equestrian real estate in North Georgia.

Suburban and rural properties, horse

farms, estate homes, recreational and

mountain properties and more. Broker

Teresa Anderson and Horse Pro Sales

Agents assist you in finding just the

right property. If you have a farm to sell,

they can help with the marketing and

sales process with competitive listing

packages.

Lisa Turner - professional horse clip-

ping: work guaranteed to produce show

ring-ready results! Also, farm labor,

farm sitting, pet sitting. Proceeds bene-

fit several animal rescues. References

available. Woodstock. Call 404-663-

3267.

AAA Paints - Kingston, Ga., standing

“Brooks Brothers,” the 2011 Pinto

Horse Association of America Halter

Stallion of the Year. Standing to the

public for the first time this year. See

aaa.paints.weebly.com for more infor-

mation.

Mitchells Equine Services, based in So-

cial Circle, Ga., offers horse training and

exercising, lessons, hauling, purchas-

ing, sales and more. Owner Jordan

Mitchell offers rehabilitation for injured

horses with a specialty in securing laser

therapy services in conjunction with

veterinarians. See Facebook.com/

mitchellsequineservices.

Harris Leather in State Road, N.C., pro-

vides quality leather and silverworks for

both English and Western riders. End-

less options in the way of show and

work tack, with quite a few offerings for

the show wardrobe, as well. Many items

are completely customizeable. See har-

risleather.com.

Signature Spurs in Pompano Beach,

Fla., offers a complete line of customi-

zable spurs and whips for the English

rider. Spurs come in a wide variety of

shapes and range from child to adult

sizes. Whips run the gamut from short

jumping bats to long Dressage whips.

Most items can be monogrammed with

initials or names. See

www.signaturespurs.com.

Deceased Pet Care Funeral Homes and

Crematories: serving four Georgia loca-

tions. Providing for all aspects of equine

cremation including planning, equine

urns, burial lots, granite markers. Call

770-457-7659 or visit

www.deceasedpetcare.com/

equinecremationservices.

County Saddles still represent a tradi-

tion of handmade quality! Make your

appointment for a fitting for a customi-

zable County today with Georgia repre-

sentative Cindy Adcock. Cindy can be

reached by e-mail at cin-

[email protected] or by phone at

404-285-0063.

Georgia-based artist Robert

Cederstrand offers finely-wrought paint-

ings of equines and the natural world.

Working mostly in oil, he produces

unique works appropriate for home or

the workplace and available through his

Cederstrand Studio. See

cederstrand.homestead.com.

Farriery: Bent Tree Forge, serves Athens, Co-

nyers, Covington, Atlanta, Alpharetta

and surrounding areas with a team of

qualified, professional farriers led by

Eric Gilliland, CJF. Shoeing for eventing,

dressage, hunter-jumper and pleasure

horses. Emphasis on continued farrier

education and positive experience for

the horse. See benttreeforge.com.

Andrew Wells, CJF, offers shoeing and

trimming services within a 150-mile

radius of Auburn, Ala. Equines of any

discipline served. Call 970-445-8937.

Nick Starr, CJF, serves Powder Springs

and surrounding areas with profession-

al farrier work. Shoeing for horses in all

disciplines by a seasoned WCB and AFA

competitor. Call 307-250-1030 for

more info and pricing.

Dogwood Forge - serving geographical

area above Atlanta, north to Calhoun.

Owner Chip Crumbly, CJF, is Ga’s only

AWCF - certified with London-based

Worshipful Company of Farriers. All dis-

ciplines; emphasis on owner education

and horse anatomy knowledge. Call

706-346-8706.

Dirt Road Forge, owned by Andy Jones,

CF, offers farriery services for all breeds

in Athens and surrounding areas. Call

706-255-0775 or e-mail dirtro-

[email protected].

Heartland Horseshoeing School, in La-

mar, MO, provides beginner through

advanced curricula for those looking to

enter the farrier industry or improve

their existing skills. Housing, working

facilities and equipment provided. See

heartlandhorseshoeing.com for pricing

and course details.

Organizations: TAG DEA (Tennessee/ Alabama/ Geor-

gia Dressage and Eventing Association)

works to provide competition and edu-

cational resources for eventing and

dressage riders in the tri-state area.

Local and recognized shows offered, as

well as clinics. See tagdea.org.

Western Dressage Association of

Georgia: wdageorgia.org. This associa-

tion is hosting shows and clinics for the

developing discipline of western dres-

sage. Classical dressage meets the

Western horse!

The Ride to the Olympics Foundation

exists to support show jumper Miguel

Wilson as he works toward representing

the U.S. in the 2024 summer Olympics.

Wilson hosts outreach events to intro-

duce underprivileged children to the

sport through the Foundation. See ride-

totheolympics.com.

The World Championship Blacksmiths

Association offers an exciting competi-

tion opportunity for farriers at all levels

of aptitude. Emphasis on horse owner

education - competitions take place at

a variety of locations around the U.S. in

conjunction with large equine events.

See worldchampionshipblack-

smiths.com.

Join The Collective Equestrian Directory today and see your listing in the next edition. Email your business and contact information to [email protected].

Collective Equestrian Summer 2015

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