www.americanvaulting.org 1 Equestrian Equestrian Vaulting Vaulting Editor in Chief: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, [email protected] American Vaulting Association Directory Copy Editor: Katharina Woodman Photographers: Mackenzie Bakewell/ZieBee Media, Roy Friesen, Andrea Fuchshumer, Daniel Kaiser/ 2016 AVA VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Impressions, Devon Maitozo, Diana Sutera Mow, Sue Rose, Ali Smith, Sarah Twohig Effective January 1, 2016 Writers and Contributors: Mackenzie Bakewell, Carol Beutler, Carolyn Bland, Laura L. Bosco, Robin Executive Board Members Bowman, Alicen Divita, Tessa Divita, Mary Garrett, Michelle Guo, Rachael Herrera, Carlee Heger, Noel President: Connie Geisler, [email protected] Martonovich, Yossi Martonovich, Mary McCormick, Devon Maitozo, Brittany O'Leary, Isabelle Parker, Executive VP: Kelley Holly, [email protected] Donna Schult, Steve Sullivan Secretary: Sheri Benjamin, [email protected] Designer: Leah Kucharek, Red Hen Design Treasurer: Jill Hobby, [email protected] Equestrian Vaulting magazine is the official publication of the American Vaulting Association. VP Competitions: Kathy Rynning, [email protected] Comments/suggestions/questions are welcome to [email protected]. VP Development: Open 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: Kathy Smith, [email protected] For address changes go to www.americanvaulting.org/members/memberservices and click on Membership Updates to make the change. If you are having problems receiving your copy of the Competitions Director: Emma Seely, [email protected] magazine or wish to receive additional copies, contact the AVA National Office (ph. 323-654- Education Director: Kendel Edmunds, [email protected] 0800 or email [email protected]). No part of this publication may be reproduced either Fund Raising Director: Open in whole or part without written permission. Copyright by American Vaulting Association 2015. Information Technology Director: Craig Coburn, [email protected] Equestrian Vaulting magazine is published three times a year. Judges Program /Technical Committee Director: Suzanne Detol, [email protected] Marketing & Communications Director: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, [email protected] AMERICAN VAULTING Membership Director: Dana Heger, [email protected] Safety & Insurance Director: Linda Bibbler, [email protected] ASSOCIATION Vaulting Program Development Director: Gibran Stout, [email protected] 1443 E. Washington Blvd. #289 Volunteerism Director: Kim Dushinski, [email protected] Pasadena, CA 91104 Regional Supervisors 323-654-0800 Region I: Patti Skipton, [email protected] Region II: Sue Smith, [email protected] Give the Gift of Region III: Lori Robison, [email protected] give the gift of Equestrian Region IV: Dena Madden, [email protected] Vaulting Region V: Beth Whillock, [email protected] Up to 60% Off! Region IX: Lisa Zielenske, [email protected] Up to 60% Off! Region X: Peter Senn, [email protected] AVA NATIONAL OFFICE Craig Coburn, National Office Manager 1443 E. Washington Blvd. #289, Pasadena CA 91104 [email protected] Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon PST • Ph: 323-654-0800, Fax: 323-654-4306 www.americanvaulting.org
FEI Vaulting Committee Member: Suzanne Detol, [email protected] USEF Board/Elected Athlete: Devon Maitozo, [email protected] 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]
Volume 47, Issue 2 Equestrian Vaulting Designed by: Red Hen Design, Howell, MI, [email protected]
Subscription Prices (Three issues, published Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter) • “Add on” subscription for current AVA Vaulting Fan and Recreational Members (US only): $12 2015 Open Pas de Deux National Champions Haley Smith
ver: and Carlee Heger of Mile-High Vaulters dance alfresco at the
• US Non-member: $18 o height of Colorado’s autumn with Sampson. Annual Multi-pack Pricing for All Current AVA Members and Clubs:
• 5-Pack EV Magazine Bundles: $50—15% off single subscription pricing! ur c o • 10-pack EV Magazine Bundles: $90—25% off single subscription pricing! On • 20-pack EV Magazine Bundles: $140—40% off single subscription pricing! Photo courtesy of Jorden Hobbs
2 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 Equestrian Vaulting
2016 AVA VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Effective January 1, 2016
Executive Board Members President: Connie Geisler, [email protected] Executive VP: Kelley Holly, [email protected] 12 Secretary: Sheri Benjamin, [email protected] Treasurer: Jill Hobby, [email protected] VP Competitions: Kathy Rynning, [email protected] VP Development: Open VP Education: Carolyn Bland, [email protected] VP Membership: Kathy Smith, [email protected] 6 8
Competitions Director: Emma Seely, [email protected] Education Director: Kendel Edmunds, [email protected] Fund Raising Director: Open Features Information Technology Director: Craig Coburn, [email protected] 42 JW6 Judges Program /Technical Committee Director: Suzanne Detol, [email protected] 12 Vaulting Photos 101 Marketing & Communications Director: Megan Benjamin Guimarin, [email protected] Membership Director: Dana Heger, [email protected] 18 The American Vaulting Association's 2015 40 2015 AVA National Champions Teams Safety & Insurance Director: Linda Bibbler, [email protected] US Equestrian Vaulting Hall of Fame Vaulting Program Development Director: Gibran Stout, [email protected] 42 Nationals Photo Collage Volunteerism Director: Kim Dushinski, [email protected] 18 Kendel Edmunds Regional Supervisors Columns Region I: Patti Skipton, [email protected] 20 Adrienne Stang Region II: Sue Smith, [email protected] 5 From the Editor Region III: Lori Robison, [email protected] 22 Doc Region IV: Dena Madden, [email protected] 6 Just for Vaulters: How to Stay Motivated for Region V: Beth Whillock, [email protected] 23 Giovanni Region IX: Lisa Zielenske, [email protected] Training During the Winter Months Region X: Peter Senn, [email protected] 24 Halali 8 Horse Smarts: Step It Up: Introduction to Pole Work AVA NATIONAL OFFICE Craig Coburn, National Office Manager 25 Sir Anthony Van Dyck and Cavaletti Training For the Vaulting Horse 1443 E. Washington Blvd. #289, Pasadena CA 91104 [email protected] 26 Sundance Tom 10 Club Management: How to Organize & Run Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon PST • Ph: 323-654-0800, Fax: 323-654-4306 Competitions, In the Words of Six AVA Horsewomen www.americanvaulting.org 27 Toby FEI Vaulting Committee Member: Suzanne Detol, [email protected] 16 Vaulter Fitness: AcroYoga for Vaulters USEF Board/Elected Athlete: Devon Maitozo, [email protected] 28 AVA Horse of the Year: Pepper Jack USEF Vaulting High Perf. Comm. Chair: Linda Bibbler, [email protected] 45 Events Calendar USEF Vaulting Technical Committee Co-Chairs: 29 AVA Lunger of the Year: Saacha DeAmborosio Craig Coburn, [email protected]; and Suzanne Detol, [email protected]
Volume 47, Issue 2 30 AVA Trainer Recognition Award: Emma Seely 2015 Junior world Championships Equestrian Vaulting Designed by: Red Hen Design, Howell, MI, [email protected] 31 AVA Volunteer of the Year: Kim Dushinski JW6 Warming Up for a World Championship 32 AVA Mentor of the Year: Blake Dahlgren JW8 Team USA Squad 33 2015 Osierlea Award: Saacha DeAmborossio JW10 Team USA Pas de Deux 34 139 Vaulters Awarded AVA Medals in 2015 JW12 Team USA Women 36 Centerfold Poster JW14 Team USA Men 38 2015 AVA National Champions Individuals JW16 Junior Worlds Photos
www.americanvaulting.org 3 from the EDITOR
ast year as part of the AVA Membership Survey, we asked you about your experiences with Equestrian Vaulting magazine. Of the responses we received, one thing quickly became clear: you’d like to see the magazine in your L mailbox on a more consistent basis (and ideally, way more often!). The magazine is a labor of love—a huge effort by a comparably tiny team of volunteers who work tirelessly to make sure the content you read is helpful, entertaining, and representative of our vast national organization. And we agree. It’s important to know when you can expect your much-needed dose of EV magazine. Below is the schedule for the magazine moving forward. Volume 48 Issue 1 (Annual Awards, Health and Fitness Issue) April 15 – Available Online April 30 – Available In Print
Volume 48 Issue 2 (National Championships, Senior World Championships, Themed Content TBD) August 30 – Available Online (publish date may shift slightly so as to be at least two weeks after the National and World Championships) September 15 – Available In Print
Volume 48 Issue 3 (Themed Content TBD) December 1 – Available Online December 15 – Available In Print Please feel free to send me a note with any questions, comments, concerns or (best of all) undying love for the magazine. Megan Benjamin Guimarin [email protected] Calling All Writers & Editors! Calling All Photographers! f you have a knack for the English language he American Vaulting Association’s marketing Ias a writer, editor or efforts run on images provided by volunteer both, we need your help! T photographers like you. With permission, We’re always looking for we love featuring your images in this magazine, on great writers and editors Facebook, Instagram, the website, and elsewhere. for this magazine and the website. If you have writing experience, a And we need more photos! solid understanding of Please send your vaulting photos to us whenever the sport of vaulting, and you have a great one burning a hole in your SD a few hours to spare each card. We love competition shots, but we especially month, or just for a one- love both action and candid photos from practice, time article, please reach photo shoots, and other events. If you’d like to have out to… your photos featured, send them along to… [email protected]
4 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 www.americanvaulting.org 5 just for vaulters How to Stay Motivated for Training During the Winter Months
t’s getting cold outside! As temperatures drop, it can be difficult to stay motivated. Always Warm Up Right Have a "Too-Cold/Wet/ IStay on top of winter training despite the frozen fingers and toes with these tips. Snowy-To-Function" It’s easier to keep training hard when you Warming up properly is especially important Back-Up Plan when it’s cold out. Warm up with a run, Set a Clear Goal explosive plyometrics, some light gymnastics, and active stretching. Save any passive Sometimes, it’s just too cold/wet/snowy to stretching (like spending two minutes in splits) vault on the horse. When that’s the case, it’s know why you’re training in the first place. for the end of practice. Or better yet, do that great to have a back-up plan. Some clubs Are you aiming to make top ten at Nationals? once you’re at home in front of the fire! have on-site gyms, or indoor areas where they Stay fit during the winter months? Qualify for have barrels and weight equipment for drills the World Championships in 2020? Write it Stay Warm and conditioning. If you don’t have an on-site down! If there’s a place you can write out or option, partner with a local gymnastics club otherwise display your big goal at the barn, or high school and use their indoor space. Sometimes in vaulting, we hang out. We do it. Just seeing your goal will remind you to The only thing you need for a great horse-less hang out while we’re tacking up the horse. stay positive and keep working even when practice is a barrel, some mats, a music system, We hang out while the horse is warming up. you might rather call it a day and go get and a clear lesson plan. It’s not ideal when you We hang out between our turns on the horse. some hot chocolate. can’t practice on the horse, but it happens! Unfortunately, when it’s cold out, hanging out and being inactive is the surest way to let your Dress Warmly toes go numb. Between rounds, toss on an extra layer, work some drills, and stay warm. Hand warmers and thermoses full of tea are Dressing in layers is your best bet for staying also wonderful things. the right temperature while training. Opt for a pair of insulated leggings, a thermal top, and wool socks for your base layer. (Clothes Keep Practices designed for skiing and snowboarding are Super Focused great options, because they wick sweat while keeping you toasty.) If it’s still chilly, add another pair of leggings, leg warmers, and a Having a clear lesson plan and sticking to it vest. Still cold? Layer on a big fleece zip up, a can help tremendously. Try to organize your headband or hat, gloves, and a pair of sweat practices to within five minutes of accuracy, pants. Top it all off with a big, heavy barn then stay on track. Be especially specific about jacket. After you get moving, you’ll warm the drills you want to work on, the parts of right up. your freestyle you’re training that day, and the conditioning you plan to do at the end of practice.
6 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 By Megan Benjamin Guimarin How to Stay Motivated for Training During the Winter Months
Remember to Enjoy It!
Even when it’s freezing out, vaulting is still a blast! With the cool air on your rosy cheeks, close your eyes and remind yourself why you love vaulting. It’ll put a smile on your face and help you persevere through the shivers. And just remember… it’ll be springtime soon enough!
Megan Benjamin Guimarin is the only vaulter to have earned a medal in all three vaulting events-- individuals, pas de deux, and squad. Although a native Californian, Megan has had her share of experience vaulting in cold temperatures from winters spent training for the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Ithaca, New York.
www.americanvaulting.org 7 By Carolyn Bland Horse smarts
Introduction to pole work and cavaletti training for the STEP IT UP vaulting horse.
he use of poles and raised poles keep your horse fresh and interested. Using (cavaletti) in your training program poles in your program will encourage the T has myriad benefits for all vaulting horse to think while working. Taking away horses. Pole work can help. other distractions is a great way to bring your Enhance regularity and rhythm of gaits. horse’s attention to the work at hand. Place poles in a series of three to six poles Cavaletti Basics equidistant from each other. Poles should You can work your horse over poles and be spaced to match your horse’s optimum cavaletti either under saddle or on the lunge gait length. This encourages the horse to line, in circles or on straight lines. maintain clear regularity and rhythm as he steps over each pole. Distances Strengthen muscles. Working with poles The most important thing when starting with and cavaletti will encourage the horse to poles or cavaletti is to make the introduction stretch a stride, shorten a stride, or pick easy for the horse. Although there are “ranges” the limbs higher off the ground. All of this of pole distances available in books or on the gymnastics work is part of a solid cross Internet, the fail proof system is to measure training program. your horse’s stride in each gait and set poles for Increase heart and circulatory health. your horse. Poles and/or cavaletti set incorrectly This horse, for example, has a stride measuring Pole and cavaletti training is hard work! can cause a horse to be nervous, which can four feet three inches. Knowing this, setting The aerobic action of lifting the limbs in lead him to rushing or tripping over the poles. poles with a distance of about four feet a rhythm over poles and cavaletti brings To measure your horse’s stride in all three gaits between them will be comfortable for this the horse’s heart rate up while increasing (walk, trot and canter), first start with a freshly horse. agility. dragged arena or a place where you can clearly Getting Started Increase balance. Practice perfect balance see new hoof prints. Have the horse take three by manipulating distance, height, and different routes on a straight line, first in walk, Introduce your horse first to one pole on the direction of pole placement (either on a then in trot, then in ground. Have him walk and trot over the circle or in a straight line) and by training canter. Using a tape pole until he is comfortable with that transitions in and out of pole work. measure, measure exercise. from the hoof print Develop suspension. Shortening the Next, add one more pole at the distance of of one limb (I used distances between poles and cavaletti his walk stride and walk over the two poles. the inside foreleg) encourages the horse to pick up his limbs When your horse relaxes over the two poles, at the toe to the more quickly. Trotting poles to a small you can reset for trot and start the process heel of the same jump encourages the horse to become again. Once you feel your horse understands hoof the next nimble and develop suspension. the exercise, then you can add another pole. time it touches For horses new to pole work, three to six Develop ability to learn. Pole work and the ground. poles usually work wonders. cavaletti work introduce small challenges to
8 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 By Carolyn Bland x Raised Canter Pole x
Trot Poles oles alk P W
x x x x
x x x x Raised Trot Poles Different Obstacles for Different Gaits
At the walk… place poles in a straight line along the inside of the rail. At the trot… place a semi-circle of trot poles on part of a 20-meter circle. The inside distance should be in the four foot range, or slightly shorter than your horse’s stride, and the outside distance should be greater. This pole placement gives you the option of using the Adding In Challenges same set of poles to shorten the stride by using the inside track or to lengthen the stride using the outside track. Once your horse has this simple exercise well understood, start with raising the last At the canter… set a raised canter pole (about 20 inches so the horse focuses on cavaletti at one side. As long as this does not it as a small jump) on the far side of the trot poles. Trot the poles, transition to canter, then fluster your horse, then increase the difficulty increase your circle size to canter the raised pole. After the small jump, transition back down by raising the poles at alternating sides. to the trot, decrease your circle size, and take the trot poles again. This article is meant to be a beginners’ guide to pole work. If you and your horse feel comfortable with the exercises described in the article, there’s plenty more to learn! One of the most useful books on pole work and cavaletti exercises is Cavalletti—The Schooling of Horse and Riders over Ground Poles by Ingrid and Reiner Klimke.
Carolyn Bland is a renowned vaulting and dressage trainer. She lunged Palatine and Team USA to an historic victory at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, where she earned a gold medal. Carolyn was the 2006 AVA Trainer of the Year for her extraordinary work with Mozart and F.A.M.E. and has continued to turn out exceptional vaulting horses since she joined the sport in 1996. She is the AVA's VP Education.
www.americanvaulting.org 9 club By Donna Schult management How to Organize& Run Competitions In the Words of Six AVA Horsewomen
utting on a competition is hard work, Do you remember your first competition? How many vaulters but it’s a lot easier if you know what did you have? Has it grown since you first started and what do Pyou’re doing. If you’re a newbie you think made the biggest difference in its success? to competition management, but you’re looking to put on a competition, ask a Our first event was 20-25 years ago and I recall that we didn’t hold it as an seasoned expert for help. lb annual event, but just during the Selection Trial years. I think our success came when we began to host the events each year. The predictability of the event is critical to the support of all clubs in the long run because clubs can plan their year in Linda Bibbler (LB), Carolyn advance when they know where and when competitions will be held. lb Bland (CB), Kim Beisecker (KB), Robin Bowman (RB), Our first event had 15 vaulters. We calculated the cost of traveling to other Kelley Holly (KH) and kb competitions and found that hosting our own met our schedule and was cost- cb Jennifer Williams (JW) all efficient. It also allowed us to have a medal test at home. shared their knowledge and We offer a wide range of events on the barrel and on the horse, from Tiny Tots experience with me. As a jw to Gold, as well as Masters and Adaptive. The key to meeting the needs of kb leadership group, they have our region has been the realization that our clubs typically have to travel long hosted barrel competitions, distances to come to competitions, so offering a wide range of classes enables AVA and USEF-recognized them to have a competition experience for all their vaulters. competitions, National rb Championships, USEF What was the biggest hurdle you had to face? Selection Trials and CVIs with attendance ranging from 15 – cb Weather. It can be unpredictable and cause problems if you don’t have use of kh 120+ athletes. I am incredibly an indoor facility. grateful for the opportunity to talk to each of these Setting consistent dates; keeping prices as low as possible without losing horsewomen. Here is what rb money, retaining a consistent number of vaulters. jw they had to say.
10 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 Photo courtesy of Diana Sutera Mow lb kb Cost. [Both host CVI competitions that are expensive due to FEI requirements and they bear the full financial Organize Run responsibility of the event.] Can you make money? Who typically underwrites (funds) your competitions?
For our AVA and USEF lb competitions, we almost always make money. We weigh the benefit of hosting competitions close to home where prices may have to increase to cover increased facility costs versus the cost associated with traveling hundreds of miles to attend competitions away from home. Paying a little bit more to compete near If a new club wanted to host a w Develop a realistic budget and consider home, on your own horse, is always worth it. competition, what would the top adding medal tests and clinics to earn CVI competitions are expensive and it is very priorities be for them to know additional income. hard to break even because of the higher or think about? (I’ve taken the liberty of w Know your audience and cater to them. costs associated with FEI requirements. We combining the responses, since many said the Ask your local clubs which classes their have had an average of 100 vaulters each year same thing.) and some sponsorships, but it is still hard. We vaulters want to enter and host those w Ask for help from someone who has done this take full responsibility for the funding of the classes. before! competitions. Is there anything that you w Know the rules. Follow the rules, but where Yes, you can make money. We have would share with someone who the rules end, make the competition your the sponsoring clubs underwrite was thinking about hosting a jw own. the competition. Because the costs competition that I haven’t asked? and work are shared, each club is w Hire your judges early and treat them well Make sure your registration fee protected from bearing potential shortfalls alone. so that they will want to return. Don’t forget (non-refundable) covers your the apprentice judges. They generally know cb Yes, we usually make a little bit of ribbons and any costs that the rules back and forth because they are money on our barrel competitions you’ll incur even if the event kh studying them. and at least break even on our is cancelled. horse competitions. I also think w Get many volunteers, develop a Seek out a mentor. Call or email it’s a great opportunity for the kids to show off management team, and form committees kh someone who has done this their skills. early. You can’t do this alone and you will before. need a lot of help. w Start with a barrel fest and get your feet wet. w Horses. Make sure you have enough horses especially if people will be traveling to your event.
www.americanvaulting.org 11 feature Vaulting Photography
n this day and age of social media, the photograph has become an ever more important medium through which we share our sport and craft with people I we know, and perhaps more importantly, with the rest of the world. While vaulting tends to be seen most often in a competition setting, as it reaches out to be experienced by others, through photography or another medium, it is an art form of the highest order.
What makes a great vaulting There is no great foreground without a suitable background. photograph? Failing to find a background in a shot that doesn’t interfere, distract, or even camouflage the Since the photograph has become such an intended subject is one of the most common mistakes made by amateur photographers. How integral part of how we experience and share often have we seen an arena support beam turned guillotine chop right through the vaulter’s neck, this sport of ours, it is becoming more and or even worse, seen a lovely shot of our a vaulter in their beautiful new blue unitard performing more difficult to stand out in the crowd. As a their stag jump in front of a sea of empty blue seats? In order to avoid these unfortunate affairs, it parent, I can attest to the fact that almost any is key to assess the background before taking a shot. This can be a matter of one second or one shot of my son brings me joy, especially any week. Try to avoid beams, light posts, and advertisements that interfere with the subject. Often we shots of him vaulting. That doesn’t make every have little to no control over the actual makeup of the background available to us when shooting, photograph of him particularly interesting especially at a competition, but we do have control over where we place ourselves relative to the though, especially to others. Let’s then agree circle. If the vaulter is wearing a very light-colored outfit, find a relatively dark background to place to measure the quality of our photographs behind her. If she has a dark uniform, do the opposite, if possible. If her uniform is busy, find the according to their own merits and not cleanest, simplest background. You get the point. It’s all about contrast and drawing the eye to the by our connection to the subjects being subject that matters. photographed. For a shot to be memorable, just like a vaulting freestyle, it must connect There is no with the audience. great foreground How do we do that? without a suitable Here are some things to keep in background. mind to help take your photos to the next level. You are the artist and the vaulter is your muse. Approach taking a photograph as if you were painting, but instead of using a brush use your camera to capture the lines, shapes, and colors available to you in the natural world. The vaulter and horse provide an incredible array of material to compose great shots. Your subtle choices will make the difference. Decisions in timing, framing, focus, and how you capture your light can harmonize to create shots worth celebrating.
12 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 By Devon Maitozo Vaulting Photography
As you pan for the perfect shot, the face is your gold. We need to recognize the power of the human face to portray emotion and to draw people in. There are plenty of great photographs that cannot include the vaulter’s face for many reasons, but always take special care to notice when the vaulters are showing their face, especially their eyes, and try to capture it. Faces, and especially the eyes, portray emotion and character. These photos are often some of the most stunning and powerful.
As you pan for the perfect shot, the face is your gold.
Live by the law of thirds. Live by the law of thirds. Having prefaced the issue as “law”, I will modify it by saying that there are no laws in photography other than the laws of physics, and in the era of Photoshop, even those seem to be breakable. Generally speaking, though, when composing a shot, place the primary focal point of your subject at the one-third mark in your frame (top to bottom in portrait orientation or side to side in landscape) to get a balanced shot. Allow the empty space in your shot to add power to the intended focus. Photos courtesy of Devon Maitozo Devon of courtesy Photos
www.americanvaulting.org 13 Enlighten us with light. To chop When it comes down to it, all your camera can really capture is the or not light that makes it through your lens. If your subject is a vaulter and to chop. you want to see them in the shot, you have only two choices regarding light. Either you capture the light bouncing off of the vaulter, or you have them provide contrast to the light coming from elsewhere. When taking pictures of vaulting, regardless of how much control you have over it, assess the light before you shoot. Avoid shooting into the light (the sun in your eyes) unless you are specifically using backlighting to get a silhouette or partially backlit image. Silhouettes are only as interesting as the shape that is being seen. As for a backlit shot, this can be a great way to create a halo or glowing effect, but a filler light source must also be casting enough light on the camera side of the subject if you expect to see any detail. Especially the face! Also, try not to shoot with the sun or bright light source shining on the vaulter from the same general direction as your camera. This can eliminate nearly all sense of depth due to the lack of shadows. If you Enlighten want to give depth to your shot, you need to have light coming from us with lateral angles. It is generally good to have direct sunlight behind you at light. about 45 degrees to one side.
Take it in stride. Take it Here is an important one, people! To chop or not to chop. in stride. Familiarize yourself very well with all parts of a horse’s stride, be that trot or In trying to balance a vaulting shot, all too often we canter, so you know how to take your must choose whether or not to chop horse’s legs pictures during the more flattering off (from the frame, of course). The answer depends phase as often as possible. on many different potential issues, but generally it is perfectly fine to wield your photographic axe. In the trot, it is best to shoot when There is a tasteful way to do it, though, and a way opposite legs are lifting up and not to do it. It is seldom good to chop a horse’s not at that very moment when a legs off at the fetlock or even below the hock hoof lands on the ground. As for a or knee. If chopping, the more of the leg you canter stride, capture the horse at remove, the less awkward the resulting photo. If the peak of his uphill phase. When I you chop, it should be because you are zooming/ am photographing a canter vaulting cropping in closer to focus our eye on the vaulter or something specific they are doing. It is also perfectly fine to chop a horse’s body within its torso, especially its hind quarters, but if you are chopping its head off, please make it well worth the amputation. Usually that would mean the vaulter is facing reverse and we can see their head and face well. Two heads missing is really unfortunate. Avoid it. As for chopping off parts of the vaulter, this is even less desirable; especially if it’s the end of a line they are creating. Unless it is a close-up of a facial expression or another Suspend part of the vaulter to show the details of our unique sport, cutting off otherwise lost a vaulter’s limb can make the photo look simply wrong. Extended legs moments or hands should always make it into the frame in order to respect the aesthetics of the sport we are capturing. in time.
14 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 Enlighten us with light.
routine, I first start counting the canter strides and let that rhythm run mentioned above) come even close to influencing the potential quality of a in my head. If a vaulter hits a photo-worthy position or will perform a photograph more than the quality of the lens pulling in that light. dynamic movement worth capturing, I will then primarily shoot that Photographers will always say, “It’s all about the glass.” The faster the lens, the moment during every stride when the horse’s front legs are off the more light you can pull in and the more control you will be able to have on ground. The more you make this adjustment from behind the lens, the how you will present your subject. The speed of a lens refers to the level of more marketable and flattering your shots will be! light intensity (illuminance) that a lens can deliver to the focal plane. If a lens Suspend otherwise lost moments in time. has a larger maximum aperture (written as a smaller f-number), it can achieve the same exposure, but with a faster shutter speed. That’s why they call it a When trying to capture the creativity of our fellow vaulters through “fast” lens. Other factors besides “speed” that influence the cost of a lens include photography, don’t forget that the photographer has a super power the actual quality of the glass inside, the focal length of the lens (telephoto that a vaulter doesn’t have. We can freeze space and time. When verses wide angle), and stabilizing mechanism to avoid shaking caused by the choreographing a freestyle, a vaulter may put in leaps and turns and human hand. For vaulting photography, the most practical and useful lenses kicks and flying dismounts that defy gravity, but these moments are you could have will be telephoto (100mm or higher), and will have an f-stop inherently fleeting, and are over just a moment after they begin. I number of 2.8 or lower. Basically, the more light that can get in that camera challenge you to find those moments suspended in space and time from farther away, the more likely you’ll get that breathtaking shot. when the click of your finger can paint a picture that otherwise would never be seen. Vaulting photography, like all sports photography, is usually a matter of how well you can freeze all the movement for a completely focused image while The fastest car usually wins the race. still getting enough light to make your subject pop. The right equipment will Up until this point I have purposely avoided mentioning a word about allow you to stand well outside of a vaulting ring and still get photos that specific camera technology. It is a subject that makes a world of difference, are close up. It will also allow you to blur the though, both in cost, and in quality results. All cameras, including the one background of the photograph, so as to on your phone, have the potential to shoot beautiful and meaningful draw all attention to what matters vaulting photographs, but many have serious limits. Invest in a digital SLR most. (single lens reflex) camera, as well as quality lenses to go with it, to step up I challenge all readers to your photography to a new level. consider how you want to Factors that will influence price will be how many megapixels of see your sport. It may just be information the camera is equipped to process, how many frames per your future photograph that second it can shoot and process, how many autofocus points it provides catapults our sport into the for any autofocus and light measurements features; whether it is for large spotlight! or small format lenses, and general durability. There are endless bells and whistles available, but none of these features, (not even the ones
www.americanvaulting.org 15 Just for By Mary Garrett with Mary McCormick vaulters
AcroYogafor Vaulters
Flying Backbend Upward-Facing Dog Over Feet Step 1: With the base on her Step 1: With the base on her back, place feet on the flyer’s back, the flyer kicks into a hipbones. Both base and flyer handstand with her hands near hold hands. the base’s head. Step 2: Flyer jumps onto feet, Step 2: With as much control as keeping the head up, the possible, the flyer arches over chest open, and the upper the base’s feet, landing with her back lifted toward the sky. low back/hips on the base’s feet. The flyer should keep her core Optional: As the flyer, grab engaged, so as not to sag feet or shins for a deeper psoas through the middle. stretch. Optional: As the flyer, grab Advanced: Do a massive Optional one or both legs. Optional abdominal crunch into flying Advanced: Let go of the boat pose! Keep the abs base completely for a true test engaged and the legs squeezed of back strength. tightly together. Balancing on your tailbone or seat bones, reach the arms and chest toward the sky.
advanced advanced
Shoulder Stand Step 2: The flyer bends forward Step 3: The flyer jumps and tucks on Feet and places her shoulders in the into a supported shoulder stand arches of the base’s feet. The on the base’s feet, holding the Step 1: The flyer stands near the base may bend her knees and base’s hands. Make sure the base’s base’s shoulders, with the base reach her legs toward the flyer legs move back to 90 degrees for a on her back and her legs mostly to assist. balanced pose! straight and near 90 degrees. Both base and flyer hold hands. Advanced: Try letting go of hands, grabbing legs, or holding nothing for a challenge.
16 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 AcroYoga, where the high-flying fun of acrobatics and gymnastics meets the grounded, meditative practice of yoga, is the ultimate training tool for vaulters of all levels and ages. Combining balance, strength, flexibility, and trust, AcroYoga is much like vaulting! These are a few of our favorite exercises. Try them with a partner (and a spotter if you need one) at your next practice!
Shoulder Stand Handstand in Hands on Knees Step 1: With the base on her back Step 1: The flyer stands in front of with her feet on the floor and her the base, with base and flyer both knees up, the flyer, standing facing facing in the same direction. The the base near the base’s feet, places base grabs the flyer’s hips and her hands on the base’s knees and rolls her over her shoulder. puts her shoulders in the base’s Step 2: The flyer reaches down hands. from airplane on shoulder to hold Step 2: The flyer kicks, presses, or the base’s legs, just above the tucks into a supported shoulder knee. stand. Step 3: With the base holding Optional: The base can straighten the flyer’s shoulders, the flyer and lift her legs, up to 90 degrees, so pops off the base’s shoulder the flyer is balanced over the base’s Optional into a handstand with control, Optional shoulders. keeping her arms straight as the Advanced: The flyer can let go of base leans back. the base’s legs altogether and hold Note: This exercise is all about the base’s arms. counterbalance! Don’t be afraid to stretch and lean. Advanced: Try different leg variations, like scorpion!
advanced advanced
Standing above the knee. The base squeezes and flyer lean away from each Counterbalance her knees together and starts to sit other to counterbalance. back into a chair pose. Step 1: Both flyer and base stand Advanced: Let go of all hands! facing each other, holding opposite Step 3: As the base leans back to hands (left to left or right to right). counterbalance the flyer’s weight, the flyer swings her other leg up to Step 2: Flyer places one foot (if the back of the base’s neck. holding left hands, use right foot, and vice versa) on the base’s legs, Note: It is essential that both base advanced
www.americanvaulting.org 17 2015 AVA Hall of Fame By Laura L. Bosco Kendel edmunds
endel Edmunds, an AVA Hall of Fame Leprechauns, located in Watsonville, Ca., and used in vaulting. Personality-wise, he was inductee, started riding at the young ended her vaulting career with California a lovely horse. I have the best memories of K age of four, which gave a leg up to her Carousel, located in Woodside, CA. vaulting with him.” vaulting career. In the summer of 1975, 12- “My friend Inez Fort compelled me to work with In 1977, Kendel represented Team USA in Lake year-old Kendel attended a horse camp that her little team in Oakland, CA., of which Kendel Konstanz, Switzerland as a member of the offered vaulting classes and immediately fell was a member,” said Jeff Ashton Moore. “I was U.S. composite team, coached by Jeff Ashton in love with the sport. impressed with Kendel from the beginning— Moore and Elizabeth Searle, co-founders of the “I was always bugging my mom for when I saw her practicing her vaulting moves American Vaulting Association. gymnastics lessons,” said Kendel. “She told on her own anywhere and everywhere, even “Prior to leaving for Europe, we had an intense me that I couldn’t take gymnastics lessons on the back of the sofa! In those days that was six-week vaulting camp in California,” Kendel because I had a horse. That summer, I found unusual dedication. I figured then that if she remembers. “I considered myself lucky to that I could do both!” stuck with it, she was bound to be successful. have five to six people who each brought Kendel began vaulting with Forts Flyers, She did, and she was.” something different to my vaulting and made coached by Inez Forts. She competed When asked about vaulting horses in her career, it better.” with many different teams, including the she remembers one most fondly of all. “During the years that Kendel vaulted, she “Anyone who has been around won what would be the equivalent of two for a while will remember Babar,” World Championships in 1977 and 1979. Kendel shared. “He was probably There was no such thing as a CVI, a WEG or one of the first full drafts to be even intercontinental/international vaulting events,” shared Craig Colburn, an AVA “R”, USEF “R” and FEI “I” vaulting judge. “Kendel was a true pioneer of the elite aspect of the sport of vaulting. She was the first to perform a handstand, and the first woman to perform a back flip and front flip off of the horse. Kendel was extraordinary.”
18 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 In 1981, Kendel represented U.S. vaulting in Robert Vavra’s book, “All Those Girls in Love with Horses”. Chapter two captures Kendel’s vaulting through Vavra’s camera lens. “It was an amazing honor to represent our sport,” shared Kendel. “I was so thankful for Inez, my coach at the time, who made me behave and follow his instructions. I was seventeen at the time.” During Kendel’s final vaulting season, she competed at the 1992 World Championships in Heilbronn, Germany. “I was judging the World Championships in Germany, in which Kendel participated,” Moore shared. “ I was so proud of her accomplishments that, in my effort to be fair in my judging, I probably judged her too harshly. Hopefully I've been forgiven.” With a vaulting career that spanned 16 years, Kendel revolutionized the sport by challenging herself, creating moves and focus on improving. She continues her career as a USEF “R” vaulting judge and clinician; she travels and impacts vaulters, coaches and lungers around the country. “Even though I wasn’t responsible for her success, I must admit that I felt incredibly proud of it—hoping that my encouragement contributed a little to what came later,” Moore commented. “Kendel was a role model, from a modest start with a modest team, and without special advantages, she still made it to the ‘Big Time’.”
www.americanvaulting.org 19 By Megan Benjamin Guimarin
From its humble beginnings, the club, which 2015 AVA Hall of Fame would be christened Sundance Vaulters, grew to 120 members, including everything from beginning to elite vaulting and a robust Adrienne Stang program for emotionally disabled children. With world-class facilities and under Adrienne’s t all started with a little girl who couldn’t the coach of the Garrod Farms (now Mt. Eden watchful eye, the club began to thrive. keep her eyes off the kids dancing on Vaulting Club) A Team, located just up the Led by Hall of Famers Sydney Stang (Carey), Iponies at Chez Scherf Pony Farm, a small road from Chez Scherf. That year, the Garrod Jeannette Boxall (Krassow), and Craig Coburn, horse ranch in Saratoga, California. Adrienne Farms A Team placed third at the National Adrienne Stang and Sundance Vaulters brought Stang was roped into vaulting the same way Championships. home 20 AVA National Championship podium many parents have been throughout the years. A couple years later, Adrienne got a frantic finishes in the Gold, 3-Phase, A Team, and Pas de Her daughter, Sydney Stang (who herself is a call from Phoebe Cooke, the founder of a Deux classes in just under eight years. member of the AVA Hall of Fame), was a young burgeoning club in Northern California. “When I became a Sundance family member, gymnast when she first spotted vaulting. After Phoebe’s head coach had suffered a serious it was great,” said Jeanette Boxall-Krassow, 1986 that fateful first glimpse, Sydney begged her back injury in a car accident and the club was in Silver Medal World Champion and AVA Hall of parents to let her try the sport; they caved. dire need of a new head coach. Fame inductee. “We had plenty of horse time “Sydney had suffered a pretty serious ankle “Phoebe called me up in a panic. I was the on Adrienne’s beautiful horse, Whisper a Wish. injury from gymnastics, and the doctor told Secretary of the AVA at the time, so she figured Sydney and Adrienne were always moving us we should probably find her a new sport,” I would know someone who could help her,” forward and pushing the sport to new heights. I Adrienne said. “As soon as Sydney’s ankle had Adrienne said. “I couldn’t find anybody to help just rode the wave with them.” healed well enough, we turned to vaulting, her, so I just went up to her barn myself.” That wave brought Jeannette and Sydney to the and we’ve never looked back.” Phoebe’s barn had everything. There was a full 1986 World Championships, where Jeannette Sydney learned how to vault from Hope gym, horses trained by Jeff Moore, the foremost finished with the silver medal, Sydney finished Scherf, the owner and head-riding-instructor- vaulting horse trainer at the time, and a covered 4th, and fellow Sundance vaulter Julie D’Atri turned-vaulting-coach at Chez Scherf Pony arena was in the works. It was a vaulter’s training finished 5th. Farm. Since vaulting was still new and mostly dream come true. Adrienne attributes her vaulters’ international unestablished at the time, Hope learned how Adrienne had other vaulters under her wing success to the fluidity and harmony of their to teach vaulting on the fly, standing in the freestyle routines. center of the ring with the whip and lunge line at the time, and she was in one hand and Liz Searle’s book on vaulting reluctant to give them basics in the other. the impression she was abandoning them. Instead, “One day, Hope asked me to be in charge of she showed her vaulters the book,” Adrienne remembered. “We couldn’t Phoebe’s facility and let figure out if the kneel came before or after flag, them decide—would the and Hope had too much going on between team train at the fancy the pony, the vaulters, and trying to decipher new facility or stay put? the fine print at the same time.” Seven hands went up Adrienne became the keeper of the book and in the air opting to train from there it wasn’t long before she became with Adrienne at the new a coach herself. In 1976, Adrienne became facility, and off they went.
20 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 By Megan Benjamin Guimarin
“At the time, most vaulters were doing one move, pause, change position, new move, pause, change position, with their music playing in the background,” Adrienne recalled. “The music had nothing to do with the horses or the routines. The routines had no connection to the horse. Our vaulters changed that.” Adrienne used a metronome to find the exact beat of her horses’ canters, then chose music that suited the horse’s gait best. The vaulters built routines with dynamic transitions and graceful musical interpretation. They were rewarded for it by judges and audiences alike. After nearly a decade of coaching, Adrienne transitioned to a career in judging, eventually judging at international competitions as a top-ranked FEI judge. Yet, even as her role in “I just love working with the highest-level the vaulting community shifted, she continued athletes, fine-tuning their routines and to coach the top US vaulters on their roads to presentation so they are at their absolute success. best when they compete abroad,” Adrienne Of the 16 current AVA Hall of Fame members, said. “It’s definitely the most fun kind of herself included, Adrienne has worked with coaching.” nearly all of them as they geared up for their Adrienne has since retired as both a coach biggest competitions. She worked with Craig and as a judge, but she will forever be a fan Coburn while he studied at UC Berkeley of vaulting. and with Kenny Geisler as he prepared for international competition. Isabelle Bibbler “It’s been an incredibly fun run,” Adrienne (Parker) started her vaulting career on reminisced. “I met some of my closest Adrienne’s team. She worked with F.A.M.E. team friends through this sport. It is like a second members Devon Maitozo, Rosalind Ross, Blake family and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Dahlgren, Megan Benjamin (Guimarin), and with coaches Emma Seely and Carolyn Bland before their historic Silver (F.A.M.E., team) and Gold (Megan Benjamin, individual) finishes at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. She fine-tuned Kerith Lemon’s posture and technique before the nine-time National Champion hit the road to conquer the competition in Europe. She trained Sydney Stang (Carey) and Jeannette Boxall (Krassow) directly.
www.americanvaulting.org 21 2015 AVA Hall of Fame By Yossi & Noel Martonovich doc
he Martonovich family purchased Doc When Doc as a five-year-old driving horse at a finished his T draft horse auction in 1996. Our son Erik competition picked him out. Fortunately for us, Doc was career, he the last horse in the auction and a snowstorm went on to blew in before he came up for sale. While many perform with people went home to avoid the storm, our Erik’s Big Horse family stayed to place the winning bid on Doc. Productions as We loaded him into the trailer, took him home, a Roman riding and started his training as a vaulting horse. horse, a vaulting Within a year, he was ready to take the Golden horse, and as Gate Vaulters to the National Championships the lead horse in in Tennessee, where Erik won the Gold Men’s Erik’s eight-horse National Championship. He went on to Roman Riding compete in ten consecutive National Vaulting act. He even Championships, carrying the Golden Gate performed as a high-level dressage horse! vaulters, adult vaulters, or top-level competitive National Pas De Deux Champions, Gold Most importantly, Doc was the backbone of vaulters. They all trusted him fully. Men’s National Champions, Pairs National the Golden Gate Vaulting Club. He took the Doc is truly a great ambassador for vaulting. Champions, as well as Silver and Bronze club from a small beginning club all the way to Among his many honors and awards, Doc National Champions. the World Championships. He proved over and received the prestigious Certified Horsemanship In addition to carrying vaulters from our own over again to be a terrific school horse— always Association School Horse of the Year award in club, Doc also carried many vaulters from gentle, steady, and reliable for all his vaulters, no 2007. Doc, in his mid-20s, is now retired happily different clubs. He represented the USA at the matter if they were beginning vaulters, disabled at Little Spring Ranch in Golden, Colorado. 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. Doc, in addition to being an excellent competitor, was also a superb performer. He performed in front of thousands of spectators for five years at the Night of Dancing Horses at the Denver National Western Stock Show. He performed for three years at Pat Parelli’s Savvy Conferences, as well as at the Equifest of Kansas, Equine Affaire in Kentucky and Massachusetts, and at many other venues throughout the country. There is even a large poster of him and Yossi, forever memorialized, in the competition arena at the National Western Complex in Denver.
Photo courtesy of Primo Ponies
22 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 2015 AVA Hall of Fame By Alicen Divita Giovanni
here are many famous duos throughout sure you were not history: Mickey and Minnie Mouse, only physically T Batman and Robin, even peanut butter prepared, but also wouldn’t be considered a favorite American mentally prepared classic without jelly added to sweeten it up. and in tune with Sometimes there is just something about that him, too. I believe other half that brings out the best in those because of this, with whom it is paired. Giovanni is just such a he turned good horse—a horse who was an absolute privilege vaulters and to call a partner. lungers into great Giovanni was a teacher. He is the horse who ones. Learning how taught me that vaulting is not just tricks on to vault, specifically top of a horse, but rather a partnership with a how to do swings, living, breathing animal, and I know those who felt like learning have lunged for him or vaulted on him could how to fly; once say the same. you tapped into his rhythm, he would send you Hall of Fame, I hope that he sets an example for up with just the right amount of power. vaulting horses to come. Sensitive in spirit and Off the ground, Giovanni has always been a wise strong in frame, Giovanni was a partner in the and sensitive soul. Like many wise humans who Personally, I will always remember competing purest sense of the word. have earned the right to speak their mind freely, with him in the huge Alltech arena for the World Gio didn’t hold back when he wasn’t satisfied. Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, and He let you know when he was happy, and he even though people began clapping during the also always let you know when he was not. routine (he wasn’t typically a fan of clapping) he couldn't have been more confident. Gio had a special elegance about him on the vaulting circle, but once you broke through his Giovanni is now retired and living out his days glamorous walls, Gio was sweet, and his cuddles as a trail horse in Woodside, California. Even felt that much more special because he made as he ages, everyone can see that Giovanni you earn them. In the vaulting arena, Giovanni is a beautiful Warmblood with a heart of a was dependable, an old pro from the start who champion. As he now takes his place in the took great pride in training and competing with his human partners. He made his job as a vaulting horse look easy, and those who called him a partner considered it an honor. Vaulting with Giovanni was different because he was quite an emotional horse, which meant when you came to vault you had to make
www.americanvaulting.org 23 2015 AVA Hall of Fame By Carol Beutler Halali
oon after California Carousel Vaulters wonderful canter but it took forever were founded in the fall of 1985, the for her to decide to cooperate. Ssearch began for a canter horse. She raced around at her first few Jan Marrack of Orchard Isle Vaulters on the big competitions like a maniac. It was a island of Hawai’i had barely started training wonder nobody gave up on her.” this Percheron/Thoroughbred cross mare for Halali had clear favorites. We vaulting when she decided to find a buyer and spent a long time building her up a new home for Halali. Through a connection both physically and mentally, and with Adrienne Stang, Nina Wiger and Gail eventually it paid off. Halali could Ostendorf of Carousel were able to view a maintain her wonderful canter for video (yes, a VCR tape - it was 1985, after all!) circle after circle, year after year no of Halali and liked what they saw so much that matter what you did on her back. they sent word to Hawai'i to have the mare Unless you dared step behind the brought over to the mainland. pad. She was not cool with that. So to the mainland she traveled! In the winter In 1986 at Bolado, the California of 1985/86, Halali was airlifted to the San Carousel C Team took the National sponsored by Liz and Jeff in honor of their farm, Francisco airport. Gail and Nina picked her Championship. It was Halali’s first Nationals. Osierlea, located in San Juan Bautista. up at SFO on a dark and stormy night. This It was at this National Championships that Halali was lost to cancer in 1991, ending was before the days of fancy airline horse Liz Seerle and Jeff Moore declared that they this lovely mare’s career in her prime. She transports, and so horses and cattle were needed a best horse and lunger award and will lovingly be remembered by those who stuffed together in little pens in a room that awarded Halali and Nina Wiger the unofficial trained her, vaulted on her, washed and took most of the inside of the freight plane. honors. While this win was never officially bushed her coat, braided her mane and tail for Gail and Nina eagerly awaited Halali’s arrival. recorded, it spurred the creation of the Osierlea competitions, picked her hooves and gave her The mare walked down the long, narrow Award for the best turned out horse and lunger flakes of hay at the end of the day. ramp from the plane. Gail Halali, with humble beginnings on the beautiful and Nina could hardly island of Hawai’i, carried teams and individuals believe their eyes. “She’s for California Carousel and Mt. Eden Vaulting so big,” Gail exclaimed. Club and was a pioneer for the Osierlea Simultaneously Nina and Horse of the Year Awards. Now she is, murmured, “She’s so little.” deservedly, one of the first inductees into the Halali was a tricky horse to AVA Horse Hall of Fame. train with a very strong will. She was a mare, after all. “Halali was the most difficult horse I had ever trained for vaulting,” Nina said. “She had a
24 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 2015 AVA Hall of Fame By Brittany O'Leary Sir Anthony Van Dyck
ack in 1997, the vaulting landscape the right horse is the most important looked quite a bit different than it does member of any vaulting team.” Btoday. High performance vaulting Just a few years later in 2000, horses were hard to come by, especially in the Van Dyck jet-set his way over to United States, and it was a big problem for our Mannheim, Germany for the World international competitors. Championships, his international Dissatisfied with the lack of consistent, debut, where he carried both Kerith reliable horses for our nation’s internationally Lemon and Devon Maitozo to bronze competitive athletes, my grandmother, Sydney medals. Frankel, decided to act. She was looking for a After a solid career with Kerith Lemon, horse that would set international standards Van Dyck spent the remainder for top-level vaulting horses. She found just the of his competitive vaulting years horse in Sir Anthony Van Dyck. with his partner and pal, multiple Van Dyck came to the Frankel barn (now Pacific Gold Women’s National Champion, Coast Vaulters) in 1997, where Kerith Lemon was Mary McCormick. The two of them training for the World Equestrian Games in Rome, traveled together throughout the Italy. Kerith quickly fell in love with Van Dyck. U.S. and eventually to the 2010 World “The more I worked with him, the greater our Equestrian Games in Kentucky, where connection became,” Kerith remembers. “Soon, Mary placed first in her second round I just knew he would be there for me no matter of freestyle and fourth overall. what. He's the best argument for just how much To this day, Mary and Van Dyck’s bond is as strong as ever. Although he’s retired from competition, you can many years, and I am grateful that I can help find the two of them riding around care for him now.” bareback, Roman riding, or hanging out Van Dyck always had the power to connect for an occasional late night snuggle. with his vaulters on a deeply emotional level. “He continues to teach me valuable He could feel when you were happy, excited, lessons as we take our partnership to relaxed or nervous. More importantly, he knew the next level,” Mary remarked. “He took when you were confident, and empowered care of me in the vaulting arena for so his vaulters to rise to the occasion and perform their very best. He was world-class in every sense of the word. Cheers to the horse that made the best vaulters even better and empowered them to compete with the confidence they needed to perform their very best.
www.americanvaulting.org 25 2015 AVA Hall of Fame By Steve Sullivan sundance tom
t was the most horrific moment in my Tom was mischievous. He was a vaulting career. I was coaching a Hidden miserable beast to lunge. He knew all IHills Horsemen Vaulters team practice on of his vaulters. He knew our exercises our first-string A Team horse, Sundance Tom, and our routines and often gleefully when he suddenly stumbled and fell forward taunted us at practice. He knew toward the ground. I called to the vaulter on how to make our carefully balanced his back, “off!” exercises collapse in heaps, our mounts The vaulter dismounted just before Tom go flat, and how to see to it that we stumbled forward onto the ground. I pinned missed his beat. Tom hardened us to Tom’s head down until we had released the “complications” in our routines. side reins. I relinquished control of Tom’s head Yet Tom knew the boundaries of his and stood up. Tom laid where he had fallen. teasing. When we grew tense while The team gathered around Tom aghast. I practicing risky exercises, when we examined him for signs of broken bones as he entered the exhibition or competition lay motionless, except for his respiration. arena, Tom was precisely where we A voice said, “Did anyone ask him to get up?” needed him to be when we needed I responded, “Tom, get up.“ him to be there. Because he paid close attention to what we were doing, he Tom continued his career until he was retired Tom got up. A thorough check confirmed that he found his own ways to actually help us through in 1983 after 15 amazing years as the Hidden was fine. He had done exactly what he was told our routines. Add some impulsion here, flatten Hills Horsemen Vaulters’ first choice. Even in when things got serious. He stayed down when I his gait, drop a hip there. No one trained him retirement, Tom refused to miss a practice while told him to and he got up when I told him to. and no one cued him to do what he did. He was his team was training. He would stand tied to Sundance Tom was more than just one of our more than just a steady platform. the rail and soaking up the attention that his teammates showered upon him. There are eleven vaulting horses. He was more than the Tom placed an incredible amount of trust in his many fine horses, yet there will only be one horse who carried us to five consecutive A Team team. I never once saw fear in him. He literally Sundance Tom. national championships, who carried more took every new vaulting exercise in stride. Every vaulters to their AVA gold medals than any other new experience, every harebrained idea we had, in his day. He was more than the platform for Tom was game for it. champion individual vaulters. Sundance Tom had a long list of impressive credentials, but this is not why he was the heart of our team. Tom was not our A Team horse because he was the ideal type. He was the biggest horse that our upstart team had available, but he was still tiny by today’s vaulting standards. He was a rather typical quarter horse; short quarter horse back, sloping quarter horse croup, and not much wider than most quarter horses. He could go the distance though. Tom toned up to over 1,200 pounds of rock-solid muscle at just 15.2 hands tall.
26 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 2015 AVA Hall of Fame By Isabelle Parker toby
oby, owned by Ursula and Wolfgang Eisenhut, is one of the most iconic T horses in AVA history. Toby started his career pulling a cart and training dressage and jumping. He found his niche as a vaulting horse in New Mexico, where in 1991 he won his first ASHA/AVA National Championships in Pas de Deux. In the spring of 1995, a sponsor for the Woodside Vaulters purchased Toby. Over the next four years, Toby and his team dominated the A Team competition in the U.S. They won four National Championships and qualified for two World Championships. (The team also won a Bronze medal at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome.) Additionally, Toby performed in demonstrations at the Rose Parade, Santa Barbara’s Celebration of the 1998 National Championships, he managed Toby was retired in 2000 and lived in the Horse, the Kentucky Horse Park, the Del to escape and went to find Beau – in the Woodside, California until arthritis made Mar Night of the Horse, and appeared in an competition arena. He made it all the way into the winters too difficult for him. In May of American Girl book on horses. Toby promoted the area and stopped right in front of the judge’s 2003, he moved to a ranch in Gardnerville, vaulting on national television many times, stand. He loved a dramatic entrance. Nevada, where he lived out his long, happy including ESPN, CBS and Prime Sports. life pampered in a stall at night and a pasture In 1997, Toby became "Toby the Breyer during the day. Toby passed away peacefully Vaulting Horse". It was a limited edition, and on April 5, 2011. only 5000 plastic Tobys were made. In 2000, Breyer also published Toby trading cards. Throughout his tenure at Woodside Vaulters, Toby was lunged by Susie Bors and Jim Bibbler. Lunging and caring for Toby was no small feat. Though Toby was well behaved with his vaulters, he liked to take his lungers water skiing across the arena when the audience applauded. He was also an escape artist who more than once let himself out of his stall at a competition. Toby was particularly fond of his stable mate, Beau. At
www.americanvaulting.org 27 By Tessa Divita & Alicen Divita PEPPER JACK AVA HORSE of the Year
here are few horses who have a particularly special equine partner due to successfully carried as many smiling their assuredly clunky, awkward, and unsure T vaulters competing in as many performance quality. Whenever anyone starts to different levels as Pepper Jack. Affectionately feel nervous or lacks confidence, they hop up on known as "Spencer," he is a steady partner for Spencer and can suddenly take on the world, every vaulter he carries, from Preliminary Trot oftentimes quite literally. up to Gold, with several C and 2-Phase teams Spencer has carried international vaulters at in his lengthy repertoire of vaulting ventures. several CVIs, many times stepping in at the He is trustworthy, snuggly, and puts up with last minute to help his athletes fulfill their all sorts of madness with his sweet attitude. dreams of international competition. In It is extremely easy to feel confident on 2013, he carried Juan Martin Clavijo, along
Spencer. I personally learned many of my with his sister Silvia Margarita of Colombia, Photo courtesy of Sarah Twohig favorite moves on him, including my first ever for their very first international competition. stand at the canter, as well as my first click off, Juan has since gone on to become the Junior jump, shoot up mount, and many more. For World Champion, and from his performance competitors new to the international vaulting those in the vaulting world, you understand with Spencer, you would have easily predicted arena. that these "first ever" moves often require it. Competing internationally any time—let Although often described as cute and little, alone for the first Spencer may actually be one of the most time for yourself or highly experienced vaulting horses living in your country—can the United States. His unassuming and reliable have a lot of stressful personality allows him to boost any vaulter to unknowns. For those their highest potential. We are incredibly proud
Photo courtesy of Sarah Twohig Sarah of courtesy Photo unknowns, Spencer and honored to celebrate his achievement to is always the perfect be awarded American Vaulting Association partner, offering Horse of the Year! Here's to Pepper Jack and a beacon of quiet to many more steady (and stunning!) vaulting confidence to those partners to follow in his wake.
Photo courtesy of Sue Rose
28 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 By Mackenzie Bakewell (ZieBee Media) Saacha DeAMBOROSSIO AVA lunger of the Year
aacha is the coach of Above & Beyond What qualities do you think make for a great lunge my horses to get the bucks out before Vaulters, which she founded in 2007. The lunger? I rode. Now with vaulting, I ride my horses Sclub currently has four vaulting horses You need to be calm and patient, combined with to warm them up and get them ready to be and 27 vaulters. In both 2014 and 2015 Saacha the appropriate amount of demanding. While lunged on the vaulting circle! won the Osierlea award and she won the lunging, you have to be able to read situations, How do you prepare your horses for the show Lunger of the Year award in 2014. emotions, and movements quickly, and then ring? Saacha started vaulting with the Redwing be able to adjust to changes in your horses and It starts months ahead of time. A big part of Vaulters when she was 11 years old. She has your vaulters mid-performance. our training involves integrating tools from been coaching equestrian sports for over 15 I also think great lungers are well presented, other equestrian sports. Outside of vaulting, years and has always incorporated vaulting demonstrating good posture, grace, and our horses are trained on the long line and are into her equestrian program to help create professionalism. shown in different disciplines such as jumping better riders. Saacha has coached and trained and dressage. horses for (and has herself competed in) What tips do you have for dressing hunter/jumpers, dressage, eventing, driving, professionally for the arena? On competition days, I warm them up and polocrosse, and vaulting. I personally am a fan of all white and all black, or work them through exercises that encourage a mixture of white and black. I love my KileyAnn rhythm, suppleness, impulsion, and collection. What does winning the AVA Lunger of the This gives me the ability to know that their Year award mean to you? jacket from O'Shaughnessey paired with black slacks. I like to avoid wearing anything that is body is feeling good and that they’re ready It is a great honor. I feel blessed to be overly loud in color or that isn’t secure, as both and prepared to compete. appreciated and accepted, especially in a field can end up distracting from your horse and What do you love most about vaulting? that I never expected to be in since I come vaulter. from a hunter/jumper background. Vaulting I love my horses. It is amazing for an animal has slowly taken over, and I’ve enjoyed How does lungeing a vaulting horse compare to accept working on a lungeing circle with a every moment of it. I’ve loved continuing to to lungeing in other situations? vaulter moving over his entire body, jumping expand on my horsemanship and my overall The funny thing is, the use of lungeing for and flipping. The challenge of creating an knowledge of this sport and its complexities. vaulting is completely opposite from lungeing athlete like that is what intrigues me most. in other disciplines. Growing up, I would always I also love giving horses the opportunity to be great.
Photos courtesy of Mackenzie Bakewell with ZieBee Media Photography
www.americanvaulting.org 29 By Michelle Guo Emma Seely AVA Trainer Recognition Award
his past year, Emma Seely earned the Trainer Recognition of Mt. Eden’s youngest, and it is evidence of Emma Seely’s commitment Award, which is given in recognition of the hard work by to teach horsemanship from level one. Emma has a gift for working with T those who train and maintain our most valuable team horses, or—as she consistently reminds her vaulters, both young and members—our horses! This very prestigious award recognizes the old—the most important members of any vaulting team, and shares professionalism, horsemanship, and horse training practices to that immense aptitude daily with the vaulters, lungers, and coaches with which all AVA members, as well as past award recipients, aspire. whom she works. A horse stands patiently with index cards stuck to his withers, cannon, I often see Emma darting about in her white lungeing attire at and fetlock. Meanwhile, a group of seven-year-olds are having the time competitions, ready to warm up one horse and run in with the next. of their lives. Though the sight is quite amusing and a little absurd, Somehow, between all her goes, she still manages to organize club this horse anatomy identification activity is integral to the education affairs and be an involved coach. It is a wonder how many horses she can lunge in a day, and even more incredible is the number of horses she has lunged throughout her career. Her club regularly welcomes new four-legged members into the family, and Emma transforms them from hesitant beginners into strong workers who not only score well, but also—more importantly—carry vaulters who can wholly trust them and perform comfortably. Rarely does a week go by when Emma is not searching for another horse to train for her constantly growing club. Emma travels around the world helping to promote our sport and returns from these trips with new ideas to implement at home. Among these techniques that Emma investigates are new approaches in lungeing, keeping horses healthy and happy, and healing those who have suffered injuries. Such talent and initiative, however, has little value if it is not shared. Fortunately, that is never the case with Emma—those of us with the privilege of working with her frequently learn something new every day and admire her ability. At every vaulting event, Emma exhibits professionalism in and out of the arena; vaulters from other clubs who have competed with Mt. Eden horses are guaranteed the same warmth that she shows her own vaulters. If you ask anyone in the vaulting community about Emma, you will hear words of high praise, whether they refer to her role as a coach, a lunger, or an overall mentor. Emma earned this reputation by touching countless human and equine lives along the way and she continues to do so without fail. I, and many others, owe infinite appreciation and respect for all she has done in the vaulting world. As far as icons come, Emma Seely is one of them for our sport and indeed deserves the Trainer Recognition Award.
30 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 By Robin Bowman Kim Dushinski AVA volunteer of the Year
aulting cannot exist without our volunteers. Even though we paying job, Kim still manages to do an extraordinary amount of great are a volunteer-based organization, we exhibit a high degree of work for the AVA. V true sportsmanship. People like Kim Dushinski personify what it As Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we do, but we make means to be a volunteer and always strive to be the best we can be to a life by what we give." Kim has made a huge impact on the lives of all help our sport. our vaulters, coaches and lungers. Thank you to all our great volunteers As the recipient of our Volunteer of the Year award, Kim is a great and especially to Kim Dushinski, AVA Volunteer of the Year! example of someone who is devoted to vaulting and the growth of our sport. Kim, like most of us, began volunteering when her daughter Anya began vaulting with Golden Gate Vaulters. She started by volunteering with the club and then began helping to manage the volunteers at our regional events. She then took over coordinating volunteers for Nationals. She has done a great job growing this position into a well- oiled machine, developing programs to make sure each team is equitably providing volunteers to enable Nationals to run smoothly. She works long days throughout Nationals making sure that each assigned job is being completed as well as providing training as needed. Even though her daughter is currently retired from competitive vaulting and yes, she does hold a full-time
Photo courtesy of Devon Maitozo
www.americanvaulting.org 31 By Rachael Herrera
Blake Dahlgren AVA Mentor of the year
lake is many things. At practice we just a mentor to the vaulters on his team, but to or even across the country for clinics, not keep it vague, usually summing him vaulters everywhere. only for Blake’s vaulting expertise, but also Bup by saying, “well, that’s Blake for Many members of the vaulting community for his ability to push vaulters to their full you.” The AVA named Blake the 2014 Mentor define themselves through vaulting. Those who potential. The attitude Blake brings to practice of the Year. Well, that’s Blake for you. have had the opportunity to work closely with fosters a motivation to succeed. He creates Blake is one of those wise souls who Blake can attribute part of who they are to him. a place where you can be who you truly are indirectly teaches more than he realizes. As a On the surface, one can see Blake’s influence and achieve things beyond the limits you coach and vaulter, he holds all of the answers, through his swing drills or even his (sometimes previously thought confined you. but he also knows when it’s time to withhold hilarious) attempts at “pretty” choreography, Other awards and medals Blake has received them. The teacher appears when the student but he has a greater impact on the vaulters he show how devoted he is to vaulting, but the is ready to learn. coaches than meets the eye. Mentor of the Year award shows how devoted He pulls from his vast knowledge and Each practice, he drives his vaulters to be better he is to the next generation of vaulters, those experience to give vaulters tools to explore athletes, better teammates, and better people. who, both literally and metaphorically, look up and find their own success. He teaches us Vaulters and families travel hours for practice to all 6’4" of him. to learn from our mistakes and is humble enough to share his own. Whether it is working together to problem solve on a specific move or asking our input on the horse, he values the opinions of others and is just as open to learning and growing collectively as he is to teaching. Anyone who has ever spent time with Blake can attest to the fact that he is warm. The warmest. He travels all over the country for clinics and no matter where he goes, he has that uncanny ability to make everyone feel like they are part of his community. He takes the time to know and understand a person and their vaulting so he can adjust his teaching accordingly, making everyone with whom he works feel significant, regardless of age, level or experience. He is not
32 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 2015 AVA National Championships Osierlea Presentation Award Saacha DeAmborossio & Charles Above and Beyond Vaulters For best presentation and turn out of horse and lunger.
Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Bakewell with ZieBee Media Photography
www.americanvaulting.org 33 Medals By Club w Mt. Eden Vaulting Club (18) w Harbor View Vaulters (16) 139 w OC Vaulting (14) w Great Falls Vaulters (12) Vaulters w Rogue River Vaulters (11) w Tambourine Vaulters (10) Awarded w JT Ranch Vaulters, Mile-High Vaulters, Topaz Vaulters, Vaulters Del Sol (5) AVA Medals in 2015 w Above and Beyond Vaulters, Gold Star Pacesetters, Lone Star Vaulters, Northern Lakes Vaulters, Pacific Coast Vaulters (4) w Grand Valley Vaulting Harmony, Triangle Equestrian Vaulting (3) w Equestrian Crossings Vaulting, Mt. Tabor Vaulters, Rolling Hills (2) w Bear Gap Vaulters, Cascade Vaulters, Hope Reins Vaulters, Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club, Steel City Vaulters, Wasatch Peak Vaulters (1)
Medals By Type w Trot (35) w Bronze (23) w Novice Walk (29) w Novice Trot (27) w Novice Canter (12) w Silver (9) w Bronze to the Right (2)
Highest Medal Earned in 2015 w Carlee Heger, Mile-High Vaulters: Silver with Honors
Great Falls Vaulters hosted one of the final medal tests of 2015. Rebecca Share lets Moxie wear her hard-earned Trot medal.
NAME VAULTING CLUB MEDAL AWARDED NAME VAULTING CLUB MEDAL AWARDED Carlee Heger Mile-High Vaulters Silver - Honors Cassandra Mauro Steel City Vaulters Bronze - Honors Bonnie Ubben Harbor View Vaulters Silver - Commended Elizabeth Phelps Great Falls Vaulters Bronze - Honors Haley Smith Mile-High Vaulters Silver - Commended Heather Haugen Harbor View Vaulters Bronze - Honors Kayt Shaffer Mt. Tabor Vaulters Silver - Commended Lianne Quek Lone Star Vaulters Bronze - Honors Michelle Guo Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Silver - Commended Rachel Cathro Cascade Vaulters Bronze - Honors Shayla Keating Great Falls Vaulters Silver - Commended Anastasia Zenin Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Bronze - Commended Bodhi Hall Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Silver Ava Flanigan Lone Star Vaulters Bronze - Commended Francesca Foley Vaulters Del Sol Silver Britney Ornellas Harbor View Vaulters Bronze - Commended Malu Foley Vaulters Del Sol Silver Colton Worrell Harbor View Vaulters Bronze - Commended Caroline Morse Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Bronze - Honors Giorgia Borgarelli Mt. Tabor Vaulters Bronze - Commended
34 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 NAME VAULTING CLUB MEDAL AWARDED NAME VAULTING CLUB MEDAL AWARDED Haley Brant Vaulters Del Sol Bronze - Commended Raelyn Snyder Rolling Hills Novice - Canter Hallie Johnson Harbor View Vaulters Bronze - Commended Samantha Carter Lone Star Vaulters Novice - Canter Hannah Beehler Mile-High Vaulters Bronze - Commended Stefano Corno Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Novice - Canter Hazel Atwill Harbor View Vaulters Bronze - Commended Amalia Sulk Great Falls Vaulters Novice - Trot Iohanna Quinones-Carter Vaulters Del Sol Bronze - Commended Caitlin Aranda OC Vaulting Novice - Trot Isabelle Elrick Vaulters Del Sol Bronze - Commended Catherine Klinkam Great Falls Vaulters Novice - Trot Jade Wentland JT Ranch Vaulters Bronze - Commended Christina Vint Northern Lakes Vaulters Novice - Trot Lisa Cebula Great Falls Vaulters Bronze - Commended Christine Karako Gold Star Pacesetters Novice - Trot Mattea Petry Pacific Coast Vaulters Bronze - Commended Clara Benadon Great Falls Vaulters Novice - Trot Morgan Lambert Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Bronze - Commended Cordelia Anderson OC Vaulting Novice - Trot Tarra Samak Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Bronze - Commended D'ann Drennan Gold Star Pacesetters Novice - Trot Elizabeth Phelps Great Falls Vaulters Bronze - Right Commended Dayna Bailey Topaz Vaulters Novice - Trot Lisa Cebula Great Falls Vaulters Bronze - Right Commended Fatima Cervantes Tambourine Vaulters Novice - Trot Giulia Corno Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Bronze Giana Massaro OC Vaulting Novice - Trot Alexa Brown Above and Beyond Vaulters Trot Griffyn Stout OC Vaulting Novice - Trot Alice Brookston Tambourine Vaulters Trot Hayden Avakian OC Vaulting Novice - Trot Allison Jungmann Equestrian Crossings Vaulting Trot Isabella Fetters Harbor View Vaulters Novice - Trot Amanda Neuweiler Tambourine Vaulters Trot Jaden Massaro OC Vaulting Novice - Trot Augusta Rose Lewis Mile-High Vaulters Trot Jeanna Olerich Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Trot Beyhan Unan Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club Trot Jennica Moomaw Harbor View Vaulters Novice - Trot Capri Schmidt Northern Lakes Vaulters Trot Joshua Groessel Gold Star Pacesetters Novice - Trot Charlotte Brown Triangle Equestrian Vaulting Trot Julie Fuller OC Vaulting Novice - Trot Clara Hansen Grand Valley Vaulting Harmony Trot Katherine Drennan Gold Star Pacesetters Novice - Trot Colton Worrell Harbor View Vaulters Trot Kinsey Lovich Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Trot Dayna Bailey Topaz Vaulters Trot Layla Mehegan Harbor View Vaulters Novice - Trot Fatima Cervantes Tambourine Vaulters Trot Natalie Luedecke Tambourine Vaulters Novice - Trot Gianna Cagliostro Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Trot Olivia Luedecke Tambourine Vaulters Novice - Trot Hallie Dudley Hope Reins Vaulters Trot Rebekah Espino Topaz Vaulters Novice - Trot Hazel Atwill Harbor View Vaulters Trot Riley Lovich Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Trot Izzy Pioli Above and Beyond Vaulters Trot Sylvie Dessert Harbor View Vaulters Novice - Trot Jace Brooks Wasatch Peak Vaulters Trot Anna Wolfe JT Ranch Vaulters Novice - Walk Kyrsten Tabada Equestrian Crossings Vaulting Trot Anton Petry Pacific Coast Vaulters Novice - Walk Madelyn Hubb Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Trot Britney Ornellas Harbor View Vaulters Novice - Walk Margaret Long Above and Beyond Vaulters Trot Cindy Massaro OC Vaulting Novice - Walk Mattea Petry Pacific Coast Vaulters Trot Delaney Hook Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Maya Drusinsky Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Trot Elizabeth Jones Great Falls Vaulters Novice - Walk Megan Stambaugh Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Trot Elsa Holland Pacific Coast Vaulters Novice - Walk Natalie Broshears OC Vaulting Trot Emma Dill OC Vaulting Novice - Walk Natalie Luedecke Tambourine Vaulters Trot Hayden Avakian OC Vaulting Novice - Walk Rebecca Share Great Falls Vaulters Trot Isabelle Pillardo Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Rebekah Espino Topaz Vaulters Trot Isla Hook Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Rhianon Hampton Mile-High Vaulters Trot Jada Green Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Sarah Booker Triangle Equestrian Vaulting Trot Jeanna Olerich Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Sayre Kurecian Bear Gap Vaulters Trot Jennifer Hook Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Sevanah McNeil Above and Beyond Vaulters Trot Julia Minkel Tambourine Vaulters Novice - Walk Shelby Williams Grand Valley Vaulting Harmony Trot Kinsey Lovich Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Sofia Oberg Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Trot Laurie Dove Great Falls Vaulters Novice - Walk Syvannah Fraser Grand Valley Vaulting Harmony Trot Lyndee Brooks JT Ranch Vaulters Novice - Walk Trinity Fleckner Harbor View Vaulters Trot Malone Avakian OC Vaulting Novice - Walk Leandra Espino Topaz Vaulters Trot - Right Michelle Guerrero OC Vaulting Novice - Walk Britney Ornellas Harbor View Vaulters Novice - Canter Mollilyn Petro Rolling Hills Novice - Walk Claire Burnett Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Novice - Canter Natalie Preiner Northern Lakes Vaulters Novice - Walk Clara Oberg Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Novice - Canter Pearl Luedecke Tambourine Vaulters Novice - Walk Daniella Kovalerchik Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Novice - Canter Riley Lovich Rogue River Vaulters Novice - Walk Grace Marcus Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Novice - Canter Ruth Luedecke Tambourine Vaulters Novice - Walk Hannah Peterson Northern Lakes Vaulters Novice - Canter Sadie Friedman Great Falls Vaulters Novice - Walk Helen Mills-Selch Triangle Equestrian Vaulting Novice - Canter Sarah Hall OC Vaulting Novice - Walk Jazmyn Wentland JT Ranch Vaulters Novice - Canter Solana Vazquez JT Ranch Vaulters Novice - Walk Marie Obeloer Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Novice - Canter Sylvie Dessert Harbor View Vaulters Novice - Walk Rachael White Lone Star Vaulters Novice - Canter
www.americanvaulting.org 35 36 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 Juliette Cimetiere of Beau Soleil Vaulters with Jake Photo courtesy of Ali Smith
www.americanvaulting.org 37 2015 AVA National Vaulting Champions
Gold Women Gold Men Silver Women Mary McCormick, PacificC oast Vaulters Kristian Roberts, PacificC oast Vaulters Carlee Heger, Mile-High Vaulters with Palatine & Carolyn Bland with Palatine and Carolyn Bland with Xena and Jodi Rinard
2nd : Kristen Kuhn of Woodside Vaulters 2nd : Janie Salisbury of Woodside Vaulters with Pepper Jack and Krista Mack with Stanford and Krista Mack 3rd : Michelle Guo of Mt. Eden Vaulting Club with Lanson 16 3rd : Margaret Long of Above and Beyond Vaulters and Emma Seely, Stanford and Krista Mack with Charles and Saacha DeAmborossio Photo courtesy of Sue Rose Sue of courtesy Photo Rose Sue of courtesy Photo Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo
Bronze Men Copper Women Copper Men Jace Brooks, Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club Lianne Quek, Lone Star Vaulters Tristan G Martin, Woodside Vaulters with Sampson and Jodi Rinard, Dublin and Sean Hammond with Peterbuilt and Melissa Dunlevy with Pepper Jack and Krista Mack
2nd : Amanuhel Arreguin of Encore Equestrian Vaulters 2nd : Whitney Jones of Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club 2nd : Charles Smith of EVX Vaulting Club with Vidar and Patti Skipton with Wyeth and Blake Dahlgren with Foxy Lady and Andrea Brown 3rd : Jim Roedel of Mile-High Vaulters 3rd : Stephanie Gee of Woodside Vaulters 3rd : Stefano Corno of Mt. Eden Vaulting Club with Sampson and Jodi Rinard with Pepper Jack and Krista Mack with Vermeer, Lanson 16, and Emma Seely Photo courtesy of Sue Rose Sue of courtesy Photo Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo Rose Sue of courtesy Photo 38 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 Silver Women Silver Men Bronze Women Carlee Heger, Mile-High Vaulters Luke Overton, Warm Beach Vaulters Izzy Pioli, Above and Beyond Vaulters with Xena and Jodi Rinard with Prize and Kimberly Bell, Vidar and Patti Skipton with Curious George, FWF Verruchi, and Saacha DeAmborossio
2nd : Janie Salisbury of Woodside Vaulters 2nd : Matthew Shubert of Vaulters Del Sol with 2nd : Haley Brant of Vaulters Del Sol with Stanford and Krista Mack ith Fortunada and Greta Shryock with Fortunada and Greta Shryock 3rd : Margaret Long of Above and Beyond Vaulters 3rd : Jonathan Baird of Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club 3rd : Shaina Hammond of Technique Equestrian Vaulters with Curious with Charles and Saacha DeAmborossio with Dublin and Sean Hammond, Sampson and Jodi Rinard George and Saacha DeAmborossio, Dublin and Sean Hammond Photo courtesy of Roy Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo
Copper Men Trot Women Trot Men Tristan G Martin, Woodside Vaulters Hallie Dudley, Hope Reins Vaulters Joseph Espindola, Vaulters Del Sol with Pepper Jack and Krista Mack with Ebony and Kate Gavin with Desert Rose and Kris Shryock
2nd : Charles Smith of EVX Vaulting Club 2nd : Kristin Hays of Technique Equestrian Vaulters 2nd : Gabriel Miles Sanders of Oak Hills Vaulters with Foxy Lady and Andrea Brown with Tong Du Chon and Sean Hammond with Ebony and Kate Gavin 3rd : Stefano Corno of Mt. Eden Vaulting Club 3rd : Moira Hampton of Mile-High Vaulters 3rd : Marshall Collins of Complete Equestrian Vaulters with Vermeer, Lanson 16, and Emma Seely with Amidala and Jodi Rinard with Chunky Monkey and Nicole Collins
www.americanvaulting.org 39 2015 AVA National Vaulting Champions
A Team B Team Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Mile-High Vaulters with Sammy Boy & Laura Yelavich, Stanford & Krista Mack with Xena, Sampson, & Jodi Rinard
2nd : Woodside Vaulters with Caspar 128 and Krista Mack 3rd : Mt. Eden Vaulting Club with Noah’s Arc and Olivia Swan, Curious George and Saacha DeAmborossio Photo courtesy of Roy Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo
Preliminary Open Pas de Deux Pas de Deux Trot Pas de Deux Carlee Heger & Haley Smith, Mile-High Vaulters Leah Tintinger & Kyla Waldron, Warm Beach Vaulters Sophia Walters & Isabella Davie, Beau Soleil Vaulters with Sampson and Jodi Rinard with Prize and Kimberly Bell with Jake and Gaelle Cimetiere
2nd : Michelle Guo and Bodhi Hall of Mt. Eden Vaulting Club 2nd : Emma Milito and Courtney Madden 2nd : Rhianon Hampton and Mackenzie Barrett with Sunny Boy and Laura Yelavich of Mile-High Vaulters with Mateo and Deann German of Mile-High Vaulters with Amidala and Jodi Rinard 3rd : Kaylee Evans and Madison Bell 3rd : Rachel Simonds and Katerina Shabalin of Complete Equestrian 3rd : Danica Rinard and Moira Hampton of Warm Beach Vaulters with Prize and Kimberly Bell Vaulters with Miss Annie Get Yer Gun and Nicole Collins of Mile-High Vaulters with Amidala and Jodi Rinard Photo courtesy of Roy Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo
40 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 C Team Trot Team Mt. Eden Vaulting Club Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club with Sunny Boy & Laura Yelavich with Tong du Chon & Kim Kaylor
2nd: Warm Beach Vaulters 2nd : Complete Equestrian Vaulters with Chunky Monkey and with Hope, Faith & Elise Valsquier Rachel Bublitz, Miss Annie Git Yer Gun and Nicole Collins 3rd : Mile-High Vaulters with DSF Dai’s R Us and Deann German, Amidala and Jodi Rinard Photo courtesy of Roy Friesen Roy of courtesy Photo
Preliminary Trot Pas de Deux Open 2-Phase 2-Phase Sophia Walters & Isabella Davie, Beau Soleil Vaulters Vaulters Del Sol Above and Beyond Vaulters with Jake and Gaelle Cimetiere with Fortunada and Greta Shryock with FWF Verruchi and Saacha DeAmborossio 2nd : Rhianon Hampton and Mackenzie Barrett 2nd : Oak Hills Vaulters 2nd : Woodside Vaulters of Mile-High Vaulters with Amidala and Jodi Rinard with Peterbuilt and Melissa Dunlevy with Stanford and Krista Mack 3rd : Danica Rinard and Moira Hampton 3rd : Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club 3rd : Mile-High Vaulters of Mile-High Vaulters with Amidala and Jodi Rinard with Wyeth and Blake Dahlgren
Photo courtesy of Paul Brant Paul of courtesy Photo Long Patrick of courtesy Photo with Mateo and Deann German
www.americanvaulting.org 41 201542 EquestrianVaultinG | VolumeAVA 47, Issue 2 National Vaulting Championships All photos courtesy of Roy Friesen 2015 AVA National Vaulting Championships www.americanvaulting.org 43 44 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 2016 AVA events calendar
February 6 Tambourine Barrel Fest June 4-5 Tambourine Farm: Petaluma, CA Woodside Spring Fest Kelley Holly: [email protected] Portola Valley Training Center: Portola Valley, CA Linda Bibbler: [email protected] March 3-6 AVA Annual Conference June 25-26 Hilton El Conquistador Resort: Tucson, AZ Tambourine June Fest Kathy Smith: [email protected] Tambourine Farm: Petaluma, CA Kelley Holly: [email protected] April 1-3 Warm Beach Vault Into Spring August 5-7 NW Washington Fairgrounds: Lynden, WA USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships Kelda Hanson: [email protected] Murfreesboro, TN Linda Bibbler: [email protected] April 9 Pacific Coast Barrel Fest August 18-21 Frankel Property: Woodside, CA FEI World Vaulting Championship Carolyn Bland: [email protected] Le Mans, France Laureen Johnson: [email protected] April 29-May 1 CVI Pacific Cup Important Note: These events were gathered directly Gilroy Gaits: Hollister, CA from the AVA website calendar. If you are a member Linda Bibbler: [email protected] you can add your club’s events/competitions to the AVA website calendar yourself by logging into the May 14-15 members-only website, going to the calendar section, Garrod’s Spring Classic choosing the year, and then clicking on “add an entry to Garrod Farms: Saratoga, CA the calendar” at the top of them calendar section. Marianne Rose: [email protected]
Important Note: These events were gathered directly from the AVA website calendar. If you are a member you can add your club’s events/competitions to the AVA website calendar yourself by logging into the members-only website, going to the calendar section, choosing the year, and then clicking on “add an entry to the calendar” at the top of the calendar section.
www.americanvaulting.org 45 Photo Credit: Richard Gill
Photo Credit: Roy Freisen Photo Credit: Roy Freisen
Congratulations!! PhotoPhoto Credit: Credit: Richard Richard Gill Gill Mile High Tiny Tot & Trot Vaulters What a great 2015 year! National Champions: Tiny Tot, Barrel Trot Pairs Reserve Nat’l Champions: Trot Pas de Deux Region IV Champion: Trot Team
Thank you coaches, lungers & assistants: Jodi, Courtney, Caroline, Deann, Dana, Jorden, Andrea, Loree, Jana & Eric Coaches46 Equestrian in Training:VaultinG Rachael,| Volume 47, Issue Melanie, 2 Jim, Hannah, Haley, Carlee, Ana Photo Credit: Roy Freisen Roy Credit: Photo
Photo Credit: Richard Gill Photo Credit: Roy Freisen
Photo Credit: Roy Freisen Photo Credit: Roy Freisen
Photo Credit: Richard Gill
Photo Credit: Roy Freisen Photo Credit: Joe Simonds
Congratulations!! PhotoPhoto Credit: Credit: Richard Richard Gill Gill Congratulations!! Mile High Mile High
Tiny Tot & Trot Vaulters Photo Credit: Roy Freisen Photo Credit: Roy Freisen Copper to Gold Vaulters What a great 2015 year! What a great 2015 year! National Champions: Women’s Silver, B Team National Champions: Tiny Tot, Barrel Trot Pairs Open Pas de Deux Reserve Nat’l Champions: Trot Pas de Deux Reserve Champions: Prelim Pas de Deux Region IV Champion: Trot Team Thank you to our horses: Sampson, Xena, Amidala, Thank you coaches, lungers & assistants: Jodi, Courtney, Dais R Us, Shelby, Mateo, & Colonels Sensation Caroline, Deann, Dana, Jorden, Andrea, Loree, Jana & Eric Coaches in Training: Rachael, Melanie, Jim, Hannah, Haley, Carlee, Ana Milehighvaulters.org 303.931.7072www.americanvaulting.org Ft Lupton, CO 47 PhotoPhoto Credit: Credit: Roy Roy Freisen Freisen Tiny Tots to National and International Success
Congratulations Pacific Coast Vaulters www.pacificcoastvaulting.com
48 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 www.americanvaulting.org 49 50 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 It is with honor and celebration that we say goodbye to our great companion Fabio (Cody). You soared with us to new heights. Run free friend! Vault Strong! We will miss you terribly! Lianne Quek Copper Division Mayfest 1st Overall RachaelCopper DivisionWhite Uvault 1st Overall Mayfest 2nd Overall AVA Nationals 1st Overall UVault 2nd Overall
Melanie Schaubhut Alex Schaubhut Ava Flanigan Rosie Brown Bronze Division Mayfest 3rd Overall A huge thank you to KYLYNN JAMES and OAK HILLS VAULTERS UVault 3rd Overall for the incredible experience this summer working with your AVA Nationals 8th Overall coaches and horses through Nationals!
www.americanvaulting.org 51 Gold Sixth Place Hadessah Rynning
Prelim Two-Phase National Champions Silver Third Place Dream within a Dream Maggie Long Sienna Pioli, Shaina Hammond, Abbi Cormier, Alyssa Stoddard, Neetha Kumar
Bronze Sixth Place Bianca Herres
52 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2 www.americanvaulting.org 53 Rejoice!
Photo Credit: Amber Elliott Photo Credit: Karin Schmidt
We are celebrating our great horses and big vaulting family at Legacy Stables in Grand Rapids, MI.
Adaptive Recreational Competitive Don’t Give Up! www.karinshorses.com
Karin’s Horse Connection on Photo Credit: Michael Burkhart Photo Credit: Michelle McLean
Take a Bow! You’ve had an Incredible Year! Congratulations Hope Reins Vaulters! We Couldn’t be Prouder of Your Accomplishments! All Our Love – Your Families, Friends and Coach
Coach: Ciana Dodgion | 303.788.1666 | 39850 Swift Creek Circle | Elizabeth, CO 80107
54 EquestrianVaultinG | Volume 47, Issue 2