Alpha Dressage News
Murphy's Horse Laws
There is no such thing as
a sterile barn cat.
No one ever notices how
you ride until you fall off.
The least useful horse in
you barn will eat the
most, require shoes
every four weeks and
need the vet at least
once a month.
A horse's misbehavior
will be in direct
proportion to the number
of people who are
watching.
Your favorite tack always
gets chewed on, and
your new blanket gets
torn.
Tack you hate will never
wear out and blankets
you hate cannot be
destroyed.
Horses you hate cannot
be sold and will out live
you.
Clipper blades will
become dull when your
horse is half clipped.
If you approach within
fifty feet of your barn in
clean clothes, you will
get dirty.
The number of horses
you own will increase to
the number of stalls in
your barn.
Your barn will fall down
without baling twine.
Hoof picks always run a
way from home.
If you fall off, you will
land on the site of your
most recent injury.
If you are winning, quit,
there is only one way to
go. Down
December 2011
Got a Minute?
The November meeting was held at the Fruitville Library in Sarasota.
Members present included Deb Dufresne-Coll, Katelyn Kent, Anna
Bergenstrahle, Lydia Kolbas, Betty Brown, Martha Koehnlein, Susan Mori,
Robin Sego, Deb Herbert, Donna Porter, Linda and Mariel Wrench, Mary
Lynn Stanton, Nancy Trivisonno, Linda Green, and Karen Abbattista.
The new rules were reviewed for the Schooling Shows, and will go in
effect with the December 4th show. Pam Aide is to judge.
Black Dog is hosting a Schooling Show December 10th.
The Ride-A-Test Clinic is confirmed for December 18th at Clermark
Equestrian.
The Winter Dressage Clinic with John Zopatti is confirmed for January
21st-22nd and Karen William‘s barn in Panther Ridge.
Carol Bishop is coming for lessons December 19th, 20th, and 21st.
Robin Sego presented for consideration tote bags made by migrant
workers out of plastic feed bags. Her church is selling them for $12 as a
fund raiser. Please save your feed bags and bring to Robin.
Robin also discussed bringing Ginger (Janet) Kent to the area for a clinic
this season. Ginger Kent works with dressage basics and position, and
does a lot of work at the walk. She winters locally, and would only require
a 3 ride commitment.
Members of the Taoist Tai Chi Society then made a special presentation.
Tai Chi, which means ‗grand ultimate boxing‘, is the generic name for the
soft or internal martial art reputedly originated by the Taoist monk Chang
San-feng about 800 years ago in China. Benefits include: improved
circulation, balance and posture, increased strength and flexibility, and
reduce stress. Tai Chi is gaining popularity in the equestrian community
as an unmounted way of improving your riding. Want to know more?
Visit www.sarasota.florida.usa.taoist.org or visit the Taoist Tai Chi Society
at 4101 S. Lockwood Ridge Rd In Sarasota.
Our next meeting will be our annual Holiday Celebration, held Tuesday,
December 13th at 6 pm Martha Koehnlein‘s (490 Percheron Circle,
Nokomis, 34275). Please bring a dish to share.
ADA Newsletter
Page 2 of 7
It’s Time to Renew Your Membership!
It‗s time to renew your ADA membership for 2012. For membership information and/or an
application, contact Martha Koehnlein at [email protected] or visit our website‗s Forms section.
Why join? By joining ADA, you automatically become a group member of the United States
Dressage Federation.
Group member benefits include:
USDF Connection – USDF‗s members-only magazine
Eligibility to participate in rider award programs
Eligibility to participate in ADA year-end awards
Member discount rates at ADA Schooling Shows and clinics
Member discount rates at USDF events
A wonderful group of like-minded people to share your passion for horses with!
USDF Approves National Dressage Championships
Lexington, KY (December 4, 2011) – The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased
to announce approval by its Board of Governors of a US national dressage championship
beginning in 2013. This championship will be a head to head competition showcasing Adult
Amateur and Open riders at Training Level through Grand Prix.
With invitations to be extended to competitors who have qualified through the Great
American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championships, the inaugural
championship (exact name TBD) will take place in the fall of 2013 at the Kentucky Horse Park
(KHP) in Lexington, KY. The KHP was the site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
It also hosts the annual Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the FEI North American Junior and
Young Rider Championships.
According to USDF President George Williams, the first formal discussions within the
USDF, regarding a US national championship, started almost 20 years ago. Williams also states,
―This is indeed an exciting day for American dressage and in particular, our adult amateur
competitors.‖
Page 3 of 7
ADA Newsletter
ALPHA DRESSAGE ASSOCIATION
PRESENTS
A RIDE-A-TEST SHOW
COME JOIN US FOR AN INFORMATIVE DAY OF LEARNING HOW TO
DEVELOP YOUR TEST RIDING SKILLS.
Show Date: Sunday, December 18, 2011
Judge: Karen Abbattista (L)
Closing Date:Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Location: Clermark Equestrian Center
5982 225th Street
East Bradenton, FL
Manager & Secretary:
Martha Koehnlein
(941) 320-7673
CLASSES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
USDF Introductory Level Test A
USDF Introductory Level Test B
USDF Introductory Level Test C
USEF Training Level Test 1
USEF Training Level Test 2
USEF Training Level Test 3
7. USEF First Level Test 1
8. USEF First Level Test 2
9. USEF First Level Test 3
10. USEF Second Level Test 1
11. USEF Second Level Test 2
12. USEF Second Level Test 3
Riders select any tests across the level to perform for comments and individual movement scores. Riders do
not have to perform consecutive levels. Auditors are welcome at no charge.
Not sure what this clinic is all about? Call me and I’ll answer any questions you have about it! Martha: 941320-7673.
Fees: Fees are $15.00 per horse/rider combination, per class, for the first ride at that level. Any other test at the
same level is $10.00 for the same horse/rider combination. Any other test at a different level is $15.00. You may
ride as many tests as you want. A $15.00 office fee per horse/rider combination will be collected.
ADA Newsletter
Ask the Judge
Page 4 of 7
Bill Woods, USDF ‘R’ Judge
Question of the Month
Why are spurs mandatory in FEI competition?
BILL-- You would think that since a primary goal of our sport as expressed in the rulebook is
―that the horse should appear to do of his own accord what is required of him,‖ and if the
pinnacle of dressage training is supposed to be displayed in the FEI levels and especially at
the Grand Prix, that that the reliance on artificial aids and appliances—force multipliers as it
were—would be frowned upon rather than required.
If you thought that, you‘d be wrong.
But, why? The answer is one simple word—TRADITION. Classical dressage finds
its roots in the royal courts of the 16th and 17th centuries, but the brand of competitive
dressage which most riders practice today can be traced more directly to the style and
methods of cavalry riding of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At that time, double bridles
and spurs were required so that a mounted officer would have enough control one-handed to
be able to use his pistol or his saber with the other.
Not all that many riders are waving swords these days, but many of these customs
continue for no other reason than ―that‘s the way we do it in dressage.‖ Only recently has the
USEF permitted the use of the snaffle bridle in FEI tests which it sanctions, but so far the FEI
has not gone along with that change for international competition. And spurs are mandatory
under both sets of rules. Fail to strap them on before you come down the centerline, and you
and your horse will be invited to take an early shower.
One suspects that the FEI will eventually bow to logic, but don‘t be surprised if
another half generation of ―the powers that be‖ will have to go to their graves (undoubtedly
wearing their swords and spurs) before that happens.
The USDF Connection says:
"Much as I love our sport, there aren't too many dressage tomes I'd
consider taking to the beach... DRESSAGE Unscrambled is the rare
exception. "
[Bill] also happens to be an astute observer of foibles both human and
equine and a writer with a wry sense of humor.
"DRESSAGE Unscrambled distills a lifetime of memorable experiences
and 'aha' educational moments into one unassuming paperback...
Page 5 of 7
ADA Newsletter
For Dressage Trainer John Zopatti, Schooling is Where It’s At
Reprinted from the Town Crier Online, written by Ellen Rosenburg
Successful dressage trainer John Zopatti was 14, living in Massachusetts, when a friend of his
mother invited his family out to a farm to see a newborn pony foal. He‘d never been around horses
before.
―That was it,‖ he said. ―I was hooked.‖
Zopatti spent as much time at the farm as he could during the summers, cleaning stalls and
grooming horses. In exchange, he got to ride the ponies. He also got to watch the better riders and
trainers, especially his friend Amy, who did dressage.
Years later, his experience morphed into a training job at a barn with Susan Anderson, a ―great
trainer.‖ Zopatti saved his pennies and took lessons with her whenever he could afford it.
Zopatti tried vet school but couldn‘t get past the blood and dissection, so he switched to another
program and graduated with a business management degree. He worked at a few odd jobs for the
next couple of year before becoming a working student for Olympic dressage rider Heidi Erickson
in New Jersey. Erickson was very generous with her time and her horses. Zopatti was doing the
same mucking and grooming as he had with the ponies, but now he got to ride some ―very fancy
horses‖ in exchange.
―That‘s where I learned the value of riding a horse who knows more than you,‖ Zopatti said. ―I was
riding FEI schoolmasters who were trained to third and fourth level. I learned the feel of the
movements. I had finally found what I wanted to do with my life.‖
Zopatti broke young horses for Jimmy Fairclough, one of the top four-in-hand drivers in the world.
Then he branched out, rented a farm in New Jersey, and began teaching on his own. He continued
working with Erickson, and came to South Florida with her during the winter show seasons. Zopatti
was thrilled when he won or placed high in many classes with Shining Moment, a ―hot hot hot‖ offthe-track Thoroughbred he had trained.
South Florida was a different world and a different level. All the top riders he‘d always idolized,
such as Robert Dover, were at these shows.
―I‘d spend every spare moment going to different farms and arenas, just watching them school,‖
Zopatti recalled. ―I‘d take my lunch hour, bring along a sandwich, ad just sit and watch. Then I got
to know them, at parties and functions, and I was amazed that they were so nice, just normal
people.‖
Zopatti soon began emulating some of his idols. He won numerous regional championships and
was voted trainer of the year four years in a row by the Gold Coast Dressage Association from
2003 through 2007. He also trains some of the top adult amateur dressage riders currently
showing. Even at some of the top shows, like Aachen, Germany, Zopatti prefers watching riders
ADA Newsletter
Page 6 of 7
school to watching them show. He said one can learn a great deal more about how to work with a
horse that way, and see how these top riders solve problems. ―It really sharpens your eye,‖ he
said.
Zopatti began working with Jurgen Koschul, a top German dressage rider who had coached the
Spanish and Swiss Olympic dressage teams in different years. ―Jurgen is a super teacher,‖ Zopatti
said. ―He really understand horses and has compassion for them. He always emphasizes the
basics. Things have to be done in a certain order for them to be correct.‖
Zopatti said he loves the ―intimacy‖ of dressage, the clear understanding, the way small, subtle
cues from the rider translate into intricate, flowing responses from the horse. He loves the way
something like a tiny shift of the rider‘s weight can result in an elaborate response.
One of the highlights of his life was buying a farm with Olympic dressage rider Bent Jensen in
2003. Jensen Zopatti Enterprises LLC is located in the Little Ranches area of Wellington,
specializing in training adult amateurs, importing some young prospects from Europe, and
standing a breeding stallion.
―It‘s a good balance of people and horses,‖ Zopatti said.
Zopatti‘s advice to anyone who wants to get started in dressage is to do what he did: attach
yourself to someone you look up to, and watch them and learn.
Winter Dressage Clinic With John Zopatti
January 21st – 22nd
Call today to reserve your
lesson. All levels welcome.
727-641-3133 ask for Karen
or email
[email protected]
Page 7 of 7
ADA Newsletter
Classifieds
Alpha Dressage Officers For Sale: Black riding jacket,
President
Betty Brown
(941) 925-1575
[email protected]
Vice President
Robin Sego
(941) 322-0494
[email protected]
Secretary
Karen Abbattista
(941)376-1736
[email protected]
Treasurer
Martha Koehnlein
(941) 320-7673
[email protected]
Publicity
Anna Bergenstrahle
[email protected]
yeshuafarm@embarqmail. Mamaequine Massage
com
(sorry, for horses only).
The evaluation can
Room for rent.
assess your horse‘s
$500/month, $150 deposit physical condition, comfort
to be taken off last month‘s stiff and tired muscles,
rent. Everything included. improve circulation, and
House privileges, DSL,
help those recovering
DirecTV, W/D, pool, 3
from injury. Massage can
miles from I-75 (exit 182). increase range of motion,
Smoking outside only, pet leading to more efficient
ok. Call Linda at 941-356- movement, enhanced
0985.
performance and gait
For sale: Top hat by Christy‘s,
quality, and improved
black, size 6 7/8, very good
For the PERFECT holiday disposition. Call today!
condition, $75. County Logic gift for both you and your
Girth, good condition, size 28‖, horse call Linda at 941Clipper blade sharpening.
cost $225 new, now just $75. 662-0910 to find out about Keith Kappelmann, 941Call Verna at 239-543-4032 or massage packages
416-1178.
email
available from
size 12, good condition $50.
Black Halfchaps, like new,
small, $15. Black paddock
boots, like new, size 8, $25.
White Devon-aire helmet, S/M,
good condition, $15. Four
green wraps, used once,
$5.White breechses, 30‖ long,
good condition, $25. Call
Diana Clark 351-8089 or
[email protected]
Upcoming Events…
th
December 10 – Black Dog Schooling Show, Plant City.
www.blackdogconnemaras.tripod.com
th
th
December 10 – 11 – Orlando Winter Classic www.orlandodressage.com
Newsletter Editor
Karen Abbattista
[email protected]
th
December 13 – All Around Tours bus trip to Arabian Nights Holiday Show. $54 per
person. The bus picks you up at Burlington Coat Factory on Cattleman Rod. Tour
includes lunch with unlimited beer, wine and soda and the show. Call 941-488-9393 to
make a reservation.
th
December 18 – Ride-A Test Schooling Show, Clermark Equestrian. Introductory Tests
through Second Level.
th
January 14-15 – Ocala Winter Dressage. www.orlandodressage.com
th
January 15 – ADA Schooling Show, Cheval Centre, Sarasota
nd
January 21-22 – John Zopatti Clinic., Panther Ridge. Contact Karen W at
[email protected]
th
Feb 4-5 – American Dressage Concours I & II, Fox Lea Farm, Venice
www.foxleafarm.com
We‘re on the Web!
See us at:
www.alphadressage.org
th
Feb 25-26 – Fl Dressage Concours I & II, Fox Lea Farm, Venice www.foxleafarm.com
th
March 3-4 – Dressage Among Friends I & II, Tampa. www.sdcta.net
Mark your calendars…ADA Schooling Shows are December 4th, January
15th and March 11th at Cheval Centre in Sarasota.