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PASSAGE

Winter 2014 | Official Newsletter of Dressage Winnipeg

Dressage Winnipeg25 Years & Counting

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Melody and I wish all Dressage Winnipeg competitors a successful 2014 show season!

- Sue Braun, owner Sue’s Tack Shop

Official Newsletter of Dressage Winnipeg 3 Winter 2014

inside this issue:Mark Your Calendars ................................................4

Message from the Chair ...........................................5

Clinics Corner ...........................................................6

Dressage Winnipeg AGM, November 2013 ..............9

Manitoba Horse Council Annual Awards ..................9

Rider Opportunity ..................................................11

All Horses Are Good Dressage Horses ....................12

Congratulations ......................................................15

2014 Show Preview ................................................16

Volunteering ...........................................................18

You Never Know .....................................................20

Update from Emily Ferguson ..................................21

Aromatherapy ........................................................22

Want to Ride Better Tests .......................................24

Western Dressage Demo ........................................25

Equine Canada Annual Awards Gala.......................26

On The Cover:DW lost another of its great competitors this fall....Megan Henry’s Piksun died in November at 9 years of age. He was a wonderful little athlete and a real crowd favourite, winning at show after show including a Gold Championship and two Gold Reserve Championships at Third Level last season. Our sympathies to Megan and her family, we are really going to miss seeing him prancing around the ring looking like he was having a ton of fun.

2014 BOARDMerelyn Hunkin

[email protected]

Maureen [email protected]

Vice Chair

Liane [email protected]

Secretary

Susan [email protected]

Treasurer

Karine [email protected]

Show Chair

Christine [email protected]

Education

Jane [email protected]

Sponsorship

Barb [email protected]

Newsletter

Alexa [email protected]

Membership

Jeanette [email protected]

Volunteer Coordinator

Sandra [email protected]

Member at Large

Heather [email protected]

Member at Large

Layout & design of newsletter courtesy of Lindsay Feller



Mark Your Calendars! FEBrUArYEquine Canada Annual ConventionRadisson Hotel, WinnipegFebruary 5 – 9, 2013

MAYKendra McBain Memorial ShowPine Ridge Equine ParkMay 3 - 4, 2014

Capt. deKeneyere’s Memorial ShowBirds Hill ParkMay 31 - June 1, 2014

jUnEMid-Summer MadnessBirds Hill ParkJune 28 - 29, 2014

Ashley Fudge204.444.7860 or 204.485.7433 [email protected]

jUlYWestman Dressage Lemonade DazeKeystone Centre, BrandonJuly 12 - 13, 2014

AuguSTgive It A go DaysBirds Hill ParkAugust 16 - 17, 2014

SEpTEMBErAutumn Classic & provincial ChampionshipsBirds Hill ParkSeptember 6 - 7, 2014

Westman Dressage Fall FestivalKeystone Centre, BrandonSeptember 13 - 14, 2014

MHC Manitoba Equestrian ChampionshipsBirds Hill ParkSeptember 19 - 21, 2014


Message from the Chair Courtesy of Merelyn Hunkin

Happy New Year to all DW members and all supporters of dressage in Manitoba!

Dressage Winnipeg has a new board for 2014, with some new members and several changes of portfolio as well. It’s impossible to describe the numerous tasks the DW board completes each year, but I’ll give you the basics as I introduce the board and their roles in 2014.

I am completing my second year as the chairman of the board. Liane Parker remains our very efficient secretary and Susan Canal continues in the role of treasurer, ably controlling our purse strings. Maureen Demkey is new to the board and is my vice-chairman. (So if you have any complaints send them to her. LOL!) That concludes the executive positions.

Our energetic show chairman is Karine Duhamel, the queen of multi-tasking. Jane Fudge diligently coordinates our advertising and sponsorship. No one can inspire sponsorship donations like Jane! Sandra Hobday is our very helpful director at large, who organizes our Awards Night and frequently assists other board members in their tasks. Christine Stevens has changed portfolios this year; she was our capable volunteer chair last year, but is now the education chair. Watch for the winter lecture series Christine is coordinating, starting with a Western Dressage demonstration on January 18, at Pine Ridge Equestrian Centre. Great start Christine!

Heather Thomas, our former vice-chairman has also changed positions. When she was the vice chair, Heather organized the AGM and the election nominations. Another huge task for the vice-chairman was the year end awards which were presented at the Awards Banquet at the end of the show season. Heather needed to change positions after effectively fulfilling the vice-chair role for the maximum number of years on the board. An admirable feat! Now she has been re-elected, Heather is a director at large, and has volunteered to coordinate the scribes for our Volunteer Chair.

Another new board member is Jeanette Hiebert, who will be working with Alexa Clayton dealing with the membership and volunteer requirements for DW. Alexa is returning as our able membership chair. The coordination of these roles is still in the works, and will be defined at the next board meeting on January 9.

Assisting the DW board are Cheryl Heming, our past chair who organized the Canon Take Root program in 2013, and Barb Wansbutter and Lindsey Feller who publish our fantastic newsletter.

With this effective group to organize our activities, Dressage Winnipeg members can look forward to another busy year. Our show dates are: May 3-4 at Pine Ridge Equestrian Centre, at Birds Hill Park on May 31 - June 1, June 28-29, and September 6-7 (our provincial championship show). DW will also be holding another “Give It A Go” clinic at Birds hill Park on August 16-17.

So, don’t forget to fill your volunteer hours in 2014. My board are a hard- working bunch, but we can’t run our activities, especially shows, without your help. We look forward to seeing you all at the shows and educational events we are planning for 2014!!

Merelyn Hunkin, DW Chairman

Our Chair Merelyn Hunkin on her Second Level mare, Costa Rica, enjoying some winter riding with her daughter, Devon Hunkin,

doing Western Dressage on Beijing.


Bonny BonnelloTrainer, Instructor,

Coach, Clinician

International Dressage Rider

Contact Heather at [email protected] for upcoming local clinic information

CLINICS CORNERBonny Bonnello ClinicsMarch 21 - 23, 2014 June 6 - 8, 2014 August 25 - 27, 2014 (Mon, Tues, Wed) September 26 - 28, 2014 Oct 31 - November 1 - 2, 2014AUDITORS WELCOME - NO CHARGE Contact Heather Thomas 233-2825 or email [email protected]

Irene Schweckendieck ClinicMarch 7 to 12, 2014 - Winnipeg area

Irene is available to teach between 1 and 4 lessons per student and is willing to travel between stables. The cost per lesson is $150. Contact Natasha Tarvis at [email protected]

Eddo HoekstraApril 11 -13, 2014 May 17-19, 2014 July & August (dates to be confirmed) September 26-29, 2014 For more info contact Pam at [email protected]

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Joan Johnson Clinics Hosted by Stonehill FarmMay 3 & 4, 2014May 24 & 25, 2014June 21 & 22, 2014August 9 & 10, 2014September 27 & 28, 2014October 18 & 19, 2014For more information please contact Lori Versavel. [email protected]

Dominique BarbierJune 6 – 8, 2014 September 5 – 7, 2014B & E Acres, Carberry, MB Contact Brenda 204-834-3998 or [email protected]


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Ann Loewen M.D.,C.C.F.P.,F.C.F.D.

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We had a very encouraging show of support for the club at our AGM with 30 people attending. The food was great and the discussion was fantastic. There were lots of good ideas raised and the talking back and forth really helped to develop them. It is wonderful for our executive to have such an enthusiastic group to help them in their planning for the upcoming year.

We were all sorry to hear that we lost money on every show last year but appreciated all the work that went into putting them on. Hopefully with better entries this year things will turn around. There were several suggestions as to how encourage entrants and the executive will be looking at them all. It was noted that our demographics is predominantly Adult Amateurs and therefore they should be the target of most DW education initiatives.

With just 73 members last year, there was an ongoing concern that we would have enough volunteers for the shows in 2014. Again there was some good discussion on this topic and possible avenues to follow. It was announced that Manitoba would be taking part in Dressage Canada’s Equitation Class pilot program with divisions for riders 13 years and under as well as 14 – 18 years. We need to encourage our junior riders to come out and take part.

There were two elections, for Vice-Chair and Director positions. We welcomed Maureen Demkey, Jeanette Hiebert and Heather Thomas to those positions.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the club.

Dressage Winnipeg AGM, November 2013

Manitoba Horse Council 2013 Annual Awards Horse Industry professional of the Year: Linda Hazelwood, Horse Country magazine

Coach of the Year: Ashley Fudge (Dressage Winnipeg)

Volunteer of the Year: Barbara Wansbutter (Dressage Winnipeg)

Senior Athlete of the Year: Eric Martin

Junior Athlete of the Year: Mackenzie Thiessen Ryall (Dressage Winnipeg)

Horse of the Year (Competitive): Cheers QV, owner Kate Curry

Horse of the Year (Non-Competitive): My Sweet Performer, owner Tara Reimer, Cloud 9 Ranch

president’s Award: CIEC Show Jumping Team Bronze Medal – Izzy Biron, Erin McPhail, Katelyn Penner & Tanis Basaraba Jones and Individual Jr. Silver Medal – Izzy Biron

Congratulations to all and especially our Dressage Winnipeg members!


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Official Newsletter of Dressage Winnipeg 12 Summer 2012

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Rider Opportunity We are proud to publish Emma Tarvis’ success. Emma is working in our stable for a year and a half and has grown to a Third level rider. She is able to ride young horses as well as older ones and won this year with one of our 5-year old horses several times in Second level against big competition. She was for example the winner of the regional championship with 77% against 52 other riders. Emma Tarvis competed in many shows and placed in nearly every competition. In Germany we have every weekend competitions in dressage, jumping and/or eventing. Emma is giving lessons in German and English and has had big success with her students.

In May, we are planning for Emma to come back to Winnipeg to support the dressage riders and horses. She will be working as a dressage trainer at PineRidge Equine Park therefore we are looking for a new rider in our stable who will do a practicum and learn how to ride dressage. The possibility to ride competitions will also be given.

Irene Schweckendieck, Gestüt Landhaus Schweckendieck, Germany.

Email: [email protected]

Emma Tarvis riding 7 year old remmington

HORSE TERMINOLOGY

Event prospect – big, fast horse

Dressage prospect – big, slow horse

Sporting prospect – short, fast horse

Trail prospect – pretty colour

Flashy – white socks

To loving home – expensive

To show home only – very expensive

Needs experienced rider – potentially lethal

Elegant – thin

Free moving – bolts

Quiet – lame in both front legs

Dead quiet – lame in all four legs

Bombproof – lame all round, deaf and blind

Pony type – small and hairy

Arab type – looks startled

TB type – looks terrified

Quarter Horse type – fat

Draft type – big and exceedingly hairy

Easy to catch – very old


It is bitterly cold outside and has been for a week, I have time on my hands and thought I would look into something that I wonder about. Every time we fill out an entry for a show we need to put down our horse’s breed, size, colour and age. This informations is used in various ways – for general identification, for our show announcers, and for the steward’s to check against the passports. I thought it would be interesting to have a closer look at it all.

I think most dressage riders would love to have a talented Warmblood with floating gaits and natural self-carriage but it is not always possible. Some people worry that you can’t be competitive in the ring unless you have one of these wonder horses but I am firmly convinced that any breed can be successful at our shows, at least up to Fourth Level which is generally the highest most of us go. I guess I think this way because my Jerry is a non-typical dressage horse and he has managed to do quite well at the shows. Although we like to think of him as Baroque, harkening back to his Andalusian ancestors, he is really a farm horse more suited to pulling a heavy load than prancing around the dressage ring. We have always believed that he can do anything and he is yet to prove us wrong. He is a very good boy! I have collected all the data on our show entrants and our champions and reserve champions. Some of the results of this investigation have surprised me and some have been just what I expected.

We only had three shows in 2013 and, for the most part, we had our usual core of competitors with a few welcome new-comers. Fifty-five horses took part in our shows…for ease in looking at the stats I have divided them into Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, and Other. We had 30 Warmbloods, making up 54.5% of our entrants. There were 9 Oldenburgs, 8 Hanoverians, 5 Canadian Warmbloods, 3 KWPN, 3 Holsteiners, 1 Danish Warmblood and 1 German Sport Horse. We had 8 Thoroughbred or Thoroughbred X (14.5%). There were 17 horses in the Other category (31%) comprised of 5 Arab and Arab X, 5 Paint and Paint X, 2 Welsh X and 1 each of Appaloosa, Canadian Horse, Morgan, Mustang and Quarterhorse X. Probably about what we all expected looking around the showgrounds.

For general interest, I also calculated the appearance of these horses…just because we had the information. There were 63.5% geldings, 33% mares and 3.5% for our two stallions. As to favourite colours – bay 46%,

All Horses Are Good Dressage Horses!Courtesy of Barb Wansbutter

chestnut 22%, grey 9%, paint 9%, black 7% and dun/buckskin/roan 7%. And size…ponies 7%, horses under 17hh 66%, horses 17hh and over 27%. I wondered about the ages of our show horses so divided into three categories….developing (under 10yrs), in continuing training (10-15yrs) and masters (16+yrs). The youngest horse competing was 3 years old – Ariana’s young stallion out for some familiarization and evaluation. At the other end of the scale we had three 20 year olds, two of whom won championships this year and our oldest competitor was Elaine’s 23 year old stallion who did a fantastic job, winning a Reserve Championship at Third Level. Interesting that our oldest and youngest were our two stallions, just goes to show they are good at any age. The age categories broke down like this….. under 10 years old 34%, 10-15 years 53% and 16 years and older 13%.

So if you are riding our most common competiton horse, he is a bay gelding between 14hh3 and 16hh3. He is likely one of the Warmblood breeds and between 10 and 15 years old.

To get an idea of the success of the various breeds, I looked at the Champions and Reserve Champions for the shows. Over the three shows there were 68 awards given out. The winners broke down like this…warmbloods 54%, Thoroughbred 19% and Other 27%. This is very close to the percentages of entrants with the exception of Thoroughbreds who increased their percentage. I would say that makes a pretty level playing field.

The thought might be that the warmbloods would outshine their competition at the higher levels of our gold shows so I ran the numbers to see what that showed. In 2013, 29 of those 68 awards were won at Second Level and above. To be fair we really have to recrunch the numbers as the majority of our horses show at First Level and below. There were 17 horses competing from Second Level to FEI, 12 warmbloods (70.6%), 2 Thoroughbreds (11.8%) and 3 Others (17.6%). This theory was proved somewhat correct as the Warmbloods had a majority of the wins, although only the Thoroughbreds exceeded their percentage of entrants. The horses winning at these higher levels were Warmbloods 62%, Thoroughbreds 21% and Other 17%.


I learned two things from going through all these calculations…..any breed of horse can do dressage well. The numbers of entrants in each breed category worked out pretty evenly with the number winning championships and reserve championships. No one breed or category blew away the competition. So, as we all knew, it is the training and the partnership with the rider that makes all the difference not what kind of horse you have………although you may want to get out to the racetrack and get one of those wonderful horses looking for a second career because the Thoroughbreds exceeded expectations every time.

All Horses Are Good Dressage Horses! (continued)


Congratulations! Congratulations to Sue Braun & One perfect Melody, Cheryl Heming & Entrepid and Lindsay Feller & unbelievable for achieving Dressage Canada Horse and Rider awards for 2013! Cheryl received a horse award at Training level, Sue achieved a horse and rider award at first level, and Lindsay achieved a horse and rider award at Second level! Well done ladies!

Congratulations to Lindsay Feller & unbelievable for being awarded the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA) Manitoba Chapter Hi-Point Dressage winner!

Dressage Winnipeg had multiple winners at the Manitoba Horse Council Annual Awards! Congratulations to: • Ashley Fudge - MHC Coach of the Year

• Barb Wansbutter - MHC Volunteer of the Year

• Mackenzie Thiessen ryall - MHC Junior Equestrian of the Year

Dressage Winnipeg is very proud of you!

Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA) Do you own a Canadian Warmblood? Did you know you could be eligible for provincial and national awards?

CWHBA Manitoba Chapter encourages all owners of Canadian Warmbloods to register and become a member of the CWHBA! (To be eligible for awards horses must be registered with CWHBA and owner a member of CWHBA)

For more information on registration fees and criteria for awards, please visit: www.canadianwarmbloods.com

At the Superior Equestrian Centre fun show some ladies dressed for dressage put on a (ground) show to music using stick

horses. Great fun!

L to R: Trish Forde, Cheryl Hedley, Jeanette Hiebert, Genevieve Cloutier, Ana Maria Valenzuela and Sandra Hobday.


2014 Show Preview Even though it’s cold out there, Dressage Winnipeg’s fabulous show season is fast approaching! This year, we have made a few changes to encourage our riders to join us in celebrating their achievements, and those of their horses. This year, we will hold four gold and bronze shows, as well as one fun show and one schooling show. We will be welcoming new judges to all of our shows this year to allow our competitors to obtain feedback from a new group of judges and are excited to show these new faces just how wonderful our dressage community is here in Manitoba.

A few changes for this season...As a club, Dressage Winnipeg is committed to providing you with the best possible show experience at our events. We have made a few changes for 2014 to bear in mind when planning your competition season.1. Temporary memberships are once again available,

but the price has increased to $75.00. This decision was made to encourage competitors to sign up for full memberships and in recognition of the extra administrative costs that temporary memberships represent. We do have a variety of volunteer opportunities available for those who choose to purchase a full membership, including some duties outside of the show context which may help some of our riders fulfill their volunteer commitments.

2. The May show has been moved indoors, to avoid any possible cancellation due to weather, as was the case last year. It will be held at Pine Ridge Equine Park rain, shine, snow or sleet!

3. This year, our fun show will be held separately from our regular events. In conjunction with Education and Clinics, we hope that the fun show will be a good educational opportunity for some of our less seasoned riders, or for wanting an additional opportunity to show in July. The fun show is a non-sanctioned event, meaning that results obtained in the fun show are not eligible for Equine Canada or year end awards. Nevertheless, we hope that you will attend for the fun of it!

4. This year, entries will be accepted up to two weeks before the show, rather than one week before, as was the case last year. Show office personnel simply found the scheduling, the production of a show program, as well as the rush of last minute administrative details too tight to work out in one

week, and hope that the two-week window will result in better and more convenient scheduling of both ride times and warm ups for our competitors.

5. Dressage Winnipeg will be running its own canteen this year, serving a variety of snack foods and drinks for your enjoyment. We hope that this change will both help to offset some of the costs of the facility for the club, as well as provide our riders with a reliable source for snacks!

6. Our full prize list will be available by early March, so please make sure to read up on the rule changes and other modifications to our process early on in the season.

2014 SHOWS:Traveling Schooling ShowsThis year, Dressage Winnipeg will put on traveling schooling shows sometime in the month of April, details to be announced. This is a fantastic way to get out early. For new riders, the traveling schooling show offers the opportunity to hear from an actual judge, and receive comments on your performance that may help you at our sanctioned competitions. Each test is only $10.00 to ride, and freestyles at any level are permitted. The best part is no trailering – we come to you, judge, scribe and ribbons. All you need to do is sign up! Entry forms will be available in early March on our website.

May Show – Kendra McBain Memorial CompetitionOur first show will be held on May 3-4, 2014, at Pine Ridge Equine Park. Unlike in previous years, we have opted to hold our first show of the season indoors, so that we will not be deterred by unfavourable weather conditions! This is a Gold and Bronze Equine Canada sanctioned competition.

May - June Show – Captain de Kenyeres Memorial CompetitionOur Captain de Kenyeres Show, which usually takes place mid-June, actually takes place at the very end of May, from May 31-June 1st at beautiful Bird’s Hill Park. By this time in the season, conditions are likely to be optimal. We hope to see you all to enjoy the beautiful facilities and great weather we are likely to enjoy! This is a Gold and Bronze Equine Canada sanctioned competition.

Courtesy of Karine Duhamel, Show Chair

Continued on next page


2014 Show Preview (continued)June Show – MidSummer Madness CompetitionUnlike in previous years, this year’s MidSummer Madness is BOTH a Bronze and a Gold show sanctioned by Equine Canada. This year, our MidSummer Madness Show takes place on June 28th and 29th at Bird’s Hill Park, where we will be joined by the Manitoba Horse Trials club who will also be holding their event there the same weekend. Not to worry – we have made provisions to ensure that our riders get to enjoy all of the same warm-up areas and facilities they are used to, plus enjoy the added excitement of having the eventers on the grounds. Eventers will be using one of the Dressage Rings on Saturday morning and, under our reciprocity agreement, may opt to enter additional tests on Sunday. As we will once again offer the reciprocity agreement with MHT this year, our members are also free to register for the MHT event that weekend.

Fun Show – July, TBAWe will be holding a fun show this year to be held in conjunction with an education event – details to be announced! We plan to be offering Western Dressage classes at this show. Open to all, only MHC memberships will be required.

September Show – Autumn Classic and provincial ChampionshipsOur September show has been moved back to the September 6-7th weekend this year, to avoid the long weekend. We hope that our membership will see this as a positive change! Bird’s Hill Park is always a great facility for the fall show, and we look forward to seeing our riders cap off the season on a high

Note: This event is a Bronze and Gold Equine Canada sanctioned show.

We want to thank all of our competitors for their ongoing support. We know that horses are your passion and we share your commitment to the sport of dressage. We hope that you will support your club by attending our events whenever possible. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Karine Duhamel, Show Chair, at [email protected]

Year of the Horse

Were you born in the Year of the Horse? Were your children? Are you expecting a baby this year? In the cycle of the Chinese Zodiac, it comes around every twelve years so check the list….

• February 15, 1942 – February 4, 1943• February 3, 1954 – January 23, 1955• January 21, 1966 – February 8, 1967• February 7, 1978 – January 27, 1979• January 27, 1990 – February 14, 1991• February 12, 2002 – January 31, 2003• January 31, 2014 – February 18, 2015

People born in the year of the horse have wonderful communication skills and they always want to be in the limelight. They are clever and kind to others. Generally Horse people are very healthy, most likely because they hold a positive attitude towards life. Although they sometimes talk too much, they are cheerful and talented. They like entertainment and large crowds. They are popular among friends, active at work and refuse to give in to failure. They are usually impatient and hot blooded. They are independent and rarely listen to advice. Sometimes they are known for their bad tempers.

Lucky Colors: brown, yellow, purple; Avoid: blue, white, golden Lucky Numbers: 2, 3, 7; Avoid 1, 6, 5


VolunteeringCourtesy of Barb Wansbutter

This fall I was very honoured to be nominated by Dressage Winnipeg for the MB Horse Council’s

Volunteer of the Year award. It made me look back on a lifetime of volunteering within and without the horse community, something that I have found very rewarding in so many ways. In this busy world it is easy to see volunteering as something that you just can’t avoid, sort of like taxes. I think for our club it makes more sense to look at volunteering as an exchange of services – you do your part and you get great shows and educational activities. The continuing involvement of volunteers is vital to all sports and if we want to improve the calibre of dressage in Manitoba we must be able to put on good shows.

The club benefits from your help and you will learn an awful lot at the same time. One of the best ways to learn is through experience and what better place to learn than at an organization hand-picked to fit your needs and interests. Whipping-in is a huge learning opportunity as you can watch how different people warm up for their tests and then watch the test itself to see how well it worked. You can pick up some great ideas. If you are tabulating, you get to see all the scores first which is kind of fun but the main benefit is that you can scan over the judge’s comments and by the end of the shift have a much better feel of what the important elements are to have a successful test. I think the most valuable volunteer experience may be scribing. You do need some training to do it but nothing really beats sitting with a judge watching the tests from her point of view. This really deepens your understanding of the sport. Of course, being a runner or gate-keeper also has its perks as you get to sit down most of the time and as you watch the same test being ridden over and over it really helps to develop your ‘eye’. I was show secretary for the Red River Pony Club Show for six years and I can also say that show office experience is great to have. It really helps to understand how everything works and goes together. It will give you the knowledge to answer many questions that come up and know exactly who to ask if you don’t know the answer or need help with something.

The other wonderful benefit of volunteering is making new friends. The more you volunteer the more people you meet and the better you get to know them. Several of my close horsey friends were met and made through working together at horse shows. It is not everyone who

is happy to sit and talk about dressage for hours on end! You are very likely to find kindred spirits at a club event.

Volunteering can be inconvenient (especially when the weather is bad!) but there are different avenues that can be followed. A common concern is that you won’t have time to volunteer because you are competing in the event and have to take care of your horse or perhaps a couple of horses. This affects most of our members because almost everyone at the show is competing. One way around this is to do something outside of the show times. You could be a board member, certainly you would end up volunteering for several hundred hours over the year but would not be responsible to taking a job at the show. You could work at a bingo or help put up the ring before the show starts or take it down after. You could do the shavings at set times of the day. You could do overnight security in the barn. You could pick up judges at the airport, drive them back and forth to the show.

Another solution is to ask family and friends to help. They often come to the show to watch and might enjoy being part of the whole thing through volunteering. Many of the jobs like runner, tabulator, gate person, and announcer can be done by people who have no experience with horses at all. You could also ask around your barn, there are often dressage enthusiasts that don’t want to show themselves but would be willing to help out to support the sport. I also have friends that rode in the past but are currently without a horse. They like to come out to the shows and are usually happy to help if needed. I think that is the important part, most people and sometimes even our own members don’t realize our chronic lack of enough volunteers and it is up to all of us DW members to spread the word. You may be surprised at the number of people that are willing to take an active part once they realize that they are really needed.

The volunteer hours are usually run in shifts – morning or afternoon. For each shift we need a whipper-in, a runner, an announcer, two tabulators, two scribes, and a show office assistant at the bare minimum. So eight people in the morning and the same number in the afternoon for two days…so 32 shifts of just show time volunteers. Times this by four shows and we have 128



shifts. When we add in the other positions – board members, drivers for the judges, shavings person, set-up and take-down, on site security, bingo, gate keepers at Provincials. etc – and we would have at least 8 more shifts per show. Total of all volunteer time required to put on our four shows – approximately 160 shifts – and this doesn’t count volunteers needed for the extra educational activities that we have on. Last year Dressage Winnipeg had 73 members required to do 2 shifts each which totals 146 shifts so you can see the need for your help. I have sometimes heard people

Volunteering (continued)

complain that they had paid $250 for the show so why should they have to volunteer on top of that. Well, the shows are at best break even and so if they are going to go ahead everyone needs to pitch in.

Watching all the Kennedy memories on TV this fall, made me think of paraphrasing his famous quote…..”Think not what you club can do for you, think what you can do for your club!” Come out and volunteer cheerfully, gain knowledge of your sport and make some new lifelong friends!

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You never know where your interest and enjoyment with horses will take you. For a grey haired soul, who has spent most of the past 10 years as a casual rider, volunteer and spectator of DW dressage shows in Manitoba, I had minimal expectation of ever visiting California, let alone me ever riding

there. A year ago, December 2012, the opportunity came while visiting my youngest daughter Darcy who had moved to the “Surf City” locale south of L.A.

My daughter was taking lessons at Stachowski Farms Arabian show horse training facility located near from San Diego. She lined up a lesson for me so I went and had a lovely time. I rode briefly in the arena with views of the beautiful surrounding mountains foothills and valley. For most riders this was just a brief “blink of the eye” visit. Little did I know what my daughter had planned for my next visit when I returned to visit her at Belmont Shore in Long Beach, CA this past December of 2013. I did follow her instructions by making sure to pack my riding helmet, boots and barn clothes. The second day of the ten day visit we headed to Santa Clarita (canyon country northeast of LA) to visit the endurance rider, Charlene Lewis, I had met back in 2001 when I had helped trailer some Arabians our family had bred out to California to be sold for endurance. The plan was that my daughter and Charlene would ride out on the trail on horses that had just been sent down from Manitoba. When Charlene heard that I was tagging along for the visit, she generously asked if I had my gear with me and if I would like to ride out too. She explained that I would ride her prized 20 year old endurance mare, who we had bred and raised.

This mare had a superlative career, including completing the Tevis Cup, so I was thrilled to have this chance. What was extra special was that I had also ridden in Birds Hill Park the mare’s dam, whom we had also bred and raised. Back to California, this December day was warm even though the riding was no “walk in the park”! We rode the hills and arroyos near Vasquez State Park climbing gradually in a zigzag way up the foothills so we

You Never Know...Courtesy of Jane Fudge

could get a good view. As I followed the other two I did not see what was ahead. Around a turn we climbed a 60 degree incline along a meter wide path with dropoffs either side. I was concentrating on staying on but had complete faith that this mare had done this a thousand times before. We reached the summit of the hill and I paused to soak up the moment. On the way back, it was so much fun and easier on the descent. We rode past the cacti and down a power line service road. Once we returned and bathed the horses, we said a grateful goodbye to our host. My horse adventure was not over for the day, after a fast food lunch at the In and Out, we drove to the LA Equestrian Centre. I was about to have my first ever driving lesson with a Saddlebred given at Jim Bennett Stables.

It was fun to see in the neighbouring community of Burbank the horse crossing signals at the intersections with the signal buttons placed high on the poles for the riders! When the coach asked me what was my goal with the lesson, I smiled sweetly and replied I was there to learn some about driving and to enjoy the experience in a wonderful setting. Secretly, I was thinking about my daughter’s motives for the lesson. Then I learned I was going to to have not one but two lessons during my visit so I better pay attention. The horse Artie was a tried and true driving horse all tacked and ready to go. Following a brief introduction I was given the reins and guided around the practice ring learning what “straight” from the point of a view of a driver really means. It was so fun and challenging to “keep ones act together” and not white-knuckle-drive.

A few days later I had my second lesson with a Saddlebred named Hutzpah and the bar of challenge was raised. For most of the time we wound our way around tight corners between the barns on the property avoiding congestion and obstacles. Oh yes, we also had to learn how to back up. We had a good laugh when we were passed by a miniature horse pulling a small pink cart followed by two dogs that were taller than the mini. Despite the fact that my daughter and son-in-law had just moved homes, they still had more horse fun in store for me. We attended the very last day of racing at historic Hollywood Park race track in Inglewood, CA and the first day of the winter race meet at Santa Anita race track in Arcadia, CA.


I also visited Lowe Show Horse Centre in Somis, CA which was formerly owned by Zsa Zsa Gabor to watch Darcy ride her show horse. We also walked the horse trails with the pleasure horses at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach. Some may think that California is noted only for beaches and Disney and the Rose parade but I think California is filled with horses. Hopefully my next visit will involve dressage!

You Never Know... (continued)

Update from Emily Ferguson

Courtesy of Emily Ferguson

Last year was my busiest show season yet, and 2014 is shaping up to be even more exciting. This year, I was lucky enough to make the trip down to Wellington, Florida to spend the winter months training and showing with my coach, Armand Valkenborg. I made the 27 hour road trip down with two other girls from the barn, through 2 blizzards, a torrential rain storm, and a lot of rush hour gridlock. The horses were shipped with a transport company, and arrived here on January 4th. We spent the next week or so settling in and getting

the horses back into their routine before the first show of the year. My horse, Hidalgo, made some big leaps in his training and I was really excited to get back in the ring to get a judge’s perspective on our improvements. The brand new facilities at the Global Dressage Festival are beautiful, and the layout of the whole show is great. The rings, barns, office, and vendors are all just steps away from each other, which is a welcome change from the spread out style of many shows in Canada, where a golf cart is almost a necessity. Hidalgo and I had a great start to the season, scoring 68.5% in our Fourth level debut. I’m looking forward to riding my first Prix St. George in early February, and working towards getting my qualifying scores for the 2014 NAJYRC.

Spending the winter months down south is a great opportunity for riders to take advantage of the warm weather and keep up with their training. It’s difficult for horse and rider to work comfortably when temperatures are consistently -25oC and colder. Also, with Wellington being the “dressage capital” of the continent, it attracts some of the best riders from the US, Canada, South America, and Europe. With a CDI competition being held almost every weekend until March, there are great chances to watch many top riders, and to get more international show experience for myself as well. Between the show schedule, keeping Hidalgo in top shape, and a part time working student position, my time in Florida is proving to be a little hectic. But I’m so grateful to be here, and I’m proud to represent Manitoba on the Florida circuit.


Aromatherapy is for the birds. If you agree with this statement, let me correct you. It can be deadly for birds, but good for horses, dogs and their owners. Cats can also benefit from aromatherapy but in a totally different way.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a link on the internet relating to Equine Aromatherapy. I had no idea what aromatherapy entailed but it was related to horses, so I was interested. I clicked on the link and was brought to a site offering an online correspondence course offered by Catherine Bird the world’s foremost equine aroma therapist. I discovered that the use of aromatherapy is more common and accepted with horses than any other animal. The majority of work with essential oils and horses is being done in Europe and the United Kingdom. I took the course which I found to be very interesting and informative, covering many methods of aromatherapy applications.

What is aromatherapy?Aromatherapy is a relatively new complimentary therapy. It involves the application of essential oils (pure plant extracts). Aromatherapy - the art of blending essential oils for health related issues has been documented throughout the ages, but its modern application is less than 100 years old.

According to Catherine Bird, the basic essential oils recommended to have on hand for horses are: Basil, Bergamot, Chamomile (German or Roman), Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Lemongrass and Tea Tree. Though some of these may sound like something you would find in your pharmacy or grocery spice section, they are entirely different. In fact, you may be able to find good quality Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Tea Tree oils at a local health food store, but the others would need to be purchased at recognized aromatherapy businesses. There are many oils and all of them have numerous healing properties. Some are particularly effective for skin irritations, muscle spasms, inflammation and wound healing, for example.

How does Aromatherapy work?Aromatherapy works in a profound but very subtle way. The most common applications of aromatherapy are through simple inhalation or via massage. The essential oils used have a special quality about them. Once inhaled, some of the chemical constituents can enter the bloodstream via the mucus membranes of the respiratory tract (via the nose). From there, the particles of scent are broken down - neurochemicals

Aromatherapyare released through the body to instill a feeling of wellness. At the same time, the scent is carried to parts of the brain where memories and emotions are stored and have an impact on the horse’s state of mind. This can be used effectively to calm and tense or frightened animal. It all takes place within seconds. Depending on the aromatherapy essential oils and the way they are used, the effects can last a very long time. Some oils can be eliminated through the horse’s body within 4 hours and others can have longer lasting effects and take up to 5 days to be completely eliminated.

Aromatherapy essential oils can be massaged onto the skin when they are blended in a carrier oil or gel. A carrier medium such as grape seed oil or aloe vera gel is necessary to hold the essential oils to the skin and slow down their evaporation so that the healing constituents have time to find their way into the blood stream via the hair follicle.

How do you know what to use?The horse always has the last word - it is the horse that always chooses the oils for the session.

The owner will tell me in advance the problem that needs addressing (ie. stiffness, soreness, etc.) With that in mind, I will give the horse a chance to smell the oils I have chosen in advance to make up a massage blend. In the end, by watching his body language, the horse may ultimately show me he wants one or two or more of the oils that have been offered. An essential oil is never placed in a diluted or undiluted form on a muzzle because the horse cannot escape the scent. Doing this would stress the animal and probably bring on a headache. During the massage, the horse benefits from both inhalation of the aromas and the physical aspect of the massage.

The combination of Clicker Training and Aromatherapy can be a phenomenal way to give your horse a “sense of relief” and more confidence to tackle new manoeuvres or to overcome fears from past experiences. Aromatherapy does not replace good training methods, but it provides extra “tools or keys” to break down the emotional blocks of resistance hampering or slowing down training.

Continued on page 24


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PHOT

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Wanted - New Dressage Judges!

The Officials Committee would like to encourage more people to become involved in the judging program to build a broader base. If you are a dressage rider with an interest in becoming a judge, please apply through the Equine Canada office as outlined in the Rule Book (Section E: Dressage).


“Over 2 days, Suzanne was able to assist me with 2 horses in particular. One horse had become head shy and could only be bridled if the bridle was put on a section at a time. Another horse could not be easily approached and would jump back in his stall if he was touched. He was also skittish and wary of any movement on his right side.

In a few days, using clicker training and an aromatherapy mist, Suzanne was easily able to approach, touch, halter the skittish horse and bridle the other. In all, 3-4 sessions of approx. 20 minutes in length were necessary for each horse. At the end, both horses were relaxed and very comfortable while being handled.”

Ross Cannon Maple Heights Arabian & Hackney Breeder Saskatoon

Aromatherapy via massage is a complement to veterinarian care. It is always wise to check with your vet if you want to implement aromatherapy sessions in combination with his recommended care. Equine massage and aromatherapy is not used in the diagnosis of physical issues.

Armoatherapy (continued)

Want to Ride Better Tests? BE A SCrIBE – hands down the most educational way to use your volunteer hours!

DW will be putting on a free “Learn to Scribe” clinic in March or April. Christine would like all interested members to contact her so she can pick a date that works for as many as possible.

Contact – Christine Stevens DW Education Chair [email protected]

For more info on aromatherapy and cats, dogs and horses, visit my website: www.scentsofrelief.com


Our Winter Lecture Series was kicked off with a Western Dressage Demo. It was a huge hit with over 100 people attending in the warm arena at Pine Ridge Equine Park. Elaine Banfield was our presenter and, as always, she did a great job of introducing this new sport. She was joined by three young riders who went through their first ever tests like pros.

I found it very interesting to hear how young a sport it really is. The Western Dressage Association of America held their first meeting in late 2010 and the sport was recognized by the USEF just a couple of months ago, December 2013. It is a sport that is growing like wildfire and it is good to see Dressage Winnipeg getting involved in supporting it. I think

for a lot of people it is the perfect meeting of two worlds – they get the mentality of classical dressage matched with the casual fun of the Western world. It is appealing to many English discipline people to be able to compete in their jeans with no braiding or fuss and I think appealing to Western riders to follow the structured program of the training pyramid. It will now be up to us to be kind and welcoming to each other – we are all learning and training together, the Training level classical dressage rider is doing all the same movements as the Basic level western dressage rider and so forth up the levels.

One of the main points that Elaine made was that the dressage is just the same no matter what kind of tack you are using. The western pyramid of training is basically the same as the English one even though the words may be slightly different – Readiness – attentiveness, calmness and a willingness to move forward; Balance – ability to carry a rider, turn, stop, move haunches laterally, bend on a circle; Rhythm – soft gaits and topline, acceptance of the rider’s hand; Impulsion – engagement from the haunches into soft contact, energy; Suppleness – lateral mobility, transitions with the haunches engaged; Collection – lightness of the forehand as the haunches engage; Lightness – harmony, self-carriage. The judging is the same, looking at straightness, shape and size of circles, good working paces, square halts, accuracy at the letters, and so forth.

Following Elaine’s talk on the basics of Western Dressage, rules, tack requirements and the basics of riding tests, we were able to watch riders go through three different tests, first with Elaine explaining what the judge would be looking for and stopping to show the riders how to improve certain elements. Afterwards the riders rerode with no stoppage so that we could follow the flow of the whole test. As you can imagine with such a new sport in Manitoba, the tests were all at the lower level but still gave a very good feel of how the same principles apply in both disciplines.

So now we all go home to work, Western or English, on trying to make our circles rounder, our lines straighter, to get our halts square and immobile and learn how to hit that darn letter at the right spot when coming off the diagonal. We look forward to seeing lots of Western tests being ridden at our July show!

Western Dressage DemoCourtesy of Barb Wansbutter

IN THE WArM-up rINg… Check with management before lunging in the warm-up ring. Many facilities designate a separate area for lunging for the safety of riders. Pass left shoulder to left shoulder and pay attention to where you are going. Slower gaits stay to the inside of the arena. Keep at least one horse’s length from any other horse. Plan halts for the center of the ring. Be careful how you use your whip. If another horse is reacting to your cues, be mindful. Disobedient horses should be removed from the ring immediately. In the event of a runaway horse, safety comes first. Stop what you are doing and wait for the situation to be resolved. Do your schooling in a positive manner. Keep your emotions in check. Foul language is never tolerated.


The Equine Canada Convention has been held at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Winnipeg all week and hopefully many members have gotten out to the various sessions. I went to the Annual Awards Gala last night and it was a memorable evening.

The room was decorated in black & green, the colours of the 2014 WEG in Normandy. The menu was on the same theme – A Taste of France – poached pears, scallops, and Beef Bourquignon en Croute. Delicious! In between courses the various awards were presented. I would like to mention a few of the awards that were of special interest.

The sole Manitoba award winner was Carl Fudge of Sturgeon Creek Arabians in Beausejour, MB. He was honoured with the Endurance Canada Award recognizing the breeding program which has produced so many wonderful horses with great achievements in the sport, including representing Canada at the World Endurance Championships in the United Arab Emirates in 2002 and in Malaysia in 2008. Of course, past and present Dressage Winnipeg board members, Ashley & Jane Fudge were along to cheer on this accomplishment.

Manitoba was ably represented again when Jan Stephens (FEI Canadian Steward General and 2010 EC Volunteer of the Year) presented the Health and Welfare Awards. The recipients were table mates of ours – the Horse Stewardship Award went to Lynda Tennessen, Herd and Lessons Manager for WELCA, a non-profit community organization in Edmonton that offers a variety of riding and non-riding programs for high-risk youth, aboriginal youth, war veterans, the physically and mentally disabled, and the elderly. The EC Horse Health & Welfare Award went to Brenda Thompson who runs the Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue in Hargersville, Ontario, an equine rehabilitation farm for abused and neglected horses. It was wonderful to hear their stories. I found it heartwarming that Equine Canada is standing behind these kinds of programs.

Another interesting speaker was Eventer Rebecca Howard. Rebecca was named Equestrian of the Year and her horse, Blythe Hill Riddle Master, was named Canadian Bred Horse of the Year. They have been having tremendous success on the international scene including the 2010 WEG, 2011 Pan Am Games, and the 2012 Olympics. As guest speaker, Rebecca shared her thoughts on what it takes for Canada to get to the top.

One comment that stuck with me was the need for Canadian riders to push themselves to “take the next step” – moving up a level in their sport, competing in another province, going across the border to compete, and so forth. As we all push ourselves to our best, the whole of equine sport in Canada is enriched and grows stronger.

Tanya Strassler-Shostak was Junior Equestrian of the Year, it was nice to see a dressage girl get in there. The Lifetime Achievement Award and the Hickstead Trophy were rather connected. Faith Berghuis was given the Lifetime Award. Berghuis has been actively supporting equine sport in Canada for 25 years, starting some very prominent syndicates to bring world calibre horses to Canada. Berghuis is most closely connected with Ian Miller and Gina Smith. She gave a very interesting talk on setting up syndicates to buy horses for our top riders. Berghuis also accepted the Hickstead Trophy on behalf of Big Ben, the first horse purchased by one of her syndicates. She had some wonderful stories about this Canadian icon.

It was a most enjoyable evening and brought home the tremendous hours put in by all these EC members on our behalf. There are very few paid positions and it is due to the commitment of so many volunteers that our horse industry stays strong.

Equine Canada Annual Awards GalaCourtesy of Barb Wansbutter

Carl Fudge

Endurance Canada Award

www.dressagewinnipeg.com


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