Buffalo, N.Y.—Nov. 19-21

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise when Kate Haley drew a talented but challenging horse at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session. Because throughout the three-day program she impressed the clinicians and the EAP Committee so much so that she finished as the overall winner.

“She had a tough horse, and she really dug in. She really pulled it off today and jumped a double-clear round in the Nations Cup,” said EAP Co-Chairman Melanie Smith Taylor.

Haley was among the 12 finalists competing in the EAP National Training Session from a pool of 200 riders who entered the 2010 Level I training sessions around the country. The finalists, who qualified after attending a Level II session, traveled to the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center where hostess and Chronicle Between Rounds columnist Susie Schoellkopf provided horses owned by BTRC, clients, fellow trainers and friends.

The riders spent the first two days getting to know their new mounts and attended flatwork and over fences training sessions with international grand prix show jumper Peter Wylde, natural horsemanship sessions with Colorado-based Mindy Bower, stable management lessons with top show hunter rider Jennifer Alfano and received veterinary instruction from Drs. Midge Leitch and Christopher “Kit” Miller.

On the third day, the riders showed in a Nations Cup-format competition where their riding skills, knowledge and understanding of their horse, performance under pressure and teamwork were evaluated.

Haley’s equine partner, a gray Holsteiner gelding named Calido Too owned by Sandy Wolf, is an experienced lower level jumper, but he wasn’t easy on the flat and tended to get nervous.

“In the beginning, I really had to work to get his attention,” said Haley. “But after that, I loved him and wanted to steal him.”            

For her accomplishment, Haley, 18, Orchard Park, N.Y., will receive 30 days of advanced training from an approved trainer, $3,000 from Dover Saddlery to purchase show clothes and a place in the George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Clinic in Wellington, Florida, in January.

“We were impressed by Kate overall,” said Wylde. “Her skill and determination to succeed impressed us, along with her abilities with the horse she had to ride and her anchor position on the team in the Nations Cup.”

“I’m surprised and excited to win this,” said Haley, who trains with Chrissie Hannon. “Everyone here is so good, and it’s steep competition. This experience was wonderful and an incredible opportunity to work with and learn from such great horsemen.”

A Tremendous Improvement

Anna Hallene, 18, Hinsdale, Ill., also made an impression throughout the weekend. Aboard BTRC’s Trueman, a therapeutic riding and lesson horse, Hallene worked diligently to improve his performances and adapt her riding style to his particular needs. As a reward, she received the second Horsemastership spot available to riders competing in the EAP National Training Session.

“Anna has improved tremendously over the course of the Level I, II and III clinics,” said Taylor. “She’s a thinker and carried what she’s learned through to here.”

Throughout the EAP National Training Session, the riders were judged on their riding skills, as well as their horsemanship in the barn and in the ring, and a written exam. EAP Committee members Taylor, Julie Winkel, Sally Ike and Kathy Moore evaluated the riders and met each day with the clinicians to analyze the competitors and, finally, to select the overall winner.

In the Nations Cup, Team Idle Dice (Michael Kocher, Alexandra Cornish, Dani Beavers, Haley), with chef d’equipe Sally Ike, won with 0 faults over the two-round competition. Kocher and Haley jumped double-clear rounds to lead their team to victory.

Team Calypso (Paul Frederick, Lauren DiTallo, Morgan Geller, Natalie Crane), with chef d’equipe Kathy Moore, placed second with 4 faults, while Team Gem Twist (Taylor Adams, Hallene, Melena Smith, Alexa Anthony), with chef d’equipe Jennifer Alfano, placed third with 8 faults.

Geller and Crane also produced impressive double-clear performances over the course designed by Chrystine Tauber and based on the Nations Cup course from the 1997 Washington (D.C.) International Horse Show designed by Richard Jeffery.

Frederick, 21, Savannah, Ga., a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, earned the highest score of 95 on the written test and received a special award from Taylor.

Although Taylor acknowledged that the written test was very difficult, she was still disappointed in some of the scores and the limited knowledge the younger generation has for the history of the sport.

A Learning Experience For All

The program was a tremendous opportunity for parents and auditors to learn along with the riders. BRTC’s heated lounge offered a great vantage point to the indoor arena (clinicians wore microphones so all could hear the instruction), and the hardiest souls—including auditors who had come down from Anchorage, Alaska—sat bundled up in the ringside seats.   

During a Saturday night reception, the teams were auctioned off in a Calcutta, with $3,350 raised. In a generous action, the winning bidders donated their portions of the proceeds back to the EAP to finance the program’s expenses.

“I’m passionate about developing horsemen and not just riders,” said Taylor. “This program has provided our industry with an opportunity to make that happen. This isn’t a riding competition; it’s all about finding the complete horseman who can ride well and take care of the horse in the barn.”

Schoellkopf said the EAP is a fantastic way to further the young talent in this country, and she enjoyed hosting and observing the participants as they soaked in the information provided by some of the best of the best.

“If they take anything home, I hope they take home the wisdom and the passion of the people who have been teaching them this weekend,” she said. “And they should remember that the journey is about learning and sharing. The horse is ultimately their greatest teacher.”

Read coverage from last year’s inaugural EAP National Training Session.

EAP Finalists (Alphabetical Order)

Taylor Adams, Dallas, Texas
Alexa Anthony, Redmond, Wash.
Dani Beavers, Argyle, Texas
Alexandra Cornish, Chico, Calif.
Natalie Crane, South Dartmouth, Mass.
Lauren DiTallo, Long Grove, Ill.
Paul Frederick, Savannah, Ga.
Morgan Geller, Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Kate Haley, Orchard Park, N.Y.
Anna Hallene, Hinsdale, Ill.
Michael Kocher, Lynn, N.C.
Melena Smith, Mahopac, N.Y.