Mid-Summer Newsletter

Formatted version available here: http://graduateridingschool.com/news_mid-summer11.html



Alright, I admit that technically this is really the fall newsletter, but that’s not due for another month and while I have news now, I can’t bring myself to end summer early. Soooo this year you get two summers and no fall. Sound like a good plan? If only I could work it to two summers and no winter >;-P



Important Dates

- September 4 and 17: Hay day!

- September 10: Video Clinic at GRS

- Fall horse shows: Sept 11 – Myrddin SC, Sept 24 - Glen Oro HT OR Sept 25 - Joshua HT, Oct 9 - Woodwinds HT, Oct 29-30 RCRA Dressage

- October 8: David Wilding-Davis Clinic at Cedar Run

- October 15-16: Hyde Moffat Clinic at GEC

October 15-16: Pat Burgess Clinic at Eventing Canada

- October 23: Equine Canada Rider Level testing at GRS



GRS Clothing

Will be in mid-September! Woohoo! We’ll be doing another order that’ll include sweatshirts mid-November; hopefully in time for Christmas. If there’s anything in particular you’d like us to source, let me know!



New Sign!

Most of you will have noticed our gorgeous new sign out front! HUGE thanks to Overdrive Design for the design and to Vic Baigent for making it come to life! :)



Video Week

Thanks to all who offered video testimonials. Nicole is working on compiling those now and hopefully you’ll see them up on the website this fall!



Equine Canada Rider Testing

The EC Rider program challenges riders who are interested in knowing about the horses as well as riding. These exams are highly recommended, particularly for any rider who thinks she may want her own horse some day. The exams include four parts: a written test, a stable management test, a riding on the flat test, and a riding over fences test. We will be holding an exam October 23 for anybody interested in doing Rider levels 1-4 (higher levels will be offered this spring). If you wish to participate, let me know – you should start studying now! If you’re interested but not sure which level is appropriate, ask. To participate you must be a member of the Ontario Equestrian Federation (horse.on.ca).



GRS could use your help!

On September 4, 300 bales of hay are being delivered to see our horses through the winter and on September 17, 200 more. On the plus side, our horses will be happy. On the down side, all of these need to be stacked! The more hands, the easier this job is. Would greatly appreciate any extra hands. Sept 4 at 1:00, Sept 17 date and time TBC.



Fall Lesson Schedule

To accommodate new students, extra adult lessons, and a few work/school schedule changes there will have to be some changes to the lesson schedule. Please check out http://graduateridingschool.com/fall2011_sched.html and let me know if there are any concerns about making your suggested time.



Upcoming Clinics

There are several exciting clinic opportunities coming your way!



Video clinic – Sept 10. This clinic is open to riders of all levels, but a limited number of participants. The clinic will included a lesson that is professionally videoed – a valuable learning tool as you can see what you’re doing right and what needs some work! Sometimes seeing *is* believing :) Cost for the clinic is $75 and will include either a 1/2h private dressage lesson or a 1h-1.5h group jumping lesson. You will get a dvd of your ride to keep.



David Wilding-Davis Clinic – Oct 8. This is a XC clinic up in Cedar Run, open to riders PE + (anybody who did Equus CT could do this clinic). I have space for one more rider to come with me, after that we’ll have to hire a trailer so that’ll up the cost significantly. David has evented at the top levels and represented the Canadian team. He is also about the most positive and easy going clinician around – I take all my green horses to him because they come home pretty sure they can jump the moon. Clinic cost is $75, and I expect trailering to be between 100 and 150. First come, first serve :) Clinic will include a 2h cross-country lesson.



Hyde Moffat Clinic – Oct 15/16. This clinic is open to riders of all levels and is being hosted by GEC (our neighbours – no trailering fees!) Hyde Moffat is an international level hunter/jumper coach who places a strong emphasis on correct flatwork and basics. There is one group that will do flatwork both days. All the others will do flat on Saturday will and jumping on Sunday. Jumping groups start at cross-rail level and go up to 2’9”+. Cost for this clinic is $225+hst. Each horse may only have one rider, so if you want to participate book your space now! Note that I will be away this weekend, so participants will have to be confident getting themselves ready and to the ring on time unsupervised. Even if you’re not riding, you should consider coming out to watch!



Pat Burgess Clinic – Oct 15/16. Unfortunately conflicts with Hyde’s clinic or I’d do both, but I’m going to ride with Pat who’s visiting from England. I have space for one more in the trailer. Cost is $345 and includes stabling and HST. Trailering will be about $100. We’ll go up Saturday and come home on Sunday. Pat was the coach of the British event team in the 80s, when they were essentially unbeatable. She is super patient with greenbean horses and new riders as well as being able to pick up on the finer details for more experienced riders. This clinic is two days of stadium – day one will be gymnastics and day two will be course work. Riders must be comfortable at least Entry level (2’9”) to participate. Spectators are welcome at a cost of $10/day.



Competitive Season

The GRS team continues to bring home piles of ribbons from every show they attend! Awesome job girls! Apollo, Nick, Bella, Jack and Lissy have all been out competing successfully. From the GEC schooling hunter show congrats to Alex, Caelan, Emily M, Emily S, Hailey, Kennedy, Olivia, and Rowan. Both Kennedy and Rowan were piloting their horses around their first ever hunter rounds and both girls did an awesome job, bringing home 3rd and 1st respectively. Sweet! This was followed up with Caelan, Hailey, Kennedy, and Paige attending the Lollipop show – first time competing off property for both Caelan and Paige! Paige brought home first in walk/trot equitation. Not a bad way to start!



In eventing, Hailey has been out fairly consistently with Bella, upgrading to entry level and focusing on improving her dreaded dressage! Her hard work has paid off now and she’s regularly in the ribbons.



For all the shows you can see a more detailed write-up on the GRS Blog. Photos are sometimes on the blog and always on Facebook.



Upcoming Shows:

- Sept 24: Glen Oro HT OR

- Sept 25: Joshua HT – Joshua is a schooling level event that offers lower divisions than exist at normal horse trials. This has a 2’ division and allows you to keep going even if you get eliminated (really – it means you need the practice!) The only membership required is OEF, so particularly for those who went to the Equus CT at intro level and think you might want to give this a try, it’s a good place to start. Let me know asap if you’re interested.

- October 9: Woodwinds HT

- October 29-30: RCRA Dressage – this is a schooling level dressage show. If dressage is your thing, this show starts at w/t level and goes up from there. We will only go one of the two days, but which is open to negotiation. OEF and EC Bronze memberships required.



GRS Online

If you haven’t seen it recently, check out our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/GraduateRidingSchool It includes daily horse-related YouTube videos, as well as photos and videos from around the barn. Alternately, keep current on GRS adventures by reading this blog right here! Like to write? Consider being a guest author! Write a post about one of your lessons or your favourite horse or something going on at the barn and send it to Lauren for publishing. Youtube page with GRS videos is under construction. Look for it coming soon.



Coming this Winter

So it’s definitely *not* time for a winter newsletter, but for those who like to plan *way* ahead:

- Winter theory lessons will be on Sunday afternoons again this winter. They will run January through March; we’ll host Rider Level exams at the end as we did last year.

- In January lesson prices will be going up slightly in order to keep lesson sizes small.

- We’re hoping to host both a dressage clinic and a jump clinic mid-winter that will be open to anybody who’s interested. More details on that in January :)

Gold star to anybody who read this far!