www.americanvaulting.org 1 EQUESTRIAN EQUESTRIAN VAULTING VAULTING American Vaulting Association Directory Editor in Chief: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, [email protected] Assistant Editor: Alicen Divita 2013 AVA VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Copy Editor: Katharina Woodman EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS Photographers: Gaelle Cimetiere, Lynne Owen, Kate Revell, Michelle Solorzano, VaultingPhotos.com President: Connie Geisler, [email protected] Writers and Contributors: Katariina Alongi, Sheri Benjamin, Alicen Divita, Kalyn Geisler, Isabelle Parker Executive VP: Kelley Holly, [email protected] Designer: Leah Kucharek, Red Hen Design Treasurer: Jodi Rinard, [email protected] Secretary: Jill Hobby, [email protected] Equestrian Vaulting magazine is the official publication of the American Vaulting Association. VP Competitions: Linda Bibbler, [email protected] Comments/suggestions/questions are welcome to [email protected]. VP Development: Scott Donovan, [email protected] For information on advertising rates, how to submit editorial content and more go to VP Education: Carolyn Bland, [email protected] www.americanvaulting.org/contactus. VP Membership: Sheri Benjamin, [email protected] BOARD MEMBERS For address changes go to www.americanvaulting.org/members/memberservices and click on Carol Beutler, Robin Bowman, Elizabeth Brigham, Carolyn Conner, Blake Dahlgren, Tammy Denault, Membership Updates to make the change. If you are having problems receiving your copy of the Julie Divita, Kenny Geisler, Megan Benjamin Guimarin, Marianne Rose, Peter Senn, Patti Skipton, Patrick Stevens, Allison Yeager magazine or wish to receive additional copies, contact the AVA National Office (ph. 323-654-0800 REGIONAL SUPERVISORS or email [email protected]). No part of this publication may be reproduced either in whole Region I: Peggy Van Hook, [email protected] • Region II: Isabelle Parker, [email protected] or part without written permission. Copyright by American Vaulting Association 2014. Equestrian Region III: Kathy Rynning, [email protected] • Region IV: Dena Madden, [email protected] Vaulting magazine is published three times a year. Region V: Beth Whillock, [email protected] • Region IX: Lisa Zielenske, [email protected] Region X: Jane Egger, [email protected] VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE CHAIRS /SPECIAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS Adaptive Vaulting: Peter Senn, [email protected] AMERICAN VAULTING AVA Blast: Lynn Stevens, [email protected] Barrel Initiative: Open ASSOCIATION Competition Awards: Carol Beutler, [email protected] 1443 E. Washington Blvd. #289 Competitions Secretary: Suzanne Detol, [email protected] Pasadena, CA 91104 CompWeb: Tom Oakes, [email protected] Constitution & Bylaws: Open 323-654-0800 Equestrian Vaulting Magazine: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, [email protected] Friendship Team: Melanie Schaubhut, [email protected] & Greta Shryock, [email protected] Grants: Jan Garrod, [email protected] Warm Beach Camp presents: GIVE THE GIFT OF Grievance: Kendel Edmunds, [email protected] EQUESTRIAN Guys in Vaulting: Open Historian: Amy McCune, [email protected] Horses: Carolyn Bland, [email protected] UP TO 60% OFF! Horse/Lunger Training: Carolyn Bland, [email protected] Horse Recognition: Julie Divita, [email protected] Learn techniques Horsemanship Programs: Megan Grove, [email protected] Insurance: Open to improve compulsories Membership Awards: Kathy Smith, [email protected] & encourage creativity Nationals 2014: Linda Bibbler, [email protected] National High Point: Carol Beutler, [email protected] in freestyles. Pony Club Partnership: Beth Whillock, [email protected] Publications: Laury Blakley, [email protected] Photo by Lynne Owen Lynne by Photo

© Safety : Dena Madden, [email protected] Instructor: Sponsorships: Peggy Van Hook, [email protected] Technical Committee: Kelley Holly, [email protected] Patti Skipton Trade Shows: Scott Donovan, [email protected] 2011 AVA Mentor of the Year Vaulter Fitness: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, [email protected] Volunteer Recognition: Kathy Smith, [email protected] Website: Cindy Rohrer, [email protected] 2014 Dates: AVA NATIONAL OFFICE April 6-11 – $398 Craig Coburn, National Office Manager 1443 E. Washington Blvd. #289, Pasadena, CA 91104 April 25-27 – $198 [email protected] Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon PST • Ph: 323-654-0800, Fax: 323-654-4306 $ Jun. 29-Jul. 5 – 598 www.americanvaulting.org FEI Vaulting Committee Chair: Emma Seely, [email protected] Any skill level is welcome! USEF Board Members: Connie Geisler, [email protected] and Linda Bibbler, [email protected] USEF Board/Elected Athlete: Devon Maitozo, [email protected] Ages 7-18. USEF Vaulting High Perf. Comm. Chair: Linda Bibbler, [email protected] USEF Vaulting Technical Committee Co-Chairs: Craig Coburn, [email protected] and Suzanne Detol, [email protected] USEF Youth Council Member: Annalise VanVranken, [email protected] (800) 228-6724 Volume 45, Issue 3 WarmBeachVaulters.com Equestrian Vaulting Designed by: Leah Kucharek, Red Hen Design, [email protected]

2 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 EQUESTRIAN VAULTING American Vaulting Association Directory FEATURES 8 Team Vaulting Drills: Building a Foundation of Confidence and Trust Kalyn Geisler 10 Extending the Ladder, Coaching Coaches: 6 10 Using Self-Reflection to Become a Great Coach Katariina Alongi

12 2013 AVA National Vaulting Champions 16 Event Photos 22 2013 AVA USEF Youth Sportsman's Award Nominee: Miranda Prints 24 Beginners Guide to Competing Internationally Alicen Divita

12 28 Mastering Vaulting After 30 Sheri Benjamin

COLUMNS 4 Vaulter Fitness Circus Fitness: Mastering the Perfect Handstand Alicen Divita 6 Horse Smarts Forming a New Partnership: 24 28 The Logistics of Borrowing a Horse at Home or Abroad Alicen Divita 20 Coaching Corner How to Assess Your Vaulting Season: Setting Goals & Planning the Season Ahead Isabelle Parker

Abigail Huckaby of Golden Gate positively 31 Events Calendar shines in her trot freestyle with Chunky Monkey. ON OUR COVER: Photo courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com

www.americanvaulting.org 3 VAULTER FITNESS

By Alicen Divita It’s time to mix it up and get upside down! Get your teammates together CIRCUS and try these fun exercises that are guaranteed to help improve your FITNESS handstands (and impress your friends). Mastering the Perfect Handstand

Handstand Balance with a Partner Instead of just holding a handstand against a wall, try it with a partner who is actively helping you find your balance point. Have them start holding you with both hands, then slowly release one at a time, gently tapping you back into place every time you start to fall. With a tight body and legs squeezed together, make sure to spread your fingers and use your

whole hand to balance. Revell/VaultingPhotos.com Kate of courtesy Photos Starting in a push-up or a plank, toss your partner into a controlled handstand. A third partner can spot from behind.

Handstand Partner Toss TRY LIFTING To develop core strength and practice maintaining A LEG TO tight form in a handstand position, have a teammate toss you from a plank position to CHALLENGE handstand. If you lack tension in your body, your YOUR CORE! partner will not be able to toss you no matter how hard she tries! For an added challenge, bend your arms into a deep push-up before the toss. This is a great exercise to develop strength for swing exercises. Feet on Ball A great exercise to develop core strength: play with different versions of plank with your feet on the ball. As a challenge, try one-legged handstand pike-ups, pressing to full handstand and gently landing with the opposite leg on the ball before returning to plank. Level 1: Plank with feet on ball Level 2: Plank to pike Challenge: Plank to pike, one leg lifted

4 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 Squeeze your core as you pedal one arm at a time in a plank.

Arm Pedals This exercise will show you just how much core tension is needed to balance on your hands. Starting in a wheelbarrow or plank position, Stair Climb try lifting one arm straight back by your side. Once you have mastered this exercise, try the same pedaling action Put the strength you learned in the arm pedals in a handstand with a partner’s support. Make sure to keep pushing to work by walking up a set of stacked mats. Try up out of your shoulders throughout the exercise. When you get it first with a partner in a wheelbarrow position, comfortable with this exercise, try it without a partner. Soon enough and then in a handstand once you’re ready. you’ll master the one-armed handstand! Level 1: Stair climb in supported wheelbarrow Level 2: Stair climb in handstand Practice your perfect with a spot handstand as you pedal one arm at a time. Challenge: Walk the stairs in handstand without a spot

Plank Hands on Ball Holding plank with your hands on a yoga ball or other unstable object helps to develop an awareness of how you can use your hands and fingers to balance.

Bonus! Challenge yourself by handstanding on various objects for balance!

About the Author: Alicen Divita is a certified yoga teacher and a graduate of the University of California Berkeley. Alicen is currently studying to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine. She is a two time Gold Women’s Champion and placed eleventh Athlete pictured: Woodside Vaulters' at the recent Vaulting World Championships in Le Mans, France. Tessa Divita, Audrey Kiernan, Siddartha Kreaden, Kristen Kuhn, Rachel Polati, Miki Yang

www.americanvaulting.org 5 HORSESMARTS Forming a New PARTNERSHIP Vaulting at any level is about the partnership we vaulters and lungers share with our horse. We know their gait, their likes and dislikes, and often, we have tailored our entire vaulting style around our equine partners. When we travel, however, sometimes we don’t have the luxury of toting our horses along with us. This is the guide for vaulters borrowing horses at home and abroad.

Photo courtesy of Lynne Owen/VaultingPhotos.com Gettingo t Know Your New tricky, weight-shifting exercises require horses • What is the fee for training beforehand? Partner… From the Comfort of with excellent balance, while less advanced • What other expenses will I be required to Your Own Home vaulters might want a horse that can cover? withstand the occasional thump and bump. It’s a good idea to check out videos of the • Will the costs be divided evenly between horse with whom you are going to compete • How many competitions has this everyone using the horse? before you arrive for a practice or competition. horse been to, and is his behavior at Look for signs that he is comfortable. From competitions different than at practice? If Training Questions what you can tell, what moves make him it is, how can you recreate that “competition Practice time is often scarce when borrowing uncomfortable? What makes him swish his behavior” in the practice circle… or vice versa! a new horse. Be sure to make the most of it by tail? Find former scores from the horse if you Thingso t Find Out Before knowing as much as possible ahead of time. can and ask vaulters who have worked with the Competition • When will we be practicing on the horse? the horse before for advice to help you piece together your horse’s story. Borrowing a horse can be logistically • What does a typical practice with this complicated—beyond the challenges of horse look like? Do vaulters work at the Additionally, here is a checklist of questions vaulting with a new partner! Here are some of walk, trot, and canter? How much horse you might consider asking your new lunger, or the logistical questions you’ll want to answer time (roughly) is allotted per vaulter? asking yourself as you get to know the horse, before you even arrive for your first practice: to determine if the horse is a good fit: • Will other vaulters be practicing on Financial Questions the horse as well? Will practice time be • Are there any particular moves or areas divided evenly between vaulters? of the horse’s body to which he reacts There isn’t one specific way to arrange sensitively? You may want to start re- payment for the use of a horse. You will want Competition Logistics Questions to make sure to discuss as much as possible crafting your routine to accommodate for Different clubs and lungers handle the details beforehand, so there are no false assumptions the horse’s sensitivities if needed. of a competition differently. Knowing how to or issues down the road. • What level of vaulter has the horse carried help your lunger and groom on competition in the past? Advanced vaulters performing • What is the fee for full use of the horse day will make everyone’s competition run during the competition? more smoothly. 6 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 Forming a New By Alicen Divita The Logistics of Borrowing PARTNERSHIP a Horse at Home or Abroad • Who will handle transportation logistics time as possible bonding with him on the clean full routines you have under your belt for the horse? ground. Offer to take him on long walks, to before entering into the competition arena, • Who will pay for the lunger’s fees, feed him, and ride him if you’re capable. Spend the more confident you will feel. Make a point including transportation, hotel, etc.? time with him in his stall, mucking, grooming, of running through your routine at least once Who will pay for the groom’s fees (if and just hanging out. The more comfortable each practice. applicable)? he is with you and the more comfortable you If you have time, take it a step further and are with him, the better. • At the competition, who is responsible stage a dress rehearsal before you leave for for tacking the horse up before/cooling Build Confidence the competition. Test out new pad covers, uniforms, and equipment. Practice your run-in him down after we compete? The first practice should be spent developing a and bow, and get a sense for the timing of relationship with your new equine teammate. • Do they have competition-appropriate a trot circle. You will definitely want to have You should do a basic warm-up as you would at tack? If so, what kind of surcingle do played your music (run-in, compulsory, freestyle, home, followed by a few of your easiest, most they use? Can you use your own if the and technical test if you have one) as much as confident moves. This is as much to allow the handles are vastly different? possible for your lunger and horse to hear. Make horse to become used to you as it is about you sure your lunger knows your routine, so they • If the borrowed horse does not pass the getting used to him. vet check or if something happens, do know when the opportune times are to send they have a reserve horse they will be Practice Full Routines the horse forward or keep him steady. bringing? Do you have to pay for the use If you only have one practice, it’s a good idea The better you know your horse and lunger, of the reserve horse? to start with compulsories. After that, take a the more confident you will feel in the • When do they plan on arriving at the competition-style freestyle warm-up round, and competition arena. Borrowing a different competition? When do they expect me then try running through your entire routine. If and unknown horse can be stressful, but it’s to arrive at the competition? things don’t work, simplify until they do. also a great opportunity to meet new equine teammates, lungers, and to make new friends Note: While all of these things are important to If you have more than one practice, you can from new clubs. know, it’s also important not to bombard your new take it a little more slowly. That said, the more lunger with questions and expectations when they aren’t expecting it. Set up a time to chat on the phone (or Skype/Google Hangout works great for international calls) so that your lunger is prepared for a plethora of questions. Also, when borrowing a horse abroad, it is important to be mindful of language barriers. Choosing to be concise and to the point may be appreciated. Making the Most of your Practice Time First, find out how many practices you will have with your new horse and how many days you will have before the competition itself. From there, work backward to figure out what you will need to accomplish at each practice. Bondn o the Ground No matter now much time you’ll have to

practice with your new horse, spend as much Owen/VaultingPhotos.com Lynne of courtesy Photo Revell/VaultingPhotos.com Kate of courtesy Photo

www.americanvaulting.org 7 FEATURE TEAM By Kalyn Geisler VAULTING DRILLS BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF CONFIDENCE AND TRUST

“You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t e spend countless hours working to improve our compulsories by practicing drills to improve form, say ‘I’m going to build the biggest baddest, W build strength, and gain flexibility. This drill-based style greatest wall that’s ever been built.’ You of training can be applied to team vaulting as well. Somewhat counterintuitively, independence is a very important don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay part of team vaulting. Each vaulter in a double or triple must be this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.’ independently stable and capable of moving in harmony with the horse and their teammates. If a standing base cannot stand You do that every single day. And soon you on her own with proper alignment and balance, she will not have the strength or balance to support a flyer. Likewise, if a neck have a wall.” –Will Smith base sits with bad form and poor posture, she will not be able to provide the support needed by her teammates. This is also true 1 2 3

Vaulter 1 mounts to seat and moves to seat Vaulter 2 mounts to seat Vaulter 2 assists Vaulter 3 in mounting on the neck behind Vaulter 2

8 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 for flyers, who are the pinnacle of any team freestyle. The flyer must 3. Vaulter 2 assists Vaulter 3 in mounting behind Vaulter 2 be able to remain tight and in control so as not to influence her bases’ centers of gravity. 4. Vaulter 2 moves to a kneeling position and Vaulter 3 moves to a standing position When learning new team moves, vaulters must first learn to do their piece of the structure independently. For example, if a vaulter wants 5. Vaulters 1-3 put their arms out and independently share to base standing backward, he should be able to stand backward space on the horse for a count of four strides freely and confidently on his own. Oftentimes, stand bases are too 6. Vaulter 1 dismounts from the neck reliant on their supporting bases (i.e. sitting or kneeling bases), which limits team freestyle options and adds greater risk to any 7. Vaulter 2 moves to sitting on the neck position. Being able to balance while remaining supple and relaxed 8. Vaulter 3 moves forward and assists vaulter 4 onto the makes a competent base. horse behind them. Similarly, if a flyer wants to stick a juggler (a supported arm-to-arm handstand), she needs to have a solid handstand on her own first. … and so on. This process repeats until all members of the team Frequently, flyers do not have the body control necessary to perform have performed each position. their piece of the structure. The more independence each team Once the team has mastered this basic line freestyle, start to adjust member has, the more stability and harmony they can achieve it to meet your difficulty level. For example, practice mounting your when working together. flyers from a standing position instead of sitting or even try adding A great way to drill this concept is to practice line freestyles, a team simple lifts and more complicated structures. In any line freestyle, drill in which each member of the team cycles through positions on the transitions are just as important as the moves, so make sure the horse in height order. The focus of this drill is to work in harmony to practice communication and maintain balance, harmony, and with each other while sharing space and practicing independence. coordination when moving from one position to the next. Line freestyles are the perfect tool for early season training, because If your squad has lofty goals, go after them! See the big picture and they give team members a chance to get comfortable on the horse create building blocks to achieve those goals. Remember: drills are together and focus on clear communication. not just for compulsories! A basic line freestyle could look something like this: About the Author: Kalyn Geisler is a coach and lunger at Wildfire Vaulters, a club she founded with 1. Vaulter 1 mounts to seat and moves to seat on the neck her husband Kenny in 2013. A successful vaulter herself, Kalyn earned the team bronze medal at the 2004 Vaulting World Championships in Stadl Paura with Coastline Vaulters and has won multiple 2. Vaulter 2 mounts to seat team and pas de deux National Championships. 4 5 6 Photos courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com Kate of courtesy Photos Vaulter 2 moves to a kneeling position and Vaulter 1 dismounts from the neck Vaulter 3 moves forward and assists vaulter Vaulter 3 moves to a standing position Vaulter 2 moves to sitting on the neck 4 onto the horse behind them Vaulters 1-3 put their arms out and independently share space on the horse for a count of four strides

www.americanvaulting.org 9 FEATURE

Coaching Coaches: Using Self-Reflection to Become a Great Coach Extending the Ladder hirty years ago, when I was fifteen years old, I became a vaulting moments from which we can learn. What could I have done differently? coach. Having only vaulted for one year myself, I knew little What knowledge, help or resources do I need next time? What do I Tabout vaulting and even less about coaching, yet I found myself do well already, what is my expertise, my asset, my strength, and how in charge of a group of eight children and a pony. I remember being can I build on that? All these are valid questions every coach should excited but also somewhat overwhelmed. How would I teach the ask themselves at some point in time. Self-reflection is crucial for your children what I knew? And what about all the stuff I didn’t know? evolution as a coach; it is like building a ladder which you attempt to (Which, in hindsight, was a lot.) It was the eighties and the sport of extend further and further to reach greater heights. If the ladder stops vaulting was completely new in Finland, my home country. Having extending, you are limiting yourself, which is not only a disadvantage to learned vaulting from a German handbook and a three-day eventer you, but to your students as well. who had once seen vaulting in Germany, I was everything but Self-evaluation is not always easy, and looking into the mirror can be equipped to coach. humbling. We are all human and despite all the coaching manuals, Luckily, I didn’t realize how much the odds were against me when I was there really is no handbook on how this is done. We often rate a fifteen. Had I known what I didn’t know, I might have quit right there and coach by their knowledge of athletic techniques and tactics, but then. Instead, I found the seed of my inner teacher, a completely new organizational awareness, leadership abilities, and time management characteristic in my still-developing persona, and put myself to work. skills, not to mention the ability to communicate with, give feedback Years later, I worked with several coaches from Germany, who helped to, motivate, encourage, be fair with, listen to, and respect the students me further understand what vaulting was all about. I soon realized can be even more important. It took me years to realize that athletes that there was more to coaching the sport than knowing all the drills for compulsories or how to put together a decent team freestyle, so I decided to pursue an education in the field of athletics. Could a college degree in coaching perhaps help me become the coach I wanted to be? In many ways my college education did just that. I learned about anatomy and physiology as well as psychology. I learned to train strength, endurance, speed, and how to balance it all out depending on the discipline. I studied child development, learning theory and pedagogy, the instructional theory of education; I even demonstrated my knowledge in coaching sessions that were graded and evaluated for organization, clarity, and instruction. I am fortunate to have a coaching degree under my belt, but even with all the knowledge I gained in school, what has mattered the most in my coaching career are all the hours I have put in at the barn, the gym, the rink, the field. At the end of the day, you can study theory until you are blue in the face, you can read books and attend workshops and watch others, you can even be a retired world class athlete, but it isn’t until you actually coach that you have the opportunity to start to grow. Learning to coach happens informally, through experience. But – and this is important –we don’t simply learn from the act of experiencing. If we wish to grow as coaches, our experience has to be examined, analyzed, and considered before it can make a shift in our knowledge. How many times during my coaching career have I performed poorly, made the wrong decision or forgotten to plan ahead? Many. We all do. Instead of walking away from these mistakes, shrugging them off as unimportant, we should embrace them as gifts, as they are the defining Photo courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com Kate of courtesy Photo

10 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 Reflecting on the Results Look at your numbers. What is your highest score? Is this an area of coaching in which you excel regularly? What personal strengths do you By Katariina Alongi have that help you in this area? For example: If your highest score is in delivering feedback, perhaps your strength is your positive outlook in life, which makes it easy to encourage your students. Or maybe Coaching Coaches: Using Self-Reflection to Become a Great Coach you have good technical knowledge and have a knack for detailed corrections and knowledge of different learning People often say that this or that person has not yet styles. Whatever your strengths are, write them found himself. But the self is not something one finds, down, reflect on the importance of these skills and how you could use them in other areas of it is something one creates. ~Thomas Szasz Extending the Ladder your coaching. Now, look into your lowest numbers. Let’s say you have given yourself a are not only learning a sport under my guidance, they are learning four in time management. Perhaps you had planned to work on flight about fairness, resilience, perseverance, success, failure, self-esteem, exercises first on the barrel, run through team compulsories on the self-confidence, teamwork, communication, self-awareness, kindness, horse second, and work on a part of team freestyle at the walk third, encouragement, responsibility, anger management, emotional agility but you ran out of time and only managed the first two exercises. Also, —the list goes on. A coach is not only creating athletes; a coach is practice ran overtime and you had no time to do conditioning because creating human beings. It can be up to you and me to help a child find it took so long to put the horse away. Here are a few questions you can their inner courage or learn to believe in themselves. It can also be up ask yourself: to you and me to take that courage away. A sobering thought, to say How did a low performance in time management affect the other areas the least, but assessing your own abilities will help you understand your (numbers) on your evaluation? How did it affect the overall score? strengths as a coach as well as the pitfalls to look out for. In the process, you will not only grow as a coach, but surely as a human being as well. If this practice is what a 4 in time management looks like, what does a 6 look like? What about an 8? Get detailed in your answer; write down Howo t Self-Reflect what you would like to see happen. What needs to change to achieve Self-reflection requires time and commitment and is more effective if a 6/8/10? What are the personal skills you will need when improving done with another person. My best seasons in coaching have been the this area of your coaching? Do you need outside help (another coach, seasons I worked with another coach or as part of a coaching team. But the athletes, parents, etc.)? Write down one to three small steps you can even if you are coaching alone, talking to another coach from another take to better this score for future practice. team or club about recurring problems and issues can be helpful. Often Imagine having an 8 in time management every practice. How will this coaches don’t have a peer to talk to and that is when taking the time affect the other numbers? What about the big picture; how will this to reflect using a written exercise can be crucial in evaluating how affect you and your athletes in the long run? you operate within the context of a practice, competition or an entire season. I recommend it to everyone, even those who are lucky enough Repeat this for each number, if desired. Make it clear to yourself what to have peer support. your goals are for each area. Below is an example of a basic exercise that can help you self-evaluate and reflect on a single practice. EXERCISE 2 If you are more inclined to write essays than play with numbers, you can also write a short answer to each of the following questions: What went well and why? EXERCISE 1 What went less well and why? Shortly after the practice is over, rate each area of the practice and What have you learned? your own performance by circling a number between 1 (very poor) to 10 (excellent!). Be brutally honest, as this is only1 for2 3 your 4 5 6 benefit. 7 8 9 10 What can you work on?

Planning vs. execution of plans 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Write three things you can do differently next time. 1 Organization of practice/athletes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Communication with athletes/other coaches 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Time management 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 About the Author: A native of Finland, Katariina holds a degree both in Life Coaching and in Sports Feedback (quality/quantity) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Science with a major in coaching. She coached the Finnish National Vaulting Team for over a decade Motivation (of coach) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 before moving to California where she teamed up with Coastline Vaulters to win a team bronze medal

Overall score for the practice 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 at the 2004 World Championships. Along with vaulting she has coached different sports such as dressage, gymnastics, floorball and soccer for 30 years to children and adults alike. Currently she works ______(other) in Santa Cruz, CA as a life coach and writer, teaches rider biomechanics and emotional intelligence to equestrians, and coaches her son’s soccer team. Website: www.sanityinmadness.com

www.americanvaulting.org 11 Photos courtesy of Lynne Owen and Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com

Gold Women Gold Men Silver Women Elizabeth Ioannou, Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Kristian Roberts, Half Moon Bay Vaulters Siddartha Kreaden, Woodside Vaulters with Urfreund Rosengaard and Emma Seely with Hudson and Carolyn Bland with Limerick and Krista Mack 2013 AVA National Vaulting Champions

Bronze Men Copper Women Copper Men Daniel Janes, Warm Beach Vaulters Carlee Heger, Mile-High Vaulters Sequoia Thomas, Lazy River with Prize, Patti Skipton, Promise, and Elise Valsquier with Xena, Shelby, and Jodi Rinard with BHR John Boy Joe and Valerie Carter

12 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 Silver Women Silver Men Bronze Women Siddartha Kreaden, Woodside Vaulters Kaleb Patterson, Warm Beach Vaulters Kristen Kuhn, Woodside Vaulters with Limerick and Krista Mack with Prize, Promise, and Patti Skipton with Limerick and Krista Mack 2013 AVA National Vaulting Champions

Copper Men Trot Women Trot Men Sequoia Thomas, Lazy River Helen Mills-Selch, Blue Star Vaulters Ari Sanders, Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club with BHR John Boy Joe and Valerie Carter with Prince and Nicole D'Auriol with Tong du Chon and Chase Kaylor

www.americanvaulting.org 13 Photos courtesy of Lynne Owen and Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com

A TEAM B TEAM Mt. Eden Sun Team Warm Beach Chronicles with Urfreund Rosengaard and with Promise, Elise Valsquier, Prize, and Patti Skipton Emma Seely 2013 AVA National Vaulting Champions

Preliminary Open Pas de Deux Pas de Deux Cassidy and Kimberly Palmer, Half Moon Bay Hannah Beehler and Carlee Heger, Vaulters Mile High Vaulters with Cheval and Carolyn Bland with Shelby and Jodi Rinard

14 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 C TEAM TROT TEAM Above and Beyond/Apex Avant-Garde Above and Beyond/Cascade Madagascar with Curious George and with Curious George and Saacha Deamborossio Saacha Deamborossio 2013 AVA National Vaulting Champions

Open 2-Phase Preliminary 2-Phase Pacific Coast Vaulters A Vaulting Connection/Therapeutic Horse with Cheval and Carolyn Bland Connection Exception with Caspian and Karin Schmidt

www.americanvaulting.org 15 2013 AVA NATIONALS Photos courtesy of Lynne Owen and Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com

16 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 www.americanvaulting.org 17 Photos courtesy of Lynne Owen & Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com CVI PACIFIC CUP 2013

RISING STARS CLINIC

18 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 RISING STARS

CLINIC Photos courtesy of Michelle Solorzano

HARBOR VIEW Photos courtesy of Gaelle Cimetiere VAULTERS HALLOWEEN FEST

www.americanvaulting.org 19 COACHINGCORNER

By Isabelle Parker sets of twenty push-ups with perfect form” How to Assess Your and you can collect the data by “testing every two weeks at Saturday practice”. Create a timeline: Map out the Vaulting Season: year on a calendar. Include competitions, demonstrations, vacations, clinics, and other relevant events. Also, jot down the following: • When will you train compulsory drills? When SETTING do you want to start doing full compulsories with your competition music? • When will your routines (freestyle, technical GOALS test) be written? When will you take out moves that do not work? When will you be & PLANNING THE able to run them in time? • When will you pick your music? When/how will it be edited to your routine? When will SEASON AHEAD you work on choreography? • What is your fitness plan? What will you he 2013/14 vaulting season is well learn about last year? Honestly evaluate work on throughout the year? Do you have underway and it is time to set concrete your accomplishments. Dig in. Why did T goals. Here are some simple steps to you succeed? Or, why did you miss your follow as you plan for the coming season. mark? By how much? Consider not only SAMPLE CALENDAR Look back at last year. The first step to your vaulting, but all of the elements that plan for the year is to do a good assessment of contribute to your success – practice, the past season. This is a critical step. health, nutrition, fitness, coaching, horse, DATE EVENTS FITNESS COMPULSORIES FREESTYLE TECHNICAL OTHER mental training, schedule, etc. Collect Data • Write down your reflection. Try to be SOV Clinic Core strength Work flights Finish writing Drill all five moves Finalize all music • If you wrote goals for the 2012/13 season, descriptive and comprehensive. January find them. routines • Circle three things that you want to repeat • Compile any results including all of your score this year and three things that you want to Add swimming Work turns Run routines in two Uniform ordered sheets or Compweb printouts of your scores, change. February medal test results, fitness test results, etc. Set your goals. Based on what you parts • Compile videos. In addition to competitions, learned about yourself from the previous you might also want to include a practice or season, set your goals. Remember to consider March Medal Test Start speed training Run in two parts Moves out Moves out March 15! two. all of the elements that contribute to your March 15! Run in 1:10 success – practice, health, nutrition, fitness, • Using the grid on the right, recreate the Run in 1:10 calendar for last year as best as you can. coaching, horse, mental training, schedule, Include the major events and milestones and any factors specific to you. Consider listing (competitions, music selected, any injuries, etc.) four to six goals total. Be specific – and make Dress rehearsal Run with music Run in 1:00 with Run in 1:00 with Practice 1 x week sure that your goals address your weaknesses April • Interview three people about your season. April 25 music every week music every week. in uniform too. Sample goals include “pass my silver You can pick anyone who knows you and medal commended” and “earn a 8.0 DOD score Drill Two moves your vaulting well. (Ideas include coach, at Nationals.” parent, and teammate.) Ask them to reflect every practice on your year. What went well? Where did Develop your metrics. Every goal you have room for improvement? What do should be measurable. (If it isn’t measurable, May Spring Fest May 15 "Maintain" workout Drill two moves every Drill two moves Run every other Do run-in with they see as your strengths? What three words how will you know if you achieved it?) For 3 x week practice. Run every practice. Run practice music every describe you last year? each goal, write a metric and state how you will collect the data to measure it. For every other practice practice Reflect example, if your goal is “to improve your upper • Review all of your “data”. What can you body strength”, your metric could be “do three And so on...

20 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 a plan to build strength? Speed? Flexibility? it often. Check the timeline regularly and • Post calendars at practice/ the barn and How about mental training (visualization, complete your metrics. If something isn’t celebrate milestones. breathing)? Are these skills you need to working or needs to be adjusted, don’t fret - • And most important, pick a “moves develop or build? make the necessary changes. However, if you out” date and stick to it. This is the date • If you are getting a uniform, add the design need to make a change, don’t forget to “learn” when any freestyle move which is not and fitting to the schedule too. Make sure first. Examine the data you have and use that working 90% of the time comes out of you leave time to practice in your new to make your new goal or set your new metric. the routine. I would recommend that this uniform! Tips for Coaches: happens at least four weeks before the first competition. It is hard to stick to this, but it • Make a plan for training during the Effective goal setting is challenging. Here are really helps. After moves come out, allow competition season. How much time will some things I’ve learned over the years: you have during the season? Will there be the vaulter to spend several practices just • Keep the goals simple. Set a few goals that time for improvements or adjustments to running clean routines like in a competition. target specific areas for improvement and a your routines? Will there be time for rest? few goals which will challenge your vaulter Share your goals, metrics, and to improve his/her strengths. About the Author: Isabelle Parker has coached Woodside Vaulters timeline with your support team. for over twenty years. She has worked with every level of team • Write very clear metrics – especially around This team should include anyone who can and individual, sending top level vaulters to nearly every World the areas of improvement. No one wants to help motivate you and keep you on track. Championships since 1996. An AVA r judge, technical committee work on the hard stuff. Check these regularly. Your coach, parents, siblings, friends, and member, and an FEI steward, Isabelle holds her AVA Gold Medal and teammates may also have suggestions. • Include parents whenever possible. They competed internationally for the United States. Isabelle is also the Chief Incorporate these ideas! have their eyes on so many of the things Financial Officer of Summit Public Schools. you don’t see (nutrition, cross training, sleep, Revisit and review. Your plan should stress, etc.). SAMPLE CALENDAR be displayed some place where you will see DATE EVENTS FITNESS COMPULSORIES FREESTYLE TECHNICAL OTHER

January SOV Clinic Core strength Work flights Finish writing Drill all five moves Finalize all music routines

February Add swimming Work turns Run routines in two Uniform ordered parts

March Medal Test Start speed training Run in two parts Moves out Moves out March 15! March 15! Run in 1:10 Run in 1:10

April Dress rehearsal Run with music Run in 1:00 with Run in 1:00 with Practice 1 x week April 25 music every week music every week. in uniform Drill Two moves every practice

May Spring Fest May 15 "Maintain" workout Drill two moves every Drill two moves Run every other Do run-in with 3 x week practice. Run every practice. Run practice music every every other practice practice And so on...

www.americanvaulting.org 21 2013 AVA USEF YOUTH SPORTSMAN'S AWARD NOMINEE: MIRANDA PRINTS

ach year, equestrians from across the United States apply is a talented vaulter, inspiring role model, highly intelligent scholar, for the USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award. The application team leader, extremely motivated worker, and unique athlete. Eprocess starts within each specific USEF national affiliate She wears a coat of many colors and I am lucky to have her on (i.e., the AVA for vaulting), who then nominates one candidate for my team.” According to Ron Maynard, her high school Spanish USEF consideration. The overall USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award teacher, “Miranda is an amazing person. She has spent countless winner receives a trophy, a $1,000 educational grant, and a USEF hours preparing for her future and helping to make the future of life membership ($2,500 value). He/she will also be considered as those less fortunate much better.” Her mentor, Rachel O’Laughlin, a candidate for the USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year, with the shared, “I have known Miranda for over a decade, but I have come Overall Reserve Winner receiving a $500 educational grant. to know her more in depth as a young adult in the last three years. The AVA always receives numerous applications for this prestigious It has been an honor to watch Miranda flourish and triumph in award and 2013 was no exception. We had a large pool of extremely every task she has taken on in that time. I am confident that she qualified applicants who easily embody what this award stands for will shine as an example for young athletes everywhere!” – commitment to the sport of equestrian vaulting, being a positive Seventeen-year-old Miranda is a senior at Bella Vista High School role model to peers, involvement in the community and exhibiting in Fair Oaks and the daughter of Andrew and Lisa Prints. Miranda positive sportsmanship principles. is an accomplished vaulter who competes on Nu Balance’s After careful review, the AVA Member Recognition Awards Review competitive team, as well as their full-time entertainment team, Committee selected Miranda Prints from Nu Balance Vaulters as the “Crown Capall.” She has earned such titles as Region II High Point 2013 AVA nominee! As her coach, Michelle Solorzano, said, “Miranda Champion and Reserve Champion and was also a 2010 WEG USA Friendship Team Member. Miranda is very active with the California

TOP FIVE RUNNERS-UP DESERVING HONORABLE MENTION Caroline Shubert of Vaulters del Sol, Haley Smith of Golden Gate Vaulters, New Mexico. Vaulting coach Greta Shryock Colorado. Noel Martonovich, vaulting coach, says, “Caroline has an unbelievable ability to wrote, “Haley has always shown an intensity find the best in any situation and can pass and desire to improve while still having fun that positive attitude on to others. She is a and enjoying her work. Her work ethic at friend to everyone, a positive role model for competitions and with the horses sends a the younger kids, and a motivation for her great message to younger vaulters who look peers.” up to her as a role model. She has a great Sierra Smith of Golden Gate Vaulters, future in vaulting.” Colorado. Andy Jennings, competitive Clare Sitzer of Tambourine Vaulters, soccer coach, shared, “Sierra’s commitment California. Vaulting coach Kelley Holly states, to excellence, integrity, and sportsmanship “Clare lives by the golden rules that we all are some of the reasons why she was wish to impart to our youth of today. She selected as Team Captain this year. She leads tackles the challenges of our horse sport of by example and also with words.” vaulting with determination, a fantastic work Lizzie Ioannou of Mt. Eden Vaulting ethic, and with gentleness and kindness Club, California. Vaulting coach Emma Seely towards both her human and equine wrote, “As team captain, Lizzie holds the competitors.” team together. Her leadership skills guide the team through big decisions and while working toward common goals. She is the girl with the energy and leadership to make things happen.”

22 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 2013 AVA USEF YOUTH SPORTSMAN'S AWARD NOMINEE: MIRANDA PRINTS By Kathy Smith

State Fair, scholastic clubs, and her church youth group. Miranda and Nu Balance Vaulters started “Athletes for God,” in honor of two teammates with diseases. Congratulations, Miranda, on being the 2013 AVA National Nominee for the USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award! UPDATE – USEF announced that Miranda was selected as the 2013 USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award WINNER! She was the top choice among an outstanding group of youth representing their recognized breed and discipline affiliates from across the country. Miranda is now in contention for USEF’s prestigious Junior Equestrian of the Year award. Congratulations, Miranda!

www.americanvaulting.org 23 FEATURE

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO COMPETING INTERNATIONALLY

ooking at a poster of your favorite vaulter competing in a World The first ever FEI Junior World Championships will be held in the Championships, have you ever wondered what that experience is summer of 2015. This, along with the recognition of “Children” as an Llike? No more wondering: here’s a beginner’s guide to competing official CVI class depicts the increased attention given to younger internationally! There are more opportunities than ever before for vaulters looking for an international career. If you are interested in vaulters of all ages and levels to compete internationally—both at home competing internationally, this article is packed full of wisdom, tips, and abroad— and there are many benefits to starting early. and information just for you.

BRING THE Learning the Language of Foreign Vaulting WORLD TO f the letters/numbers CVI CH 1* look like Individual Qualification Criteria for 2014 your cat jumped on your keyboard, here YOUR HOME! Iare some simple tips to help you navigate Junior CVI J 1* CVI J 2* the road of international competition. First, You don’t have to go abroad unlike AVA or even USEF-recognized events, 6.0 in any one round to reap the benefits of our international competitions are divided by age at CVI 1*, CVI J 1*, international sport; you can host as well as ability. All international competitions No Qualification are called CVIs, which stands for Concours de Ages 14-18 CVI CH 1*, CVI J 2*, Criteria a foreign vaulter in your own Voltige International (your very first French CVI CH 2*, OR home! This is a great way to start lesson… it means “International Vaulting CH-EU-V J building relationships, so when Competition”). The letters following this indicate the age level, as broken down below.* you’re ready to go abroad, you Children CVI CH 1* CVI CH 2* CH = Children Individual Competition, might be able to be hosted by ages 12 to 14 a familiar face. Hosting an elite 5.5 in any one round J = Junior Individual and Pas de Deux No Qualification at CVI 1*, CVI J 1*, international vaulter for clinics or Competition, ages 14 to 18; Junior Team Ages 12-14 Criteria CVI CH 1*, OR a foreign vaulter who wants to Competition, ages 18 and under CVI CH 2* train, study, or compete in the US No letter stated = Senior Individual & Pas are both great ways to connect de Deux Competition, ages 16 and older; Senior Team Competition, no age limit Junior World Championship with the international vaulting To move up to a higher level, a vaulter must qualification: 6.5 in any one round at CVI community. Any of the AVA/USEF earn scores starting at the entry level, or 1*, in 2* or CVI J 2* or at a championship vaulters who have participated in whatever age division he or she competes. A One of the benefits of competing in the recent World Championships can single competition may host all of these age Children or Junior category is that you and skill levels, or just a few. For this reason, it don’t have to be up against previous world help connect you with a hosting is important to make sure when choosing a champions and well-established athletes situation. CVI that it offers not only the appropriate age when you first begin. If you have the division, but also the star level at which you opportunity, start as a junior first so you can have qualified and intend to compete. be recognized and stand out for your talents.

24 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 By Alicen Divita

*All ages are determined by the calendar year in which vaulters turn that age. For example, a Junior vaulter is eligible from January 1st of the year he or she turns 14 until December 31st of the year he or she turns 18.

Learning the Language of Foreign Vaulting

Individual Qualification Criteria for 2014

Junior CVI J 1* CVI J 2*

6.0 in any one round at CVI 1*, CVI J 1*, No Qualification Ages 14-18 CVI CH 1*, CVI J 2*, Criteria CVI CH 2*, OR CH-EU-V J

Children CVI CH 1* CVI CH 2*

5.5 in any one round No Qualification at CVI 1*, CVI J 1*, Ages 12-14 Criteria CVI CH 1*, OR CVI CH 2*

Resources: Fédération Équestre Internationale Check out www.fei.org for a calendar of events and international rules. Check out http://www.fei.org/sites/ default/files/Qualification_Criteria_for_2014-new.pdf for full qualification criteria for Children, Juniors, Seniors, and Pas de Deux. United States Equestrian Federation Consider them your go-to resource for everything related to competing overseas. Familiarize yourself with

www.usef.org. Owen/VaultingPhotos.com Lynne of courtesy Photo

www.americanvaulting.org 25 Advice on Competing Abroad from US Vaulting Stars

“Be ready for anything. Go into the competition and the training beforehand (if you are lucky to have any) like you would at home. Try not to stress about little things, like the horse being different or one of your moves not working. Be flexible and focus on getting used to the new horse and the new environment. Try not to get too wrapped up in the scores. Have fun, meet new people, and enjoy getting to travel and vault in a different country!” –Lizzie Ioannou, 2013 AVA Gold Women’s National Champion and 2006 World Equestrian Games Team USA Silver Medalist

"Looking back on my first time abroad as a vaulter, I would have prepared myself a bit more physically as well as mentally, because not only are you dealing with a time change, you're dealing with a new horse and lunger, too! Don't stress about your hardest moves not working the first day on the new horse. Keep working toward them and only make changes if you absolutely must; too many changes might distract you from performing at your best!” -Kristian Roberts, 2013 AVA Gold Men’s National Champion

“Don’t get swept away by the fact that you are competing against everyone you ever idolized. Remember, it's still just vaulting. As men, we may be used to winning everything more or less by default, but it’s important to understand that we might be beat internationally—by a lot. Don't get discouraged; use it to motivate yourself!” –Gabe Aniello, the first American to qualify for the FEI World Cup Final in 2012

“Stick to a proper nutrition regimen abroad. For me that means ‘clean eating,’ or eating fresh foods with as few preservatives and additives as possible.” –Blake Dahlgren, three-time world medalist and 2010 World Equestrian Games Team USA Gold Medalist

“Allow yourself to enjoy the social aspect of the competition, too. Those are the memories that two, five, ten years from now, will outlast the results of the competition. Ultimately, vaulting is about so much more than the vaulting itself. Competing abroad is a unique opportunity to experience other cultures in a totally immersive way. Appreciate it and take advantage of it!" –Rosalind Ross, four-time world medalist and 2010 World Equestrian Games Team USA Gold Medalist “DO NOT LOSE YOUR CREDENTIALS. [CVI competitions require that the barn is securely monitored 24/7 as soon as the horses have passed vet check. Without your credentials, you won’t be let into the barn.] Also, make sure you know ahead of time the differences in logistics and rules between American and international competitions.” –Emily Hogye, two-time world medalist and 2010 World Equestrian Games Team USA

Gold Medalist Photos courtesy of Lynne Owen and Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com Kate and Owen Lynne of courtesy Photos

26 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 What to Expect When Competing Abroad Here are some terms and concepts that are essential to know before competing in a CVI. Vet Check All horses must pass a veterinary inspection (vet check) prior to the start of the competition. This is your opportunity to make your horse look the best he possibly can look, and it is not uncommon to see people spending hours beautifying their horses. It is important that you, your horse, and your lunger show up looking professional. Vet check proceeds in alphabetical order by country and by horse show name within each country, with the host country going last. Chef D’Équipe As in most national competitions, the head coach of each club is responsible for checking his or her team members into the office. Internationally, a single “Chef d’ Équipe” must be appointed for each country. At larger competitions, this person is often an experienced judge or coach; however, if you attend a competition as the only US athlete, you, your coach, or your parent will be responsible for filling this role. There will be a meeting for all Chefs d’Équipes after the vet check to determine the start order of the competition. There may also be additional Chef d’Équipe meetings throughout the competition. The Draw Competing abroad, you will not have the luxury of knowing in advance what order and time you will be competing. During the Chef meeting, each vaulter and horse pair will Photo courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com Kate of courtesy Photo be drawn from a hat in correspondence with a number. Be sure to write the order down because the schedule is often released much later, and at this point you’ll just need to focus on getting a good night’s sleep! Armband Number Leave your AVA armband at home when you compete abroad. In international competitions, you will be given a new one for use during the competition. Most Your Journey competition organizers ask for a deposit, so make sure to return your number after the competition to get your money back. It may also be a good idea for the smaller vaulters Begins Now to bring sewing materials, as these numbers are often quite big and might require some tailoring. All the best vaulters in the Awards world started where you are Awards are typically held immediately following the performance of the last vaulter of now. The world of international the competition. All members of the same country must wear the same warm-up suit, so vaulting not only expedites make sure to arrange in advance with the other US vaulters what you’ll be wearing. Also, your progression as a vaulter, leave your hair up and make up on so you look professional. it opens new doors, new Other Tips challenges, and lets you Pack your uniforms in your carry-on, as there is always the possibility of things getting lost explore new worlds. Trust in transit and full body custom-fit spandex is not easily replaced! yourself, get excited, and go Plan your workouts under the assumption that there will be no exercise equipment for it! available. Therabands (stretchy elastic bands) work great to provide resistance without added weight in your suitcase. Bring a journal. This can provide comfort among new things and entertainment for later years when you will be able to relive the first moments you tasted liverwurst and first impressions of what could become lasting friendships.

www.americanvaulting.org 27 FEATURE MASTERING VAULTING AFTER When asked about her current horse situation, Kerry laughs. I have… a lot of them,” she confesses. Seven altogether, ranging from her vaulting horse Toby, a Belgian Quarter Cross, to Sampson, an Arab Quarter Horse. Of course, let’s not forget her pony and a zebra 30By Sheri Benjamin named Zoe. A mechanical engineer by trade, Kerry spends her days as a senior photolithography equipment technician at a semiconductor equipment manufacturer. She appreciates precision, and especially aulting is a young person's sport." Watching equestrian enjoys compulsories, “where vaulting athletes as they lithely maneuver on a cantering “There’s the walk, there’s a specific set of moves equine, dismounting with no more effort than stepping "V the trot and then and specificity on how they off the curb, no adult spectator would think twice about nodding in should be done, so you’re always agreement. Most anyone can recognize the extreme strength and the canter, so working toward perfecting those flexibility needed to vault on, perform a routine in harmony with the movements,” she says. horse (and sometimes others), and dismount from the horse. you can ease into Her advice to adults who want to Yes, most adults would picture mounting/dismounting a horse the levels as you try the sport? “There’s the walk, while the equine is standing still, and probably with the help of a the trot and then the canter, so mounting block. And then there are the outliers. develop strength you can ease into the levels as you Malcolm Gladwell’s famous book of the same name described an and fitness.” develop strength and fitness,” she “outlier” as a scientific term to describe things that lie outside normal experience. Vaulters in their thirties, forties, fifties and sixties—especially all of them starting the sport after the age of 30? Yup. Outliers they are. Take Kerry Noble of Washougal, Wash., for example. A horsewoman since the age of 12, Kerry was first exposed to vaulting in her early twenties, yet when she expressed interest, someone in the horse community “said I was too old.” But after giving a presentation on competitive mounted orienteering at an area horse camp some years later, she was invited to a vaulting lesson by vaulting dad and lunger Gary Iversen. “I stood on the horse at the walk at my very first practice,” Kerry remembers, “and I was hooked.” She was 31. “I love vaulting because it’s different,” Kerry says. “It’s challenging. It’s terrifying. It satisfies my quest to learn new things.” She has competed at local competitions, as well as Regionals and Nationals, since 2006 and holds her AVA Bronze medal. “I’ve always loved horses,” she reported. “As a child I wanted a horse, and after my grandparents saw me riding one of our cows, they convinced my mom to get me a horse.” She’s been involved in many equine activities, from Kerry Noble 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) to buying/selling horses at auction and competitive mounted orienteering.

28 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 “Vaulting is a young person’s sport.”

Lance Brown

permanently to Root Farms to become the farm’s managers. When the vaulting coach suddenly moved to Alaska, Pete and Kim took over the last three weeks of vaulting. Pete started working to make his body mimic the moves in vaulting books, his only source of beginning training material. “I could only Photo courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com show the kids how to vault if I understood it, and the only way to understand it was for me to do it,” Pete explains. “Training for Vaulting reports. “Just do it! And don’t worry about the kids; you’re really just Coaches by Isabelle Bibbler Parker and Emma Seely and Correct competing against yourself for better scores.” Vaulting by Ulrike Rieder were my bibles, and I also attended as When Lance Brown of Highland, Utah, first encountered vaulting many clinics as I could.” a few years ago, it was by watching his children, Malia Brown and Jonathan Baird, from the safety of a chair in the parent viewing area. “For two years I just watched,” Lance says, “and I guess somewhere along the line I started to internalize all the moves.” At home, it went further than watching. “I’d secretly mess around on the barrel, supposedly because I was building barrels (LB Barrels) and needed to get a feel for them,” Lance explains. “One day I was sitting Pete Senn on a barrel at the barn and did a backward click, and Jake [coach Jake Fluekiger of Technique Vaulters] said that I should start vaulting. It’s something that, as an “Don’t let perfection get in adult, someone needs to invite you into.” the way! Just have fun!” “I started vaulting at 40, mostly for exercise at first, and then my back started to feel better and I could bend down to put on my socks more easily.” Lance’s advice to would-be adult vaulters? “Don’t let perfection get in the way! Just have fun!” Lance would like to see more competitive adult classes at local, regional, and even national competitions. “We had nine in the adult class at our Regionals,” Lance says. “I’d love to see more support for that, because I believe that competitive adult vaulting could be much bigger.” Pete Senn discovered vaulting when he started volunteering at Root Farms in Verona, NY, a 30-acre farm that specializes in equine- assisted therapies. He started trading some horse duties for riding Photo courtesy of Lynne Owen/VaultingPhotos.com lessons at age 40, and eventually Pete and his wife, Kim, moved

www.americanvaulting.org 29 Pete went from emergency coaching and “fiddling around on the barrel” to competitive vaulting, and has competed at Nationals the last three years—this past year in the Copper Men’s division. In past years he had relied on the generosity of members willing to loan their horses, including Mike Strauss, Karin Schmidt, and Peggy Van Hook. It was doubly difficult because not many horses are suited for an adult male. This year, Root Farms has its first canter horse and Pete is getting ready for the season. “I’ll be 49 in January, so I start with a lot of stretching and yoga, then increase to 100 push-ups and 300 sit-ups a day during the season,” Pete explains. “I do a lot of barrel work and get limited horse time, but it always seems to work out.” His advice for adults considering vaulting for the first time? “Even if you don’t think you can do it, it’s possible,” he says. “Aside from the benefits of fitness, I could only show the kids how vaulting really helps build self- Shari Smith-Mead to vault if I understood it, and confidence and the only way to understand it balance.” At Root was for me to do it. Farms, they’ve even turned Photo courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com adult vaulting into an exercise class. “We use multiple barrels and incorporate all the vaulting moves,” he says. “The adults have a ball.” Today, Andrea is Shari’s coach, lunger, and good friend, and Shari makes the trip to Andrea’s EVX Vaulting Club in Southern California The gold standard for adult vaulting in the United States comes via a once a month for a week or more of vaulting time with Andrea’s Foxy woman who had already retired once, then unretired from vaulting. Lady. “My husband Marshall is extremely supportive; he’s my Missouri Shari Smith-Mead was a dressage and eventing equestrian who trainer,” Shari says. “He’s installed a pull-up bar in the house and barn, worked as a physical therapist for a living. Twenty years ago, at and I do lots of pull-ups age 40, a vaulting coach asked her to come by to watch so that and push-ups once or Shari could put together an exercise program for the athletes. Two I’d love to see a Masters twice a day.” Her workout practices later she was getting on the horse to “try a couple of things” Division so that adult regimen also consists of to figure out which muscle groups were activated with specific yoga, taekwondo (she’s a vaulting exercises—and she was hooked. “I started in a Mommy and vaulters could compete third-degree black belt), Me-type vaulting class because my four-year-old niece happened to balance board work, and be visiting,” Shari explains. “She left, and I kept vaulting!” for a longer time period. hours of barrel training. She had her first clinic with nine-time Gold National Champion Kerith Shari also began coaching, starting a vaulting club in Missouri that Lemon after she’d been vaulting only a month, and was encouraged put on its first competition/clinic just last month. to continue. How long will Shari keep vaulting? “It’s fun, a challenge, and I keep The AVA bronze medalist quietly retired after her first ten-year getting better,” Shari explains, not quite answering the question. “I’d vaulting stint in 2003, when she and her husband, Marshall, retired love to see a Masters Division so that adult vaulters could compete to a 120-acre farm in Irondale, Missouri. But three years into the for a longer time period,” she muses. When pressed if she has any “retirement” Shari got the itch to vault again and found herself back plans for a second retirement, there’s a long pause. “Maybe,” she says. at the National Championships in City of Industry, Calif., vaulting in But don’t count on it anytime soon. barrel freestyle, because she had no access to a vaulting horse. There she met Andrea Brown, and her second adult vaulting career was launched. (Editor’s Note: If you’re an adult who would like to learn to vault, build some grassroots support with your club parents and ask the coach to start a three-month pilot adult vaulting program.)

30 EQUESTRIANVAULTING | Volume 45, Issue 3 2014 EVENTSCALENDAR JANUARY 18 MARCH 29 – 30 MAY 23 – 24 SEPTEMBER 2 – 5 Bear Gap Winter Barrel Fest Vaulting Into Spring Selection Trial CVI 3*, 2*, 1* Chilliwack FEI World Equestrian Games Elysburg, PA TBA, Washington Chilliwack, BC, Canada Normandy, France Sandra Snyder: [email protected] Kathy Rynning: [email protected] Barb Schmidt: [email protected] Linda Bibbler: [email protected]

JANUARY 19, 6PM PST APRIL 12 JUNE 7 – 8 SEPTEMBER 19 – 20 AVA Board of Directors Conference Call Tambourine Spring Fest Woodside Spring Fest Great Falls/Topaz Fall Fest Jill Hobby: [email protected] Petaluma, CA Portola Valley, CA Herndon, VA Kelley Holly: [email protected] Linda Bibbler: [email protected] Marie Brigham: [email protected] FEBRUARY 1 OCTOBER 25 – 26 Tambourine Barrel Fest APRIL 26 – 27 JUNE 21 – 22 Region I Championships Petaluma, CA USEF Mozart Memorial Selection Trial Region III Championships Mojave Crossing Event Center: Fort Mojave, AZ Kelley Holly: [email protected] Somis, CA Eugene, OR Connie Geisler: [email protected] Patty Littmann: [email protected] Kathy Seelye: [email protected] FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 2 OCTOBER 26 AVA Annual Convention MAY 2 – 4 JUNE 28 – 29 Mt. Eden’s Halloween Fest San Francisco Bay Area, CA CVI 3*, 2*, 1* Pacific Cup Region IX Championships Garrod Farms: Saratoga, CA Sheri Benjamin: Gilroy Gates: Gilroy, CA East Coast, TBA Marianne Rose: [email protected] [email protected] Linda Bibler: [email protected] Lisa Zielenske: [email protected] NOVEMBER 8 – 9 MARCH 2 MAY 10 – 11 JUNE 28 Annual Judges’ Forum AVA Board of Directors Meeting Great Falls/Topaz Spring Fest Tambourine Summer Fest Portland, OR Jill Hobby: [email protected] Herndon, VA Petaluma, CA Kelley Holly: [email protected] Marie Brigham: [email protected] Kelley Holly: [email protected] MARCH 2 Important Note: These events were gathered AVA General Membership Annual MAY 10 – 11 JULY 30 directly from the AVA website calendar. If you Meeting Region IV May Fest AVA Board of Directors Meeting are a member you can add your club’s events/ Jill Hobby: [email protected] Colorado, TBA Eugene, OR competitions to the AVA website calendar Robin Bowman: [email protected] Jill Hobby: [email protected] yourself by logging into the members-only MARCH 14 – 16 website, going to the calendar section, USEF Developing Vaulter Clinic MAY 17 – 18 JULY 31 – AUGUST 3 choosing the year, and then clicking on “add FallBrooks Farm: North Plains, OR Garrods Spring Classic AVA/USEF National Championships Carolyn Bland: [email protected] Garrod Farms: Saratoga, CA Eugene, OR an entry to the calendar” at the top of them Marianne Rose: [email protected] Linda Bibbler: [email protected] calendar section.

Photo courtesy of Kate Revell/VaultingPhotos.com RULES CHANGE From the AVA Newsroom Words Now Allowed in Music for All AVA Classes! Hear ye, hear ye! The AVA Board voted to remove the rule prohibiting music with words in all AVA classes starting immediately. Words are now allowed for all AVA classes! By removing Article 603.6t - Penalties and Deductions, the AVA is now permitting music with words and lyrics in all events. "Please do keep in mind, however, that it is very important to make sure that words and lyrics are appropriate for our youth sport," says AVA Technical Committee Chair and EVP Kelley Holly. "If inappropriate words or lyrics are used, a vaulter could end up eliminated, under Article 603.6 (l)—'unforeseen circumstances'." Gold Division: Now Three Sections in a Single Round The board also passed a new rule for the Gold class. Article 301 now states that "Gold Level consists of one round. It consists of Compulsories, Technical Test, and Freestyle performed in separate sections." Putting this in layman's terms, Kelly Holly noted, "now, instead of Gold being competed as two rounds, with a possible cut after the first round, Gold will now be a single round, with no cuts. In this single round, vaulters will perform one each of Compulsories, Technical Test, and Freestyle in separate sections." Each section will count as one-third of the overall score. This new rule is also effective immediately.

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