The USEF Horsemastership Training Session hosted by Bates Saddles will take place in Wellington, FL, from January 21-26, 2008. The aim of the training sessions is to help create complete “horsemasters” and a pipeline of riders for future U.S. teams as a select group of top young American riders are led through the training session by USEF, the chef d’equipe of the United States Equestrian Team. Support for the sessions has been provided by the United States Equestrian Federation, the United States Hunter Jumper Association and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation along with Bates Saddles, Stadium Jumping, Purina Mills, Practical Horseman and the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. Designed to be a comprehensive training in horsemastership, not only in riding, the sessions include training by experts in a wide range of topics, including course building, veterinary care, nutrition and conformation. This is the second year that the sessions will be offered.
Top young riders have been selected to participate in the 2008 training sessions based on their rankings on the Bates Equitation Rankings List and performance. They are:
—Kimberly McCormack (Clermont, NJ): 1st on Bates Equitation Rankings
—Maria Schaub (Holmdel, NJ): 2nd on Bates Equitation Rankings
—Jennifer Waxman (Chagrin Falls, OH): 3rd on Bates Equitation Rankings
—Carolyn Curcio (West Islip, NY): 4th on Bates Equitation Rankings
—Tina Dilandri (La Jolla, CA): Highest-ranked Bates Equitation West Coast Rider
—Natalie Rae Medlock (Orange, CA): Winner of USEF Talent Search West
—Nikko Ritter (Geneva, FL): Winner USEF Talent Search East
—Aurora Griffin (Westlake Village, CA): National Individual Junior Champion
—Hillary Dobbs (Sussex, NJ): Wild card invitation based on overall performance
—Charlie Jayne (Elgin, IL): Wild card invitation based on overall performance
—Karl Cook (Woodside, CA): Wild card invitation based on overall performance
Many sessions of the USEF Horsemastership Training Session are open to public auditors free, although a donation to the USET Foundation, earmarked “Show Jumping High Performance,” is appreciated. No pre-registration is required to audit public sessions. Visit www.syracuseinvitational.com or www.practicalhorsemanmag.com for details.
Each fall the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament welcomes the top-ranked equestrians from across the U.S. and the world to downtown Syracuse to compete at the War Memorial Arena in the Oncenter Complex. The event features a full slate of high-level competition, entertainment, shopping and exhibitions. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the Syracuse Invitational benefits Cornell University Equine Hospital and Vera House.