Top Hunter, Jumper and Equitation Trainers Headed to California for USHJA’s First West Coast Trainers Symposium
RELEASE: July 25, 2007
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Whitney Allen
The United States Hunter Jumper Assocation (USHJA) is excited to offer a USHJA Trainers Symposium for the first time on the West Coast, September 10-11, 2007, in San Juan Capistrano, CA. This is a chance for riders and trainers to watch, listen and ask questions from some of the top trainers in the country. The clinicians include Louise Serio, Geoff Teall and Melanie Smith. The symposiums offer attendees a rare opportunity to participate in practical training sessions and round table discussions with top professionals in the industry. The schedule offers two days of hunters, equitation and jumpers. Each of the disciplines is broken into sections: i.e. Junior Hunters, Intermediate Equitation and Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers. The sections will have three to four demonstration riders for the clinician to work with and explain different techniques, along with exercises and tips for various levels of riders and horses. This is a great opportunity for professionals and members to exchange thoughts and ideas on training exercises, training aids and business practices.
The two-day experience kicks off with a jumper session led by Smith. Smith was part of the United States Equestrian Team's Gold-medal team at the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico. She also placed second in 1980 at the World Cup Finals. She was named the United States Olympic Committee Sportswoman of the Year after winning the World Cup Final in 1982. Smith was a member of the Gold-medal team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1982. She is an “R” USEF judge in hunters, jumpers, hunter seat equitation and hunter breeding. She is currently the chef d’equipe for the 2007 USEF Show Jumping Developing Young Rider Tour, which is part of the long-term high-performance strategy to develop the best possible United States’ equestrian teams for the future.
Commencing on the second half of Day One and concluding during the first half of Day Two, the attendees will be treated to a session of equitation insight from Florida trainer Teall. Teall is a USEF “R” Judge. He has judged at the National Horse Show, Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), Winter Equestrian Festival, WIHS Equitation Finals, ASPCA Regional Finals, and 2007 USEF Medal Finals. He is the current president of the American Hunter Jumper Foundation (AHJF), a member of the USHJA Board of Directors and serves on several USHJA committees. He is also a member of the USHJA Trainer’s Certification Committee. In addition to Teall’s training and volunteer accolades, he has also been awarded the 2006 USHJA Volunteer of the Year and 2006
The Chronicle of the Horse Show Hunter Horseman of the Year.
Wrapping up the symposium will be champion hunter rider and trainer Serio. On top of the countless championships and awards Serio’s riders have won, Serio has a long list of awards of her own, including the 2001 winner of the inaugural Legacy Cup on Red Panda and the 2001
The Chronicle of the Horse Show Hunter Horseman of the Year. In 2005 and 2006, Serio was the winner and champion at the AHJF Hunter Classic at WEF, the Devon Horse Show Leading Lady Rider was a key member of the World Cup Hunter Challenge (she was also on this team in 2007), and received the USEF Emerson Burr Trophy of Equestrian of Honor. In 2006 she had the highest scoring professional hunter round at the Capital Challenge, was the Capital Challenge Leading Hunter Rider and her mount was named
The Chronicle of the Horse Horse of the Year, while she captured Show Hunter of the Year with Grey Slipper.
Registration and host hotel information for the San Juan Capistrano, CA, Symposium is available on the USHJA website at
www.ushja.org/programs/symposium.shtml. Those that register by August 1 receive the special reduced registration rate.
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