The New Blog--sort of...

Yes, this is a new blog, but I have blogged before. I used to have a blog on AOL, but then they did away with the blogs--I think they actually merged with the Google blogs, which is cool. :-)
I didn't save any of the blogs from before, but they were old news anyway, right? LOL Lots of new and exciting things are in store for IRIDE and all the people and horses associated with us.

I will blog as much as I can, but it is never as good a blog as when people who read it comment on the original posts, and I certainly welcome that...as we go along, there will be plenty of content on which to comment, I am sure, and I have a LOT of friends and acquaintances with strong opinions, but we wouldn't be dressage riders if that weren't true, now would we?

I just returned to Florida from my home in north Alabama. I have lots of work there, with more and more riders interested in taking lessons from me, hosting clinics that I teach, judging dressage schooling shows, and being a guest instructor at an AWESOME girls equestrian camp called Valley View Ranch Equestrian Camp for Girls. Their entire program is amazing--check out their website at http://www.valleyviewranch.com

I had a lot of fun, and the facility is a great venue for holding special events! The camp director, Nancy Jones, along with the entire staff is very supportive of new and different events, and we are planning to conduct a new program which I developed called the Riders, Trainers, Instructors (RTI) Program--an intensive, 3 day program which combines theoretical and practical application of training techniques in a format that provides the participant with a wide range of instruction, training application, business development, and networking opportunity in a condensed, intense course. Horses are provided, instruction and materials are provided, and evaluation as well as resources are provided. It is a very ambitious schedule, but we realize that time is money, especially in this economy. For anyone that is interested in the program, there is more information on the official IRIDE website at http://www.iride.at

This program is in the development stage right now, so the specifics may change somewhat, but the format and the main thrust of the program will remain the same. We are also looking for input, suggestions, and additional dates will be added. There is an application process, and a limit of ten participants per session, so please send in your inquires soon!

Now, for news from here in Florida, my student Austin Harrelson just returned from the Florida State 4-H Show where he placed third out of 29 competitors in dressage with a score of 67+%! Congratulations, Austin!! Now that I am back, we will be concentrating on putting together a USDF junior/young rider team, so if anyone is interested here, just let me know. I am very excited to get back to teaching my regular students as well!

I am scheduled to judge a dressage schooling show at Atlantic Crossings here in Vero Beach on July 25, and will be giving lessons to two new students...one who owns a Haflinger, and one who lives here in Vero Beach and will be taking lessons on Bogart, my schoolmaster.

On August 6 or 7, I return to the Tennessee/Alabama/Georgia (TAG) area to judge a schooling show on the 8th, and then teach a clinic on the 9th at Kimberly Wallace's Fairhaven Farm in Coosa (Rome), Georgia, and then a couple days off and then teaching the RTI Program at Valley View Ranch on Aug. 13-16th, and somewhere in there a group from Birmingham, AL is interested in having me teach a clinic as well. Sounds like a whirlwind trip, but I am up for it! :-)