As the show season draws to a close, five professionals who regularly attend Langer Equestrian Group (LEG) shows are making plans to head off to Maui for some much needed rest and recreation, courtesy of LEG. The company sponsors the Maui Trainer Incentive as a way to not only encourage participation at the shows, but reward professionals for their efforts, support and success.

Larry Langer, President and CEO of LEG, started the Trainer Incentive because professionals are the hardest working people in this sport. Most trainers take few vacations, and when they do they are rarely extravagant. "I remember taking 30-plus horses on the road," said Langer. "Trainers are not recognized enough in our highly labor-intensive sport. My staff and I thought that a special vacation and cash awards for professionals would be meaningful since they are the backbone of our sport."

Maui trips are awarded to the professionals whose students earn the most points at the Woodside, Colorado, Hansen Dam and Woodside Dressage series, as well as a fifth prize for the professional member of the Memorial Day Classic Equitation Challenge winning team.

Memorial Day Classic Equitation Challenge Winner: Kasey Ament
It’s always great to see a successful junior rider grow to be a successful professional as an adult. Kasey Ament was the junior member of a winning team in a Memorial Day Classic Equitation Challenge a few years ago, and now she is once again the member of a winning team. This time, she was the professional member and received a trip to Maui with the victory.

The Memorial Day Classic Equitation Challenge is a team event, consisting of one professional, one amateur and one junior rider per team. The teams jump two rounds of courses, with the highest overall score declaring the winner. The professional member receives the trip, while the other members of the team, as well as the second and third place teams, receive special awards.

Ament said, "This was such a fun class to do. It is such a great idea to make it a team event for there are not many team classes at this level of horse riding. I think it is great to support teamwork, especially when this is such an individual sport. For me, it is always exciting because I usually ride a young, green horse and it really shows off their potential."

Ament has something to add for those who helped her on her way to Maui: "I would like to thank Kristi Siam for letting me ride her fantastic young horse Krosus; my teammates Michelle Morris and Navona Gallegos for riding at the top of their game; and Langer Equestrian Group for my much need vacation to Maui!"

Colorado Winner: Tracye Ferguson
At the Colorado and Woodside shows, trainers earned their trips by amassing points earned by their students at each series’ shows throughout the year. Points are earned by the highest-scoring hunter and jumper horses in a section, and an equitation rider at each show.

In Colorado, Tracye Ferguson finished the season with a comfortable lead over her competitors.

"It's really a great honor after a long show season's worth of hard work," said Ferguson. "It was fun because my students really started getting into it—wanting to win it for me!"

When asked if she had a strategy to help her win, she replied, "No particular strategy—just be strong in all three rings, which is what good training should be about!"

Woodside Winner: Bridgeport Farms: John Bragg, Trainer & Jenny Davis, Assistant
John Bragg and Jenny Davis relied on their students earning the highest number of points in all three rings at Woodside shows during the season. Davis even took students and horses to several Woodside shows when Bragg was back east and at other shows. Their students pulled together and won the trip. Although Bragg always intended to reward Davis with the trip, a friend’s wedding in New Zealand conflicts so Bragg will be spending a week on the beach in Maui. Regardless of the turn of events, Davis was thrilled. "It’s great to have won it," Davis said. "I was really happy."

Davis feels that the Trainer Incentive is a nice reward for the horses doing well, as well as an incentive for riders to attend all of the shows in the series. "I’d like to thank all of the clients for their continued support," she said. As for Langer Equestrian Group, Davis added, "I think they’ve done a great job improving the facility, shows, and incentives."

Verdugo Hills/ Hansen Dam Winner: Mark Purcell
Mark Purcell is making plans for the Maui trip he won by his students showing and earning points at each of the shows in the Verdugo Hills series at Hansen Dam. He will be taking his assistant trainer, Carrie Nass, along for the ride. "It’s a great free vacation!" Purcell exclaimed. Plus, the top five trainers of the series all received $500 bonuses.

Purcell explained that his strategy was simply to attend as many of the shows as possible, a prospect made easier by the fact that his farm is located right across the street. "It’s a good venue," he said. "It’s not too expensive for the local level riders, and the higher level kids get the association points and medal points they need."

He added that in today’s economy when people have to pick and choose the shows they go to, the Maui Trainer Incentive, combined with the other great aspects of Langer Equestrian Group shows, make the shows at Hansen Dam a very attractive series.

Woodside Dressage Winner: Christine Rivlin Henke
The Trainer Incentive is new this year at the Woodside Cornerstone Dressage shows. Like the other shows, students of the trainers earn points to send the winner to Maui. Points are earned by High Percentage and Reserve High Percentage winners at FEI Level, Upper Level and Lower Level for both the Amateur and Junior/Young Rider Divisions, all horses who qualify for the Woodside Championship Classes, and those who place in the top five in Woodside Championship Classes.

This year’s winner was Christine Rivlin Henke, who is looking forward to taking the trip with her boyfriend, Peter. She said, "I think the trip is a wonderful prize, and I am very thankful to have won it, both to my students and to Langer Equestrian Group and all of Glenda's people at Cornerstone! It is a wonderful prize to have won, but especially so because it is actually my students that won the trip for me. They all worked very hard, and I am super proud of them and myself as well for instructing them well!"

In 2010 professional horsemen will once again have an opportunity to win one of five trips to Maui at the Marriott Ocean Club on Ka’anapali Beach. For more information, visit www.langershows.com.