This past weekend Chestnut Hill Farm in Oconomowoc, WI, hosted a clinic with Diane Carney of Hampshire, IL. Carney trains at her show stable, Telluride Farm, and her students are consistently in the ribbons at the most competitive hunter/jumper shows in the country.

The clinic at Chestnut Hill Farm offered sections for riders that ranged in experience from novice adult to the grand prix level. There were four sections total, with three to five riders in each. Carney worked with riders on the basics, which included balance of the horse and rider, steering correctly, collecting, moving forward, and understanding impulsion. She also addressed the four parts of position and the theory behind true horsemanship.

"I thought the clinic was very well organized," said Carney. "The footing was excellent, and the jump material was just right. It couldn't have gone better. We were fortunate to have 40 degree weather, which is great for Wisconsin at this time of year. We focused on exercises that were reminders of the basics, and then we put those basics to work by applying them to practical tests. Everyone worked hard and had a lot of fun."

This was the first time Carney conducted a clinic at Chestnut Hill Farm, and the owners, Kyle Dewar and Kathy Frame, intend to have many more with her.

"The clinic with Diane was great," commented Dewar. "She never misses a thing, and everyone always learns a lot. I've gotten to know Diane by riding in the George Morris clinics that she hosts at her farm. I've started to work with her more and more, and I definitely feel she's the best in the area. She helps me with my grand prix horses, and she also helps my fiancée Kathy [Frame]."

"We're hoping to have these clinics at our farm once a month or once every two months," he revealed. "Before, we would go to her place to ride, but now we realize that it really benefits us and our students to have her here at the farm."

Carney is based out of Hampshire, IL, at her hunter/jumper show stable, Telluride Farm. She has been both an active participant and influential trainer in the hunter and jumper community for many years. Her contributions to the industry extend to the many clinics that she teaches every year, in addition to those that she hosts annually for U.S. Show Jumping Chef d'Equipe George H. Morris and top hunter/jumper trainer Don Stewart, Jr.