in the stirrups - december 2014

IN THE STIRRUPSDecember 2014 - Issue 4

●Izzy Taylor reflects on 2014●The Spanish Riding School●Tried and Tested: Uvex Exxential

TOP RIDERSCHRISTMASWISHES AND NEWYEAR RESOLUTIONS

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WELCOME...to another month of In the Stirrups!As we fast approach Christmas it hascertainly been a jammed packed yearon the equestrian calandar.

Most riders will tell you that they have hada year of highs and lows and are looking onto the next season. We are of course feelingthe same here. Enjoy reading the articlesfrom our regular columnists this month aswell as a list of your favourite riders andtrainers Christ,as wishes amd New YearsResolutions.Olympia is later in December and apartfrom compiling January's issue we will beenjoying a Christmas with our family andpets. I hope you enjoythis issue and keepsafe this winter.

Natasha

Dutch Olympic EventerTim Lips is in hot pursuitof the 2016 OlympicGames in Rio de Janeiro.Tim also won TeamBronze at the 2014 AlltechFEI World EquestrianGames Normandy.

Tim Lips

Daisy is a 17 year oldBritish Dressage rider. Fullof ambition, Daisy iscertainly on to watch forthe future.

Daisy Jackson

Patricia is The DressageTipster and founder ofCrystal System. Patriciaprovides us with usablereliable tips to improve allaspects of your dressagework.

Patricia Pitt

Jay is a rising showjumping and eventing star.Each month he will besharing his experiences inand out of the saddle.

Jay Halim

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Feature Page Number

Spanish Riding School :Behind the Scenes 5

Spanish Riding School:Facts and Figures 9

Tried and Tested: UvexExxential Helmet 15

Christmas and New YearWishes from Top Riders 20

Izzy Taylor talks to Inthe Stirrups 25

On the Spot with JMCEquestrian 47

FEI Eveting: AdelaideInternational 37

I N S I D E T H I S M O N T H S I S S U E :

See 5 See Page 17 See Page 20

COVER PHOTO Courtesy of the Spanish Riding School

Due to unforseencircumstances Jay will beabsent this month but returnnext month.

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Anne Gage is a Clinician, RidingCoach, Horse Trainer and CertifiedProfessional Coach based inCanada. Anne focuses on themental and physical aspects of bothyou and your horse so you candevelop trust and respect whilebuilding confidence in each other.

Anne Gage

Magic is one of the Gentle CarouselTherapy Horses based in the USA.She is a specialised therapy horsewho brings comfort and happinessto people who are suffering illnessor trauma and is adept atrecognising those who need herskills most.

Magic

Shane is a US based Reining riderand has been working in the horseindustry since his early teens and isdriven both by the love of reiningand his desire to teach others. Shaneis an outstanding non-pro coachwho cares about educating bothhorse and rider.

Shane Brown

Tyne is In the Stirrups trustedreviewer. As well as being aqualified Equine Veterinary Nurse,she is a keen horsewoman. Sheowns an 18yr old Connemara Marecalled Summer who still keepsTyne on her toes. Tyne enjoyswalking and reading.

Tyne Sigley

www.inthestirrups.com

Check out some ofyour favourite

riders and trainersChristmas Wishes

and New YearsResolutions!

Pages20-22

See Page 7 See Page 12 See 0 See Page 15

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BEHIND THE SCENES:SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL

Visiting the hallowed halls of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna is awe inspiring and humbling.Some are lucky enough to go and learn more about their training, see how the stables are runand how they exercise the horses.

Visiting the hallowed halls of theSpanish Riding School of Vienna isawe inspiring and humbling. Someare lucky enough to go and learnmore about their training, see howthe stables are run and how theyexercise the horses.The stallions that perform at theSpanish Riding School in Viennaare kept at the Winter Riding Schoolwhich is situated near the HofburgPalace in central Vienna. To keepthe stallions fresh and mentally fitand healthy they only spend threemonths at a time there. They areregularly rotated back to the summerstables in Heldenburg where theyare hacked through the woods and

benefit from daily turn out. There isno turn out in Vienna. Each stallionloves its time in Vienna performing,training and being the centre of at-tention. But the grooms tell us thatthey equally love their breaks at theSummer stables being able to hack.The Winter Riding School hostsMorning Exercise for the stallionswhere the public are allowed to qui-etly watch them.

The horses are quietly schooled toclassical music in the Winter RidingHall and spectators can watch from10 am to 12 noon. It is as describedmorning exercise for the stallionsand that is exactly the aim. Visitors

can sit and watch the different hors-es performing basic schooling exer-cises, warm up and cool down all tothe most beautiful music. They prac-tise various dressage moves andsometimes if you are lucky you canget to see the more advanced move-ments which are seen in performanc-es. The “high school movements”are not done frequently as they arevery strenuous for the horses. Tosee this level of training close up isamazing – the schooling itself isquite relaxed and without stress orreprimand to the horses. It was a joyto see happy horses all working to ahigh degree of collection with somehugely advanced movements but all


with a low key, calm ambience. Across the road to thestables. You enter through the main courtyard and thenfollow on to the stable complex which houses all 72stallions.The courtyard is peaceful with the grooms going abouttheir daily chores with not a blade of hay out of place.The stables are very light, airy and with plenty of room.Their choice of bedding is shavings and they are keptscrupulously clean by being skipped out every 2 hoursday and night! The horses have marble feed mangersand a specific diet is created for each horse dependenton its level of work and temperament.The stallions are all fed a mixture of top quality hay fedtwice a day, once in the morning and again in theevening. They have three hard feeds which are madefrom a mixed chaff that contains different choppedgrasses herbs and seeds and depending on the horse areeither fed a competition mix or “muesli” combined withwhole oats or simple fibre nuts. They normally have acombination of all three depending on their require-ments plus succulents such as carrots and apples.

The feed room is located within the internal stables andthe stallions are fed using individual buckets that aremixed and then tipped into their mangers.In addition to ridden exercise the stallions also go on thehorse walker twice a day. The huge oval walker isunique and was built for the Spanish Riding School totheir specification. It has much bigger partitions and

lots more room so that the horses can stretch and playin there! They can trot and canter in there and have abuck. There is no turnout available for them in Viennaso the time on the walker is their well-deserved downtime.The stallions are only worked under saddle for 30minutes and don’t generally get sweaty. If they dohappen to get warm, they are washed down with warmwater and then are put under the warm solarium to dryoff after which they are thoroughly groomed. Thegrooms each have their own grooming kit.They have a magnificent pure white coat which is keptimmaculately clean due to the hard work of the excel-lent grooms and regular skipping out! The stallions arenever clipped they are carefully rugged to help them tostay warm without the need to grow a heavy wintercoat. The stallion’s stables are kept scrupulously cleanto help prevent stains whilst they are lying down. If theydo happen to lie down and become dirty they are onlywashed where the stain is with a very mild baby sham-poo.The riders of the Spanish Riding School begin theircareer as an Eleve, learning to train and ride thesefabulous Lipizzaner stallions under the watchful eye ofthe Chief Rider. They progress gradually through astructured training programme to be an Assistant Riderwhich takes a number of years. Graduating to Ridergenerally takes about 10 years.

BEHIND THE SCENES:SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL

CONFIDENT HORSEMANSHIPWITH ANNE GAGE

A challenge for many riders who are dealingwith confidence issues is that you have beentold that if you dismount when your horse“acts up”, you have let the horse win andtaught him how to get you off his back. Idisagree with this thinking and encourage rid-ers to dismount whenever they choose.Everyone has a different threshold for wheretheir fear starts. For some people, just thethought of the horse possibly “acting up” isthe trigger. For others, it is after the horse hasbucked, reared or spooked. The critical factorin the situation is your fear and your ability tomanage it.Fear is controlled by a primitive part of ourbrain called the Amygdala. It is sometimesreferred to as “the lizard brain” as its program-ming can take over the logical mind as well asthe body. When this happens, you are in fight,flight or freeze mode. You lose the ability tothink rationally, your body stiffens, your heartrate increases and you either hold your breathor breathe very rapidly. As the fear increases,

you may feel other symptoms such as beinglight headed, nausea, tunnel vision, shaking,sweating orclammy skin.Your horse ofcourse sensesand responds toall of thesechanges and be-comes moreanxious aswell. This iswhere thingscan go from bad to worse if you stay in thesaddle. You may ride through the issue, butneither you nor your horse will have enjoyedthe experience. Chances are greater that it willbe a negative training experience for you both.If you dismount when you recognize the firstsigns of fear , when your little inner voice tellsyou to get off, or you do not have the ridingskills to deal with the situation, you can createa win-win training opportunity by working

through the situation from the ground.Ground work, done correctly, is a great wayfor both you and your horse to regain yourcomposure, focus and work through the fear-ful situation. By using training buildingblocks, you and your horse can take one stepat a time at your ownpace to gain trust andconfidence in your-selves and in eachother. When you areready, you will con-tinue these exerciseswhen you are mount-ed. But, it doesn’tnecessarily have tohappen in the samesession.If your horse is finebut you are a bundleof nerves, you canpractice mounting and dismounting over andover. That will certainly get your horse usedto the idea that he should not walk off as soonas you are in the saddle and dismounting doesnot mean you are finished. When you areready, ask your horse to walk a few steps – asfar as you are comfortable going – before youhalt and dismount. Each time extending thelength of time you stay in the saddle and/or

the area of the trail or arena you go to. Youmight choose to do some ground work beforeremounting. Your horse has no idea whatyour plan is so you can change your mind atany time. As you feel more comfortable andconfident, you can ask more of yourself and

your horse – gradu-ally extending theenvelope of yourcomfort zone.Take the pressureoff yourself andyour horse by elim-inating deadlinesand expectations.You are on a jour-ney which willhave highs andlows. Sometimesyou will retracesteps you have al-

ready taken and sometimes you will leapforward. Confidence comes from having agood foundation built from solid buildingblocks, having trust in yourself and yourhorse, and having a support team that encour-ages you but allows you to grow in your owntime and at your own pace.Enjoy the ride.

Anne

Based in Canada, Anne Gage created Confident Horsemanship because sheis passionate about helping horse lovers achieve confidence, enjoyment,and a willing partnership with their horses. As a Clinician, Riding Coach,Horse Trainer and Certified Professional Coach, Anne focuses on themental and physical aspects of both you and your horse so you can developtrust and respect while building confidence in each other. Anne is theauthor of the books “Confident Rider Confident Horse: Build Your Confi-dence and Improve Your Partnership with Your Horse from the Ground tothe Saddle” (paperback) and “Guide to Buying Your First Horse: 92 Tipsto Help You Find and Buy Your Dream Horse” (ebook) and a regularcontributor to Horse Canada magazine. Learn more by visitingwww.ConfidentHorsemanship.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

CONFIDENT HORSEMANSHIPWITH ANNE GAGE

SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL:DID YOU KNOW?

Until its visit last month it had been five yearssince the Spanish Riding School of Viennavisited the UK, so to celebrate their forthcom-ing UK tour in November 2011 we decided totake a look behind the scenes at the oldestriding academy in the world.

The horses of the Spanish Riding School start

their life at the Piber stud which is located about

three hours away from Vienna in the mountains.

All the Lipizzaner’s in the Spanish Riding School

descend from six classical foundation stallions

that date back as far as 1765. The breed gener-

ally stands between 14.2hh and 16hh and is

compact, muscular and very powerful. The Lipiz-

zaner temperament is wonderful they are spirit-

ed, intelligent and extremely willing to learn. They

have a gift for learning and retaining knowledge

which makes them ideal for their job in the

school. All the horses bred at the Piber Stud

spend their youth up in the alpine pastures,

where the air is pure, this helps to cultivate

healthy lungs and heart. The foals are all born

dark in colour and most of them turn grey by the

time they are three years old. It is at this time they

are considered for their suitability to enter the

school for training. There is always at least one

bay horse at the Riding School, this has been the

tradition and it is thought they bring good luck.

The bay horses take part in performances just

like the white stallions, but the quadrille is only

performed by the white stallions of Vienna.

Dominant stallions are chosen for the Spanish

Riding School horses as they are by nature dom-

inant with lots of character and are tough. When

they are selected they are performance tested

and gain points for their different qualities such

as conformation, willingness to learn, respon-

siveness, trainability and sanity.

When they arrive as three year olds they are then

broken in by the ’Eleves’ (students) and the

Assistant Riders. Once they have a bit of experi-

ence they are then handed over to the Chief

Riders.

Being a rider at the Spanish Riding School is no

easy job. All the riders start their days as an

‘Eleve’ and you can apply to be an Eleve at 16

years of age. Applicants need no specific experi-

ence or knowledge, it is more about having the

right build (short legs and long body) and the

right attitude. It used to be that only Austrian

males were allowed to join the SRS but times

have changed and now women are allowed to

join and as long as you can speak German and

are an EU citizen there are no other require-

ments.

The School takes on about 6 Eleves every two

years and around 80% drop out before making it

to Assistant Rider - those who make it through

the first four years usually stay. For the first year

the Eleves spend most of their time on the lunge

with no reins or stirrups to help them develop

their seat and feel for the horse. They learn about

horse care and tack maintenance and it usually

takes about six years to become an Assistant

Rider. Once Eleves become Assistant Riders

they are then given their own stallion to train and

a fully trained stallion to ride in the Quadrille. It

takes between eight and twelve years to

progress to fully qualified Rider when they will

then have the sole responsibility for riding and

training up to nine horses.

The stallions are brought on very slowly and

allowed to mature fully before they are asked to

perform the more demanding movements. Train-

ing in this way ensures that they stay fit and

healthy and many of them tend to be still per-

forming in their late twenties.



Many of the famous

movements seen by

the thousands of visi-

tors to the School are

started in hand. The

riders patiently begin

the movements such

as Piaffe and the airs

above the ground – on

the ground. The

School holds 72 stal-

lions and 19 members

of the equestrian team

and is open to watch

the Riders exercising

and training the hors-

es every day from 10am-12pm

– except Mondays which is the

horses’ day off. The horses are

put through their paces either

in hand or under saddle daily

to maintain their athleticism

and health. It helps build up

the various muscle groups that

are necessary for performing

some of the advanced move-

ments such as the Levade,

Capriole and Courbette. The

Spanish Riding School of Vi-

enna puts on a performance

every Sunday showcasing the

White Stallions and their Rid-

ers displaying their Quadrille

ridden to music by Austria’s

famous composers.

An international tour lasts for

three weeks and anything up

to 28 horses, nine riders and

nine grooms are touring the

world. The riders fly in two

groups on separate flights to

avoid the Schools heritage be-

ing lost completely in a disas-

ter.

The horses also have to be

transported in three groups in

state of the art horse boxes to

avoid their lineage, which can

be traced back to the 18th cen-

tury, being destroyed in an ac-

cident.


GENTLE CAROUSEL THERAPY HORSES

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

www.horse-therapy.org

Magic is the smallest member of our team but definitely the biggest hero. She isa specialised therapy horse who brings comfort and happiness to people who aresuffering illness or trauma and is adept at recognising those who need her skills

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

When Gentle Carousel Miniature TherapyHorses make hospital visits they normallyuse horse trailers or special vans. Thismonth they tried a new way to travel.

Therapy horses American Valor and Sky Blueneeded to move from the Gentle Carousel loca-tion in Florida to join the team at Gentle Carou-sel West in California. Instead of driving, theyflew to their new home as passengers in aprivate jet.Sky and Valor are both very special littlehorses. Valor was named in honor of OfficerKenneth Tietjen. They both share a 4th ofJuly birthday. Officer Tietjen was known forhis big heart. Each year during the Christmasseason, the Tietjen's would "adopt" a needyfamily and provide all the food, clothes, andtoys to help make the family's Christmas ahappy one. It was always Officer Tietjen'sjob to provide the bikes for the children,something he looked forward to doing. He

also loved animals and would often rescuedogs while working in New York City andhelp them find new homes.

Officer Tietjen died during the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks while attempting torescue the victims trapped in the World TradeCenter. He heard the calls for help, comman-deered a taxi, and drove to ground zero. Herushed into the North tower, and rescuedseveral people. When he emerged from thebuilding, he and his partner realized thatthere was only one respirator left. OfficerTietjen smiled at his partner and said, “Sen-iority rules.” He then grabbed the respiratorand rushed back into the tower—just beforeit collapsed. He was 31 years old.

Therapy horse Valor wears a badge withOfficer Tietjen's number when visiting chil-dren in hospital care or spending time withfirst responders.

Therapy horse Sky also has a special story.She was only six pounds when she was born.With her fighting spirit, she grew into a hap-py, healthy little horse against all odds. Fear-less since the day she was born, Sky is afavorite when she visits patients inside hospi-tals.Valor and Sky were born only a few daysapart. They have been best friends since theywere tiny foals and will live and work togeth-er for the rest of their lives. When it was timefor them to move to Gentle Carousel West,everyone wanted them to travel in the fastestand safest way possible.It was decided that they would fly with theirFlorida trainer to California. A private jetflight was arranged with pilot Yahuda Neta-nel. As the founder of Wings of Rescue(www.wingsofrescue.org) he had flown withmany dogs and cats, but Sky and Valorwould be the very first horses!On the day of the flight the horses arrived atthe airport and drove out to the jet . Becauseof their experience working in many unusual

places, they were not afraid at all. Even whenplanes started their engines nearby they re-mained relaxed.The horses boarded the jet with their trustedtrainer, looking out the window as the pilotprepared for departure. Even during takeoffthey were completely calm.On the flight Valor and Sky did better thananyone could have imagined. They werecomfortable in the air, eating snacks, takingshort naps and enjoying being petted. Theytook breaks in Texas and Arizona beforearriving at the airport in California.The head trainer at Gentle Carousel West metthe tiny horses at the airport. They took theshort drive home in a van designed for thetherapy horses. It was a big day of travel butmuch easier than a long road trip across thecounty. Everything went so well, this will notbe their last adventure in the air.

www.horse-therapy.org

UVEX EXXENTIAL HELMETTRIED AND TESTED

This month In the Stirrups trusted reviewer has been putting the Uvex Exxential Helmet to the test. Uvexriders include Ingrid Klimke, Isabell Werth and Helen Langenhanenberg and are known for theirlightweight but high strength helmets amongst other products.

The exxential is a stylish helmet that combines the Kitemark with safety and a fashion statement. These helmets havea massive bonus of being able to be adjusted to each individual riders head regarrdless of shape. Some people haveshallow foreheads and some have deeper foreheads, therefore adjustability is vital for the millometric fit that is crucialfor the comfort and enjoyment of the rider. Each shell size helmet allows up to 4cm of adjustment, therby allowing forthe hair to be worn up or down securely and safely. The harness is a soft-edged and yet highly robust webbing materialthat does not irritate or scratch the face. The surface of the helmet is hardwearing, sleek, smooth and wipeable andccomes with shiny vent trim. There is no ripping, fading or staining to spoil the appearance of the helmet. Also, becausethe helmet has a removable, washable liner, it can also be shared between family and friends. On to of that it is alsosuitable for riders who wear glasses. The Uvex Exxential is ideal to prevent and ill fitting disasters this Christmas!Optional Winter Ear Pads can be also purchased serperately to keep you snug on those winter rides.

RRP: £99.95Kitemarked by BSI to BSEN:1384. TUV GS / CEAvailable in sizes: 52-55cm/2xs-xs, 55-57cm/s-m, 57-59cm/m-lColours: Black Matt, Brown Matt, Grey Matt, Blue Matt, Titan Degrade.

www.zebraproducts.co.uk

Tyne is In the Stirrups trusted reviewer. As well asbeing a qualified Equine Veterinary Nurse, she is a keenhorsewoman. She owns an 18yr old Connemara Marecalled Summer who still keeps Tyne on her toes. Whennot riding or covered in hay, Tyne enjoys walking andreading - usually still covered in horse hair.

UVEX EXXENTIAL HELMET

TRIED AND TESTED

On first impressions of the hat it felt extremelylightweight and was attractive to look at, verystreamline. It comes in a range of colours soyou can choose one that will suit whicheverdiscipline you decide to use it for! The firsttime i used the hat i schooled a friends cob andhe's hard work so understandably i got quitehot! The hat has numerous vents in it and inother hats similar to this style i had still foundthat my hair would be wet but the Uvex exxen-tial beats them all, no dampness! Completelydry hair! I have since worn the hat lunging,clipping, jumping and out hacking and eachtime Ive worn it i become more and moreimpressed, the fact that it is so lightweight youdon't realize you're wearing it which for memakes the tasks I'm undertaking whilst wearingit easier and more enjoyable.

The hat is adjustable via a small wheel at theback which makes buying online very easy andthe hat is simple to fit to your head, if you'reanything like me on a particularly big hair dayits nice to know you can loosen the hat a notch!

The lining of the hat is removable and washa-ble which is fantastic and we all know howgrubby riding hats can get!

This particular model is around a hundredpounds which is fantastic value for moneyconsidering more expensive hats aren't as com-fortable or well ventilated as the Uvex.

There no down points to this hat and i willdefinitely only buy this brand from now on.Put one on your Christmas list!

DAISY JACKSON

This past month has been one of the most exciting yet. I have been so busy with newbies andbabies I haven’t had the chance to get out and compete!

However, I have some outingsbooked for the winter and next yearTango will have a girlfriend to com-pete alongside him- although I amnot sure he’ll be too happy aboutsharing his mum!Now to reveal who this special ladyis...A wonderful opportunity has arisenculminating in a partnership formedwith breeder and owner Tracy By-water who has given me the ride on

her very special mare. She is a 5 yearold gorgeous Rubinero x Negro girland goes by the stable name of bothBlackberry and Pigley, her regis-tered name being Premier Into TheBlack. She has competed in both 4and 5 year old classes qualifyingboth times for the championships. Icouldn’t be more thankful and excit-ed to welcome Blackberry to theteam and I am beyond thrilled tohave this opportunity.

I have had some super training ses-sions with Tango this month and amlooking forwards to the 2 competi-tions we have coming up. He hasbeen having sessions with CarolineBennetts Performance Sports Mas-sage and I have been working hardwith my PT (more of that later) andI feel both these things are highlyinstrumental to our recent improve-ments. Tango is also looking so wellmuscled which was commented on


by one of our vets during a routine visit which isthanks to his TopSpec feeding regime as well as histraining.Reading an article in Horse and Hound this week byCarl Hester where he advises on the benefits of havingdieticians, humans physiotherapists, sports psycholo-gists, fitness coaches, biomechanics and position ana-

lysts, trainers/judges and equine nutritionists, Isuddenly realised how fortunate I am to have most ofthese as part of my team. It is not until you startworking with professionals such as these that youwonder what on earth you did before you had them! Itis not as difficult as you may think to gain access to atleast some of these. For instance my fitness coachoffers rider workshops for groups which keeps thecost low and it is great fun to be in a situation with lotsof other like minded people. TopSpec offer freeequine nutritional advice service by way of a helplinewhich we have found invaluable over the years. Forthe cost of a phone call you can get a diet plan specif-ically for your horse and can ask questions to help youchoose the correct feed for maximum benefits andresults. The Balanced Rider offers group sessions ona mechanical horse to address and improve positionalproblems. These are just some of the services outthere that don’t cost a fortune but can literally trans-form you and your horse’s performance.

DAISY JACKSON

Tuffa Footwear is delighted to announce its spon-

sorship of Carol Chapman, a local endurance

rider who’s risen up through the ranks and repre-

sented England in August. Carol was first intro-

duced to endurance some eight years ago and

was hooked from the first ride. Six years ago, she

bought Silver Prince Sadik, a then four year old

who had recently been broken to ride. At the age

of five, he was registered to compete and so the

duo’s competitive career began. Since Carol reg-

istered Silver Prince Sadik, they have covered

over 1000km competitively together with EGB.

This summer saw Carol take part at the Home

Internationals in Scotland, representing England

– a competition that the England team won.

DAISY JACKSON

TUFFA FOOTWEAR SPONSORS ENDURANCE

I was also delighted to confirm this month that JessicaGrove Personal Training is now officially my sponsor.I have been working with Jess for some time now andhave really felt the benefit in my riding. I am muchstronger particularly through my core I have found the

work particularlyhelpful with myscoliosis due toworking on mysymmetry with re-gards to strengthand coordination.Take a look at herFacebook page formore informationon PT sessions orher rider specificworkshops to im-

prove performance in the saddle. Not only is Jess abrilliant PT, she has also trained and ridden to GrandPrix so is more than qualified to be able to help.Here are the links for more information, please alsocontact me on my Facebook page if you would like toknow more about the services mentioned or just have achat.I look forwards to catching up next month.Daisy

http://www.topspec.com/http://www.carolinebennetts.com/EquineMassage.phphttp://thebalancedrider.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/jgonlinept

CHRISTMAS WISHES AND NEW YEARRESOLUTIONS

In the Stirrups has asked some of your favourite riders and trainers what they will be hop-ing to receive this Christmas and what they will be aiming to change in the coming NewYear…

Anthony Condon - Showjumper

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!!(This is a standing joke amongst everyone that knows me)because on my 13th birthday a horse kicked me in the faceand knocked them .out and ever since I've had false frontteeth.

My New Years resolution would be to get fitter. I've put ona few pounds recently for which my friends are taking themicky out of me so that will be my main one. Courtesy ofChildéric Saddles

Tim Lips - Eventing

My Christmas wish is that my family and thepeople I love stay healthy and happy!

My New Year’s Resolution is to learn to drinkbeer! Really I am not much of a drinker!

Jonelle Price - Eventing

My Christmas wish has already been answered - a beautifulbeach house on one of my favourite beaches, Tata Beach inGolden Bay (very top of the South Island in NZ), with ourfamilies for a week.

My New Years resolution is to learn french. I think this is thefourth year on the trot that it's been my resolution, so I'm notholding out too much hope... I think it's going to take anenforced laid off period to see it realised!

CHRISTMAS WISHES AND NEW YEARRESOLUTIONS

Jo Hamilton- DressageChristmas Wish...an indoor school or at least aroof over my outdoor arena!New Years Resolution…to have more confi-dence in my own ability!

Maria and Michael Eilberg - Dressage

Michael: For Christmas, I would like a indoor lungearena. I like to lunge my horses and when we are allriding in the indoor in the winter it gets rather crowded.Plus we have a lot of young horses that need backingand it’s great to back horses in a small area with nocornersMaria: Simple! A lovely relaxing beach holiday forme please!Courtesy of Shadow Horse

Nicola McGivern - Dressage

It is a bit of an emotional one for my Christmaswish! I wish that some close friends of mine feelbetter and healthier soon. As for my New Yearsresolution… it will definitely be to lose weight!I need to get back into my tails this year!

Izzy Taylor - EventingMy Christmas wish is that I would love to havea new 3/4 star ride for 2015. My New YearsResolution is to come out in 2015 and win on the3/4 ride on my Christmas list!

CHRISTMAS WISHES AND NEWYEAR RESOLUTIONS

Rebecca Hughes - Dressage

For Christmas I'd love some mirrors for ouroutdoor but think I might have to wait for thathaha! Or wine or champagne. New Yearsresolution: to polish my boots more often.

Warren Lamperd - Eventing

For Christmas I would love a time machine, to take me back towhen I was 25 and competing but with all the experience andknowledge that only age can bring, I would also take my lovedones around me now with me, because they have been my biggestsupport! I would also make a wish that all my loved ones arehealthy and happy, because in life we cannot control what it throwsat us! My New Years Resolution would be to not make one as Igeneral don't stick to them! But at the start of each year I make mygoals for the year with the horses and make a plan to get there, Ihave learnt to make a plan B too!

Andrew Heffernan - Eventing

Christmas wish list….Unfortunately I have expensivetaste and anything I really want no one is likely to getme!! But if I had my way I would love to put a newadvanced horse and horsebox on the list! As well assomeone to pay for a large extension on my house!Realistically none of the above is going to happen sojust someone to pay for a new kitchen would do!My new Years Resolution is to make sure I makeenough time for my friends and family and not spendall of my time working!

QUEEN RECEIVES FEI LIFETIMEACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became the first recipient of the FEILifetime Achievement award in recognition of her leading role as supporterof equestrian sport throughout her reign asBritish monarch.

The award was presented to Her Majesty by FEI PresidentHRH Princess Haya at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace thisafternoon in the presence of former FEI President the Dukeof Edinburgh Prince Phillip, and Keith Taylor, Chairman of theBritish Equestrian Federation.Horses have featured in The Queen’s life from a very youngage. She had her first riding lesson in the private riding schoolat Buckingham Palace Mews in January 1930, when she wasjust three years old and was given her first pony, the Shetlandmare Peggy, by her grandfather King George V on her fourthbirthday.

Photo credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

Princess Anne helps her mother Queen Elizabeth adjust the bridleof the pony 'Greensleeves' in the grounds of Balmoral on theirsummer holidays .S&G Barratts/EMPICS Archive

hetland, Highland and Fell ponies to ensure thetraditional bloodlines in these native breeds arepreserved and enhanced.As well as The Queen’s enduring love of racing,breeding and equestrian sport, the British RoyalFamily has a long history linked to the horse. TheDuke of Edinburgh played polo until 1970 and thentook up carriage driving the following year, andalso played a key role in compiling rules for theinternational sport early in his 22-year tenure asFEI President. The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles,and two of The Queen’s grandsons, Princes Williamand Harry all play polo.The Queen also plays host to the annual RoyalWindsor Horse Show, which features internationalJumping, Dressage and Driving, and where manyof the Queen’s home-bred native ponies line out inthe showing classes.

The FEI Lifetime Achievement award was createdby Princess Haya in 2014, her final year as FEIPresident, to acknowledge an individual who hasinspired generations across the global equestriancommunity. Recipients of this award are recommended by the FEI Executive Board,and the FEI Bureau was delighted that the first-ever award has gone to Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II.

The award is a stunning whitegold and diamond brooch of nineinterlinked horseshoes, createdespecially for today’s presenta-tion, and mirroring the insignia ofthe FEI Awards.

QUEEN RECEIVES FEI LIFETIMEACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II braves the ad-verse weather conditions as she presentsrosettes to the Services Team Jumping con-testants at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.PA Archive/Press Association Images

A 'well done' pat for Doublet as the Queencongratulates Princess Anne and her mountafter they had taken fifth place in the Bad-minton Horse Trials.PA Archive/Press Association Images

IZZY TAYLOR TALKS TOIN THE STIRRUPS

Top British Eventing rider Izzy Taylor spoke to Inthe Stirrups editor Natasha this month to share anoverview of her year.

What has 2014 been like for you?

Well it has been quite a tough year for me if I’m hon-est. We have had our fair shares of highs and lows.The selection for the World Equestrian Games, whichwas amazing, was followed by having to withdrawquite early on at Addington, it was highlighted be-cause of it being a team competition and with the inci-dent occurring so publicly it was a challengingsituation. At home you can show your emotion a littlemore but I had to just take it in my stride really. Thisyear saw me winning my first 3 day competitionwhich felt like a very long time coming! Soon afterthat I rode at Branham with Orlando and after a goodlead in the dressage we went on to finished second.That sort of sums up our year really, so much hardwork but it not quite ending in our favour but that’shorses for you!

Do you have any changes in routine duringthe Winter months?In the Winter I hunt a lot, I do it on some of the event-ers but also with specific hunters so that keeps mebusy. Some our horses have been on holiday and mostare coming back around now. In the Winter we arelout on the yard earlier so all of the mucking out isdown by the time it’s light, it really helps us save timeso we can crack on with the day.

What are your plans for 2015?On paper 2014 has been a great year for us, unfortu-nately it has been frustrating behind the scenes. In2015 I am aiming to get to the Europeans, I also hopeto have at least one ride in Badminton and Burghleyas they are always the major fixtures each year. Also Ihave my sights set on qualifying for the Rio de Janei-ro Olympic Games in 2016. I am lucky to have somegreat sponsors including Uvex, KBIS, Equipe andDainese so I am really looking forward to the nextseason.

Follow Izzy:www.teamtayloreventing.com

THIS BUSINESS OF DRESSAGEAs the year comes to a close, we become reflective and

looking back I have been relatively successful in my ca-

reer, starting out as a secretary and moving through first

line management to middle management and now reach-

ing the dizzy heights of Director. Turning to my dressage

ambitions, it occurred to me that what separates ‘the

wheat from the chaff’ in the equestrian world is a burning

desire, a thirst for knowledge, structure and a business-

like approach. This has clearly been applied in my work-

ing life but until recent years has been sadly lacking in

the approach I took to my riding. The burning desire was

there but no structure. Success then is a philosophy, an

attitude, it’s a state of mind and it is available to each and

every one of us. So if you want it, but can’t get the lever-

age you need, I’ve put together a three part series, be-

ginning with business values that can very easily be

applied to your approach to your training and help you

get the focus and motivation to achieve your riding goals.

1. WHO MADE ‘COMPETITION’ A BAD WORD? -Too many people believe that there’s something

wrong with aiming to be really successful. You

hear it a lot in these days of Classical versus

Competition Dressage, the suggestion that

somehow, if you strive for competitive success

you can’t care about your horse. It’s almost as if

being a go-getter is incompatible with being com-

passionate, socially conscious and a good per-

son! It’s a generalisation and like anything that

tars everyone with the same brush, totally un-

true.

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTER

Patricia Pitt is In the Stirrups dressage training advisor. Known as The Dressage Tipster andjoint owner of www.likecrystal.com with her partner Mark, Patricia provides direct andusable advice to improve your ridiing each month…


2. THE POWER OF DEDICATED PRACTICE - Per-

sonal greatness takes work. I’m not someone

who would ever tell you that you could get to your

dreams without having to make some sacrifices

and pay the price in terms of dedication and self-

control. The best amongst us make it all look so

easy. The very best way to create spectacular

results is through dedicated practice.

3. THE MYTH OF MASSIVE TRANSFORMATION-AL CHANGE - Too many people believe that

success requires them to revolutionalise their rid-

ing. And for most of us, that’s a scary thought. No

one wants to make massive changes to the way

they think, feel and behave. Human beings love

staying within the comfort zone. But guess what?

In my work I’ve realised that lasting personal

change does not require you to turn your beliefs

upside down. The best way to achieve results is

through small continuous steps. Baby steps. A

little at a time.

4. LIVE FULLY NOW - Too many of us postpone

stuff. We say that we will do it when we have

more time or when we finish the pressing jobs

that are consuming us or when we have more

money. Yet, deep within us, each one of us

knows that there will never be a better time than

now to begin working on our dreams.

5. SIMPLIFY THEN FOCUS - One of the primary

reasons that people fail to achieve their goals is

that they try to be too many things to too many

people. The most successful human beings are

wildly focused. They have a very clear picture of

what it is they want to create and then they have

the discipline (and courage) to stick to their mis-

sion – saying ‘no’ to everything that is not mission

critical. So my suggestion to you is to simplify.

Strip away all that is unimportant, these are the

things keeping you from getting to your dreams.

And then once you do your clean up, focus, fo-

cus, focus. You’ll be surprised how good you will

then get.

6. YOUR FOUR MINUTE MILE - Years ago, it was

believed that no human being could ever break

the 4 minute mile barrier. But after Roger Bannis-

ter broke it, many more replicated his feat within

weeks. Why? Because he showed people what

was possible. And then armed with that belief,

people did the impossible. What’s your “4 minute

mile”? What false assumptions are you making in

terms of what you cannot have, do and be?


7. DETACH FROM THE NOISE - One of the prima-

ry traits of world-class performers (in business

and in Dressage) is that their success does not

come by luck, it is by the ability to ‘detach from

the noise’. Each day, ‘noise’ such as little crises,

minor interruptions and interesting distractions

beg for our attention. To get to your own unique

form of greatness it’s important - no, essential - to

detach from the noise and stay ‘on vision’.

8. ASK, ASK, ASK THEN ASK SOME MORE -You’ll never know if you don’t even try. There is

giant power in asking for what you want. All too

often, our internal chatter prevents us from taking

the steps needed to get us to where we want to

be. My partner Mark Bentley could barely keep

his feet in the stirrups let alone trot a circle when

he asked a world class elite rider to train him.

The best of the best, those who live the dream -

ask like crazy. The more you do it, the easier it

gets (like any skill). And so they ask. For the sup-

port and help they need. Nothing happens until

you ask.

9. THIS DAY IS SPECIAL - What you do between

today’s sunrise and sunset is creating your desti-

ny, your future, your legacy. A single choice you

make today can change your life over the coming

months if consistently acted upon. This day is

special. Honour it. Make a decision about how

you will change things for the better, do some-

thing exceptional today. I know you can.

And finally …

10. GREATNESS BY EVOLUTION VERSUS REVO-LUTION - Most training programs don’t have last-

ing impact. Most provoke only micro-change.

Most training method books we read get us excit-

ed only until we wake up the next morning and

reality intrudes on our idealistic vision. Why does

this all happen? Because too many training pro-

grams, clinics and books are attempting to cause

a revolution rather than nurture an evolution.

There’s so much to transform and so little time to do it in.

And human beings don’t like to change (scares us). So

we drift into overwhelm. And we don’t even start. I sug-

gest to you that there’s a better way to get what you want:

by evolution; daily and continuous micro improvements.

Steady and consistent increments in the way you work.

Every dream started off small and grew step by step. The

Everest climbers don’t jump up to the summit. No, they

climb it bit by bit. Day by day, step by step, you can move

towards your own personal mountaintop. You really can

be, do and have a lot more than you’ve ever imagined.

The way you train today can be radically different from the

way you train 3 or 6 months from now. All you need is vi-

sion and focus and a plan. I see it happen all the time,

with Mark’s clients. And you’ll get to the personal great-

ness you deserve through evolution.

There you have it, the first 10 great business ideas

that could help you to get your mindset right for

riding and training your horse. Have a very merry

Christmas folks. In the New Year we’ll dig a little

deeper into business motivation and how it can

help you kick start your 2015 training.

In the meantime, why not take a browse around

www.likecrystal.com and see if any of the hints

and tips there can help you make a few baby steps

towards greatness.

As always, have fun!

Patricia – The Dressage Tipster


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WITH TIM LIPS

TICKET TO RIO

Hello everyone. Can you believeeven though the eventing seasonis over, that I am getting busierand busier?

After the hectic programme forthe eventing horses it is time forthem to rest and recover somestrength in preparation for thestart of the 2015 season. In Win-ter I focus on my show jumpinghorses, who I compete each weekand of course I also coach theChinese team which leaves mewith little time to spare!

Recently we had our first indoorCross Country training clinic, itwent very well with all levels andabilities attending. We really hadsome great fences and everyonewas enthusiastic which made mevery happy, we were reallyamazed with the amount of en-tries! We had 64 riders over thetwo days which left me teaching

www.timlips.nl

TICKET TO RIOWITH TIM LIPS

www.timlips.nl

9am – 6pm on both days with riders ingroups of 4.

There are already a number of indoor XCcompetitions in Holland so for us it isreally great to be able to provide thetraining and also raise the exposure forindoor XC as there is a lot of potential.

I am looking forward to visiting China inJanuary, I will be travelling to where myChinese riders are based. It will be verynice to see their facilities and train themfor the week there as naturally we be-

come good friends and I am pleased to beable to visit their home country with them!

Also at my stables we currently have avacancy for a working pupil. It needs tobe someone enthusiastic about horses, agood feel/sense of riding, confident andreliable. It is a wonderful chance for theright person so if you think you could beinterested please email us with your CVand some details about you [email protected] … I hope to hear from you!I hope you all have a good Christmas anda Happy New Year with your families andfriends!

FEI CLASSICS: ADELAIDE

Soigne Jackson on Gold atthe FEI Classics™ at theAustralian International 3Day Event in Adelaide.

(Julie Wilson/FEI).


However, she was “disappointed” with the 51.5 handedout to the Thoroughbred gelding by Rustic Amber. “When Icame out I was thinking more of about 44,” she said, butwas nonetheless pleased to be in the lead. Fifty percent ofthe four-star field were Thoroughbreds and first and sec-ond place went to horses bred for “the sort of kings”.Twenty-seven-year-old Belinda Isbister from Brigadoon inWestern Australia rode her Holy Bruce by Woodman toclaim second place in her debut four-star appearance with56.80. Belinda, who thinks of Adelaide as a “local event”and only 2,700 kilometres from home, had great supportfrom a partisan crowd in the grandstand many of whomhad also made the long outback journey across the Nullar-bor from Perth to Adelaide.The only male in the field of 14, Seumas Marwood,thought he had ridden the best test ever aboard the Con-tango II mare, Wild Oats. “I feel the tests were better thanthe marks the horses were given,” he declared. Marwoodand Wild Oats hold third place with 58.00.Marwood and Wild Oats were sixth last year and despite atrip to Europe for the summer, the mare looks a picture of

health and is heading into her strongest two phases. Mar-wood however does not take anything for granted: “thecourse is similar to last year, but it is tougher this year. It isa fair test, but a real test of accuracy”. Megan agreed: “It istough and there are a lot of questions. At this four-star lev-el every jump has to be jumped. There are a lot of optionsas well, which is good as that will get more riders homeand that builds confidence. It is a good test and it will takesome smart riding”.

Results after Dressage

1 Megan Jones/Kirby Park Allofasudden (51.50), 2 BelindaIsbister/Holy Bruce (56.80), 3 Seumas Marwood/Wild Oats(58.00), 4 Isabel English/Feldale Mouse (58.30), 5 CharlottePrice/Kinnordy Gambia (60.30), 6 Jessica Manson/LegalStar (61.80), 7 Tegan Lush/Tempus Fugit (62.00), 8 SoigneJackson/Gold (63.50), 9 Keira Byrnes/Fox Hill (63.80), 10Tarryn Proctor/ESB Irish Quest (64.00)

Adelaide's Olympian Megan Jones produced the winning test for the dressage phaseof the FEI Classics™ series at the Australian International 3 Day Event in Adelaidewith Kirby Park Allofasudden, slowly worked back into peak fitness after injury

kept him from the London 2012 Olympic team.

FEI CLASSICS: ADELAIDE

Megan Jones on Kirby Park Allofasudden. Photo: Jul-ie Wilson/FEI

Seumas Marwood with his Contango II mare WildOats. (Julie Wilson/FEI)

FEI CLASSICS: ADELAIDEThe Australian Stock horse is known as “the breed for eve-ry need” and Jessica Manson’s grey gelding, Legal Star,came to the fore when needed on the cross country. The13-year-old Stock Horse Thoroughbred by Ringwould Le-gality kept his feet in deep footing coming out of the RymillLake, producing the round of the day and ensured the pairadded just 2.8 time penalties over Wayne Coppings’ tech-nical course, rising from sixth place to head the leader-board after an eventful cross country. Despite being just22, Manson from Millendon in Western Australia has had agreat deal of success with Legal Star. They were fourth atthe FEI Classics™ in Adelaide in 2012 and 15th last year. Allbeing well tomorrow, they are poised to take the Adelaidetrophy back to Western Australia, which has a strongeventing tradition. “Sonja (Johnson) was on the telephonewhen I finished the course”, declared Manson. The coursewas stopped for about 20 minutes to repair the footingcoming out of the lake and during that time the skiesopened, making life even more difficult for the second halfof the field.

Results after Cross Country

1 Jessica Manson/Legal Star (64.60), 2 Megan Jones/KirbyPark Allofasudden (70.70), 3 Elizabeth Lowrey/KL Kismet(81.90), 4 Madison Simpson/Major James (83.50), 5 TeganLush/Tempus Fugit (85.20), 6 Soigne Jackson/Gold (87.90),7 Keira Byrnes/Fox Hill (94.60), 8 Isabel English/FeldaleMouse (95.50), 9 Katja Weimann/BP Cosmopolitan (96.40),10 Charlotte Price/Kinnordy Gambia (96.70)

Jessica Manson withstood the pressure applied by Olympi-an and former Adelaide champion Megan Jones, posting a

super clear round aboard her 13-year-old Australian StockHorse, Legal Star, to win the second leg of the FEI Classics™at the Australian International 3 Day Event.

Manson set up her victory by producing the best crosscountry run, adding just 2.8 time penalties. That, coupledwith a seemingly easily executed clear today, clinched thevictory with just over six penalties ahead of Jones. It is notjust a matter of putting your best foot forward, but puttingall your feet forward the best, and the sure footed grey,which stands at 15.3 hands high, demonstrated no ill ef-fects from his near mishap departing from the second wa-ter on course yesterday. “I was a bit shocked really,”declared a delighted Manson, “I had three down last yearand that was on my mind when I walked the course, butwhen I rode in I just focused on the job I had to do”.

FEI Classics™ 2014/15 - Adelaide, results after Jumping:1 Jessica Manson/Legal Star (64.60), 2 Megan Jones/KirbyPark Allofasudden (70.70), 3 Soigne Jackson/Gold (95.90),4 Katja Weimann/BP Cosmopolitan (96.40), 5 ElizabethLowery/KL Kismet (97.90), 6 Tegan Lush/Tempus Fugit(98.20), 7 Keira Byrnes/Fox Hill (104.60), 8 IsabelEnglish/Feldale Mouse (113.50), 9 Seumas Marwood/WildOats (123.20), 10 Charlotte Price/Kinnordy Gambia(131.70)

Jessica Manson on Legal Star. Photo: JulieWilson/FEI

Jessica Manson on Legal Star after winning the 3day event. (Julie Wilson/FEI).

SHANE BROWN

You could say Igrew up in thereining industry.I lived my earlyyears on cattleoperations wherethe maneuverswere familiar andstarted work on ahorse ranch atage fifteen. I wasintroduced to thesport throughsmall, openshows and thethen burgeoningNational ReiningHorse Associa-tion (NRHA).

At the time, it was a fairly new and far off organiza-tion, based in Ohio before moving to Oklahoma in1998. There weren’t many officially sanctionedNRHA shows in my area and I often participated inclasses offered by breed or open shows, but itwouldn’t be long before the sport of reining wouldbegin an aggressive growth pattern. From the forma-tion of NRHA in 1966 to 2000, NRHA boasted a10,000-member base. That alone was respectable fora specialized discipline but from 2000 to today itsactive members hover around 22,000, a 100% in-crease in less than half of the time.

With the steady growth came not only national butalso international recognition and a completely differ-ent set of accomplishments. The Federation EquestreInternational (FEI) accepted reining for international

competition in 2000, the World Equestrian Games(WEG) approved reining as a competitive event in2002 and in that same year Team USA took the Goldmedal as well as the individual Gold (Shawn Flarida).Reining was no longer solely a North Americanequestrian event; it was now gaining ground interna-tionally. I watched as the sport I loved was acceptedand affiliated in countries like Belgium, Italy andBrazil to name a small fraction and I witnessed thefirst European inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame(Eleuterio Arcese, 2004).

Not only were we becoming recognizable throughoutthe world, but our sport was demanding more shows,more national affiliate participation and greater pay-outs. There were more participants in our main events,the NRHA Futurity and Derby, and we had moreshows cropping up every year, each one offeringgreater payout and opportunity to showcase talent inboth trainer and equine athlete. The European affili-ates aren’t far behind either, with their own EuropeanFuturity and European Affiliate Championships.

Along with the addition of new shows, bigger, moreelaborate venues and more money, there was also adecided shift in the breeding programs for this athleticpool of horses. They embarked on breeding programsthat matched not only physical talent, but also mentalmaturity and created horses that were born into thereining discipline. Breeders are now focusing on whatit takes to make our spins faster, our stops longer andour movement more fluid. Today’s reining equine is alargely recognizable athlete and often distinguishablefrom any other discipline participant.

As our equine athletes changed, our training tech-niques changed with them. When once I would take

www.shanebrown.net

REINING

The FEI has announced today, following completion ofan in-depth investigation into allegations of a switch ofhorses for the 2012 FEI World Endurance Champion-ships in Euston Park (GBR), no legal action can be takenfor procedural reasons and due to a lack of conclusiveevidence.

Following receipt of the findings of the investigation lastmonth, the FEI has now evaluated the legal and proce-dural aspects of the case and it has become clear that,under the rules applicable at the time of the incident in2012, essential deadlines were missed. Without legalproceedings being initiated within the specified time-lines and through the correct channels, the FEI is unableto proceed with the case. “It is very disappointing that ittook such a long time to come to this conclusion”, FEISecretary General Ingmar De Vos said, “but this thor-ough investigation has allowed us to identify someloopholes in our own procedures with regard to the

identification of horses through microchips and docu-ments such as FEI passports, recognition cards and du-plicates. I have asked our Legal Department to look atour procedures to identify how we can avoid similar is-sues occurring in the future.”

Prior to receiving the final report, the FEI had alreadyinitiated a detailed review of its administrative process-es, putting mechanisms in place that now provide muchgreater control over the registration and identificationof horses. Further proposed changes to the VeterinaryRegulations to improve traceability and accurate verifi-cation of horses’ identity will be voted on at nextmonth’s FEI General Assembly. The FEI is to conduct afull review of its legal system in 2015, including its rulesand sanctions. Proposals for change will go to the FEIBureau for consideration prior to being voted on by theNational Federations at the 2015 FEI General Assembly.

SHANE BROWN

FEI STATEMENT ON INVESTIGATION INTO 2012 FEIWORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

any horse, any breed, and teach it to spin, circle andslide to varying success, now I had a horse thatwanted to do all the parts. It was literally bred to bean exceptional performance horse.

This kind of growth experienced by any associationcan have its ups and downs, and we have had ours,to be sure. However, the most impressive thing aboutbeing in the reining family is the closeness we allfeel with each other. We have camaraderie un-matched and while we compete fiercely with oneanother, we are also acutely aware that what is goodfor one rider/horse partnership is also good for thesport as a whole. You can see this attitude reflectedat events like the NRHA Futurity and Derby wherebarn parties are celebrated and open to the entire

show down aisle-ways, using food, drink and friend-ship to welcome new and experienced participantsalike. We have an open and friendly atmosphere as awhole and even formed our own Reining HorseSport Foundation in 2001 to support and aid ourfellow members in times of need.

Every day I wake up and walk into the barn to work,I am reminded what an incredible journey this sportof reining has taken me on. We have come far and Iam excited to see how much farther we will go. Iwelcome the opportunity and the growth I see on thehorizon and look forward to sharing that with othersaround the globe.

Shane Brown

To get your horsey fix over the festive season, how about ‘AllThe Queens Horses’ at The London New Year’s Day Parade?

Amongst jugglers, cheerleaders, acrobats, clowns and march-ing bands, the parade also features three teams of riders and 75horses. Invited for selection from all over the UK and travel-ling from as far afield as Belgium to appear in this annualevent, the riders range from just six years old through to lateseventies and are unpaid volunteers unified in their passion forhorses and bringing equestrianism to the capital!

The equestrian element of the parade starts off 11.45am atPiccadilly Circus, Lower Regents Street and follows the routeup through Waterloo Place and Trafalgar Square Whitehall,Parliament Square- Horse Guards and finishing at Bucking-ham Palace.

Each year the parade celebrates a theme, with previous year’sincluding Swinging Sixties, Hats Off To London and TheQueen’s Diamond Jubliee. 2015 is ‘London Moving' year andalongside creative costumes, there will be horses and carriages,sidesaddle costumes through the ages and the ‘Iberian Team’in full traditional dress.

The event is free to watch and alongside the horses, there’splenty to keep everyone entertained!

HORSEGUARDS NEWYEAR PARADE

FEI LONGLINES JUMPING: FIFTH LEG -STUTTGART, GERMANY

William Whitaker stepped right in-to the limelight with a brilliant winwith Fandango at the fifth leg ofthe Longines FEI World Cup™Jumping 2014/2015 Western Euro-pean League series in Stuttgart,Germany.

The 25-year-old nephew of Britishlegends, John and Michael Whitak-er, out-classed many of the best inthe world in a thrilling 10-horsejump-off in which he set an impossi-ble target-time when second to go.It was a career-defining moment forthe young Englishman who lives at

the Yorkshire farm where his father,Ian, grew up alongside two of thethe greatest names in the modernsport. And Uncle Michael played arole in today’s latest Whitaker suc-cess-story. He missed out on a placein the jump-off himself, due to asingle first-round error with Viking,but he watched Davis set the paceagainst the clock and advised hisnephew that “she was fast, so putyour foot to the floor from thestart!”

Result: 1, Fandango (WilliamWhitaker) GBR 0/0 47.27; 2, Barron

(Lucy Davis) USA 0/0 49.84; 3, Ninodes Buissonnets (Steve Guerdat)SUI 0/0 50.43; 4, Cornado NRW(Marcus Ehning) GER 0/0 50.83; 5,Fair Light van T'Heike (Edwina Tops-Alexander) AUS 0/0 52.72; 6, GlocksCognac Champblanc (Gerco Schrod-er) NED 00 53.78; 7, Dream of IndiaGreenfield (Pieter Devos) BEL 0/449.77; 8, Vagabond de la Pomme(Penelope Leprevost) FRA 0/449.97; 9, Quarack de Falaise HDC(Kevin Staut) FRA 0/4 51.17; 10, Lib-erty Son (Marco Kutscher) GER 0/451.56.

Photo: Karl-Heinz Freiler/FEI


FEI LONGLINES JUMPING: SIXTH LEG- MADRID, SPAIN

Colombia’s Carlos Lopez and Princede la Mare seized victory in thesixth leg of the Longines FEI WorldCup™ Jumping 2014/2015 WesternEuropean League in Madrid, Spain.

The 49-year-old rider who took teambronze at the FEI Central American andCaribbean Games on home turf in Bo-gota in 2006, and who finished 18thindividually at the Alltech FEI WorldEquestrian Games™ 2014 in Norman-dy, was fourth to go in the electrifying11-horse jump-off. And despite theirmost gallant attempts, the rest justcouldn’t catch him, with Australia’s Ed-

wina Tops-Alexander coming closestwith a last-to-go run partnering LinteaTequila. Talented young Frenchman,23-year-old Alexandre Fontanelle, slot-ted into third with Prime Time desVagues, while Italy’s Emanuele Gaudi-ano and Admara 2 lined up fourth.

Result: 1, Prince de la Mare (CarlosLopez) COL 0/0 38.69; 2, Lintea Tequila(Edwina Tops-Alexander) AUS 0/038.90; 3, Prime Time des Vagues (Alex-andre Fontanelle) FRA 0/0 38.91; 4,

Admara 2 (Emanuele Gaudiano) ITA0/0 39.14; 5, As Cold as Ice Z (Judy-AnnMelchior) BEL 0/0 41.80; 6, Carlo (Ser-gio Alvarez Moya) ESP 0/4 38.27; 7,Pironella (Daniel Deusser) GER 0/439.13; 8, Castlefield Eclipse (Paul Ester-mann) SUI 0/4 39.17; 9, Nuage Bleu(Pilar Cordon) ESP 0/4 39.51; 10, Dima-ro vd Looise Heide (Dag Ove Kingsrod)NOR 0/4 41.71; 11, Catwalk IV (RobertWhitaker) GBR 0/8 51.00.

The next leg takes place at Olym-pia, London (GBR) on Sunday 21December.


Photo: Herve Bonnaud/FEI

FEI REEM ACRA DRESSAGE: FIFTH LEG- STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven steered Don Auriello to victory in the fourth leg of the Reem Acra FEIWorld Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Western European League at Stockholm in Sweden.

In the Grand Prix it was Hans PeterMinderhoud who came out on topwith Glock’s First when posting apersonal best score. In today’s Free-style however the Dutchman had tosettle for runner-up spot while Swe-den’s Minna Telde and Santanasealed third spot. “I’m reallypleased” said six-time OlympianVilhelmson-Silfven this afternoon.“He (Don Auriello) was in overdrive yesterday in the Grand Prixbecause this is our first show sincethe World Championships and he

was a feeling a bit too happy! TodayI was maybe a little bit careful, butanyway I’m delighted with our re-sult!” she said.Result: 1, Don Auriello (Tinne Vil-helmson Silfven) SWE 80.875; 2,Glock's Flirt (Hans Peter Minder-houd) NED 79.250; 3, Santana(Minna Telde) SWE 76.550; 4, Fa-vourit (Sonke Rothenberger) GER75.225; 5, Darcia VH (Jeanna Hog-berg) SWE 74.850; 6, Toy Story(Patrik Kittel) SWE 74.275; 7, Dia-monds Forever (Fabienne Lutke-

meier) GER 73.700; 8, di LapponiaT (Paulinda Friberg) SWE 72.475;9, Zircoon Spring Flower (JennieLarsson) SWE 71.825; 10, Vol-strupgaards Cassiopeia (Allan Skov)DEN 70.675; 11, Wilco V (Mariovan Orshaegen) BEL 70.150; 12, LeBeau (Philipp Jorissen) BEL70.075; 13, Vosk (Marina Aframee-va) RUS 68.500; 14, Kartsevo Up-perville (Tatiana Dorofeeva) RUS67.450; 15, Fleetwood (Malin Ham-ilton) SWE 63.925.


Photo: Roland Thunholm/FEI

FEI WORLD CUP DRIVING

The world’s best four-in-hand drivers kicked off the FEI World Cup™ Driving at the StuttgartGerman Masters.

It follows the thrilling outdoor qualifi-cation period consisting of 13 eventsheld all over Europe throughout thesummer. The year has been very suc-cessful for Australia’s Boyd Exell whowon his fifth World Cup title in Bor-deaux (FRA) in February and wascrowned world champion for the thirdtime in a row at the Alltech FEI WorldEquestrian Games™ 2014 in Norman-dy in early September. American driv-er Chester Weber, who won individualsilver in Normandy and came in on topin Windsor (GBR), Saumur (FRA), andAachen (GER), was leading the stand-

ings for most of qualification periodbut decided not to compete in the in-door World Cup.IJsbrand Chardon, Koos de Ronde andindividual world bronze medallist TheoTimmerman, who were on the invinci-ble Alltech FEI World EquestrianGames™ 2014 Dutch team last sum-mer, all qualified for the indoor seasonalong with József Dobrovitz (HUN),winner of CAIO4* Vecsés in his homecountry, who finished in fourth posi-tion on the qualification standings.Competitors FEI World Cup™ Driving2014-2015/

Final Standings World Cup qualifica-tion:1.Chester Weber (USA) 92, 2.Boyd Ex-ell (AUS) 84, 3.Theo Timmerman (NED)84, 4.József Dobrovitz (HUN) 77,5.IJsbrand Chardon (NED) 75,6.Christoph Sandmann (GER) 74,7.Koos de Ronde (NED) 71, 8.ZoltánLázár (HUN) 67, 9.Mark Weusthof(NED) 60, 10.Georg von Stein (GER)58, 11.Glenn Geerts (BEL) 57,12.Werner Ulrich (SUI) 56, 13.FredrikPersson (SWE) 53


Photo: Karl-Heinz Frieler/FEI.

ON THE SPOT


This month In the Stirrups speaks to Melody, co-owner of JMC equestrian whospecialise in clipping amongst various other equestrian services.

ON THE SPOT

I began clipping at an early age, around the age of 11. I hada pony with Cushing’s growing up and he had to be clippedall year round.This gave me a lot of practice and I developed a passion forclipping! And after a few years of clipping my own, I movedon to friends horses and took off from there. Each and everyhorse taught me something new and I realised was ready toexpand and work further afield. JMC Equestrian is ourbusiness, me and my partner Joe (Joe is the J in JMC) dovarious things with horses including breaking for riding &driving as my partner is a keen driver. I do the riding side ofthings and although many people think Joe is the clipper(and often I let him take the credit!). It is me who runs theclipping side of things. Although without Joe I wouldn’t beas successful as I am today, he has taught me some valuablethings and shared in depth knowledge on handling horseswhich has enabled me to walk into any situation and handle

as best as I can with confidence. Some horses are tricky but I am often told that the horse hasbehaved much better than they expected or as it had previously when I have clipped it. Themain thing with clipping is to keep calm,don’t be phased by anything... and be pa-tient! We are based in the North West, andtravel all the area. I cater to traditional andcreative clips and I am more than happy forrequests as I like a challenge! I currentlystudy graphic design so design is somethingI am passionate about and I really love beingabout to use my design talent with clippinghorses. If you are based in the North Westarea and our interested in our services pleasedo give us a call on 07583783487.Melody

FEI WORLD CUP VAULTING

World champion Joanne Eccles (GBR) captivated crowds at the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting2014/15 second qualifier at the Salon du Cheval in Paris, winning the female individual competi-tion, followed swiftly by the Pas-de-Deux with her younger sister Hannah (GBR).

Defending FEI World Cup™Vaulting and former world champi-on Nicolas Andreani (FRA), knownas "Nico" to his many fans, alsostormed to male individual victoryin Paris, where a total of 18 athletesfrom seven countries battled it out.Joanne Eccles displayed her fullrange of style and skill on WHBentley, lunged by her father JohnEccles, earning an outstanding

8,828 points, which gave her 15World Cup points as she targets theFinal next year.

Paris results

Male individual: 1. Nicolas An-dreani (FRA), 8,933; 2. LukasKlouda (CZE), 8,228; 3. LukasHeppler (SUI), 8,037

Female individual: 1. Joanne Eccles(GBR), 8,828; 2. Corinna Knauf(GER), 8,248; 3. Hannah Eccles(GBR), 7,968

Pas-de-deux: 1. JoanneEccles/Hannah Eccles (GBR),8,602; 2. Pia Engelberty/TorbenJacobs (GER), 8,317; 3. Gera MarieGrün/Justin van Gerven (GER),8,132


Photo: Eric Malherbe/FEI

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