Equestrian Outreach: Spreading the Gospel of Horses

A girl enjoys her first "horseback ride" at the FEI World Cup Finals. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

One of the stated goals of the 2017 FEI World Cup Finals organizers is to introduce horses and horse sports to more people in the Omaha area and beyond.

To that end, along with the usual fancy high-end equestrian boutiques in the trade fair in the CenturyLink Center are lots of kid-friendly "intro to horses" interactive exhibits, a stableful of horses of various breeds for admiring, and other introductory-type attractions. As I wandered around the trade fair this morning, I found myself amidst throngs of schoolchildren on field trips -- most elementary-school-aged, some older -- as well as a good number of folks with various disabilities. Let's just say that the crowd did not look like the people we're accustomed to seeing at horse shows -- and that's a mighty welcome change. Quite frankly, the future of our industry and our sport depends on it.

The kids seemed equally fascinated by the real horses and the make-believe ones. Volunteers were doing things guaranteed to appeal to the younger set, like drawing forth a long length of tubular pink material from a box and announcing the length of a horse's intestines. Of course the kids loved it, complete with laughter and the cries of "Ew, gross!"

Confession: I loved it too. Among those tykes is undoubtedly one who will get bitten by the horse bug as completely and utterly as you and I did. And who knows: That little kid may well be our next McLain Ward or Laura Graves.

Ride on. Share your equine passion. And enjoy these photos.

The Omaha venue is unique in that the competitors come cheek-to-jowl (or tail) with the spectators. Visiting schoolchildren watch as a groom returns the jumper Liborius from Uruguay to the stables after a hand-walk in the warm-up arena. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

The World Cup Finals aren't just about dressage and jumping. US dressage rider Endel Ots was spotted schooling a demonstration horse alongside a Western rider. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Of course, a trade fair is all about shopping! The USDF's Betsy Hamilton (left) and Sydney Manning are staffing the USDF merchandise booth. Stop by and say hello! Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

US Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan off to an Impressive Start in Lexington

Pam Heglund and Letizia were the first competitors down center line in the Alltech Arena
at the 2014 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan. Photo by Bob Tarr.

By Yellow Horse Marketing for the US Dressage Finals

Exciting head-to-head dressage competition got under way on Thursday at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan in Lexington, KY, November 6-9, 2014. Nearly 400 adult-amateur and open riders from Training Level to Grand Prix have come to the Kentucky Horse Park in their quests for national championship honors, and many of them made their final preparations by competing in one of the multitude of open and warm-up USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass classes.   

With an increase of more than 100 entries from last year, event organizers including manager Lloyd Landkamer have worked overtime in an effort to ensure a truly special competition experience for exhibitors who have come to Lexington from across the country. 

"The first day has gone great," said Landkamer. "We learned so much from last year's show, and were able to make improvements based on feedback we received from competitors to make this event even better.  I think everyone went home last year having had such a positive experience at the inaugural Finals, and this directly contributed to the impressive increase in our entry numbers. It makes for a tight schedule, but the whole organizing team has come together to make it happen."

Kicking off the competition was Pam Heglund aboard her Westfalen mare, Letizia, who were the very first pair to canter down center line in the Alltech Arena. Their solid performance was ultimately good enough to earn second place in their Open/AA Prix St. Georges warm-up class.  

Traveling from Ada, Mich., for her first Finals, Heglund was overwhelmed with her experience so far.  "I'm almost speechless. I'm just so honored to be here and to be able to share this with my family and friends," said Heglund. "They've done such an incredible job with the setup and the organization of the show. The Alltech Arena is so beautiful yet inviting for the horses, and the footing is amazing. I was super excited to march in the ring first! We had a clean test, which was as smooth as it could be.  It was a great way to start, and I was so happy and proud of my horse."  

Heglund and Letizia now look forward to returning to the Alltech Arena on Saturday afternoon for the Fourth Level Adult Amateur Freestyle Championship.

Amanda Wille rode rode her colorful Irish Warmblood gelding, Mason,
to their first blue ribbon of the weekend at the US Dressage Finals. Photo by Bob Tarr.

Thrilled to be back at the US Dressage Finals for the second year in a row is Amanda Wille of Richmond, Va., with her pinto Irish Warmblood gelding, Mason. In 2013, this eye-catching pair competed at the inaugural Finals at First Level and now return to take on the competition in the Second Level Adult Amateur Championship.   

"I was delighted to come back because the facility and the staff are great, and the best of the best in the nation are here. It's such a huge accomplishment to make it, and so far it's just as awesome as it was last year," said Wille. She and Mason won their warm-up class Thursday, topping the field in the Second Level Test 3 Open/AA in the outdoor Murphy Ring. In addition to Friday's Championship ride, they have also entered two Third Level open classes in the USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass portion of the competition in order to earn additional experience in a championship atmosphere.  

"The outdoor arenas are beautiful, the footing is phenomenal out there, and they have a great championship feel," Wille said. "There's nothing better than going across the diagonal in medium trot and seeing your name on the scoreboard. It's all a great experience, and you're competing with the best, so why not take advantage of as much ring time as possible."

Wrapping up a busy first day, exhibitors enjoyed a Competitor Welcome Party and Trade Fair Kick-Off on the concourse of the Alltech Arena. Competition resumes Friday at 8:00am ET as the first of the Finals championship classes get under way.  Follow the action through updates on the USDF Facebook page and the US Dressage Finals website, as well as watch live online streaming on the USEF Network.

To learn more about the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan, download competition information, review day sheets and results, and read daily news releases, visit the official event website.

Scene at the WEG

Today, Thursday, was a rest day for dressage. Not having to race between the dressage and the para-equestrian dressage venues meant that I actually found myself with a bit of time to check out the Games Village at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The Games Village, located adjacent to the Parc Exposition Center, the reining venue, is the shopping and trade-fair site. Wow! There were a lot of vendors at the 2010 WEG in Kentucky, but Normandy has Lexington beat for opulence, variety, and sheer numbers.

Here, you can browse the spacious Hermes boutique, or perhaps you'd rather have a Rolex. Luxury French retailer Printemps has a store here. There is all manner of high-end equestrian retailers and clothiers. Title sponsor Alltech repeats its Alltech Experience pavilion from Lexington. And the Land Rover Experience -- both kid- and adult-sized versions -- well, you'll just have to see the photos (below) to believe it.

Strolling the aisles, it is plain that horses are more embedded in French culture than they are in the US. There are TV broadcasters and radio stations. French regions promote their equestrian offerings. And there is a striking number of fun and educational displays designed to appeal to kids and families. Large groups of children were streaming in the entrance as I left. Now this is how you get youngsters involved with horses!

Enjoy the photos. I've thrown in a few other shots, as well, to give you a feel for the local couleur here in Caen and the WEG.

Team USA duds on display at Hermes. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Hermes merchandise. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Price tag at Hermes. That's 690 euros for a pair of ladies' breeches, folks. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Greetings from Kentucky! Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Enjoy a Bourbon Barrel Ale in Caen. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Horse-race game. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Normandy Horse pavilion. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Carousel. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Joules clothing boutique. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

A visitor from Australia pedal-charges her phone in the FEI pavilion. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

A customer tries out a Stubben saddle using a moving horse simulator. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

A child takes a miniature Land Rover for a spin on a pint-sized off-road track. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Visitors were lined up to ride along on the Land Rover Experience, where drivers showed what the SUVs can do over specially designed "hills." Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Second half of the Land Rover Experience. "Bridge" descends hydraulically. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

US Para-Equestrian president Hope Hand (left) watches para-dressage with Team USA competitors Sydney Collier and Roxanne Trunnell. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Flamboyant announcer Pedro Cebulka looks every bit the ringmaster at the dressage competition. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Sodden FEI TV cameraman during the Grand Prix team competition. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Ring-crew member tries to firm up the arena surface after the downpour. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

During the deluge, dressage judge Isabelle Judet tries to decide whether to venture out of her booth. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

One who did brave the elements was Dutch judge Francis Verbeek (right), who's smiling in the rain with her scribe. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.