Our columnist reflects on two important milestones she witnessed in the hunter/jumper sport this summer.

I’ve been fortunate to be involved in major changes in our hunter/jumper world in a short time, and two of these have been so beneficial for our sports: the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program and the USHJA International Hunter Derby.

These two programs—and many others, both established and in the works— have evolved since the birth of the national hunter/jumper affiliate, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, five years ago.

It’s taken many retreats, long meetings and conference calls to make some of these programs come to life, but the efforts have been so well worth the results. All committee members should be congratulated for their tireless commitment to our sport.

I’d like to begin with the Emerging Athletes Program, which really got underway this spring/summer with the Level 1 phase taking place. There were 500 applicants for Level 1, and after the riders were chosen the USHJA established 11 clinics in 11 locations throughout the country.

The 24 students selected for each location were then divided into three groups at 3′, 3’6″ and 4′. After Level 1 concluded, 25 percent of the riders were invited to move on to Level 2, where the riders were divided into five regions. Level 3 will be next and will comprise the top 12 from Level 2 testing.

I saw firsthand how the Emerging Athletes Program worked when I hosted a Level 1 clinic at the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center in Buffalo, N.Y., in June. Clinician Melanie Smith Taylor’s opening quote was: “You have two lives–one you are given and one you make.” In today’s world that quote is so true!

Embrace Educational Opportunities

As I watched Melanie take three groups of young riders through two days of intensive education, I knew this program was long overdue. With a steep learning curve for some riders, it was interesting to observe how they coped with the amount of new and different information.

Some riders finished the two days eager to learn more and enthusiastic to take home an entirely new view of their horse and their horsemanship. Many others, however, fell into that adolescent trap of “it’s all about me” and believed Melanie was picking on them.

It’s so important to take any clinic with an open mind, to try new concepts, apply them and leave with a greater knowledge than when you arrived. You will not agree with every clinician, but when you have a trainer of Melanie’s capabilities—an Olympic Games gold medalist, a World Cup champion and the chef d’equipe of U.S. show jumping teams—it’s important to absorb the knowledge she’s willing to give, which will no doubt benefit you and your horse.

In addition to Melanie’s impressive technical capabilities, she’s also an advocate for compassionate horse care. Horsemanship is key to her program, and she’s had a long-lasting relationship with Buck Brannaman, who has a talent unequaled in training young and problem horses.

I hope that each student Melanie taught at the clinics went home with many new realizations about horses and their future involvement in making our sport better.

We need more of these clinics across the country, and anyone who would like to host a USHJA Emerging Athletes clinic should contact the USHJA. It’s a great opportunity for these young riders, who are like sponges in soaking up knowledge, and you can be proud to contribute to the future growth and improvement of our sport.

Melanie’s goal for these clinics was (and is) to instill curiosity—to assist these riders in their desire to become better horsemen not just better riders.

Likewise, we all need to continue learning and improving our horsemanship. We need to read more—we need to research the history of our sport and all of the great riders and trainers of the past.

Unfortunately, today’s young riders often skip Pony Club, foxhunting and just being around their horses—feeding, grooming and getting to know their equine partners—and instead focus on horse showing. I hope this program helps to bridge the gap we left behind when we began focusing our children on one sport.

The mission of the Emerging Athletes Program encompasses this belief: “To develop and implement a system of identifying and nurturing talented young riders by providing them with the support and assistance necessary to facilitate the opportunity to reach their full potential by creating a national program as a pipeline to international competition.”

I want to congratulate the program’s committee members and the clinicians for such a successful beginning, and I look forward to watching the program continue to improve and grow.

Derby Dreams Fulfilled

The first $100,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals were held at the Kentucky Horse Park in August. As with anything new there will always be challenges, but history was made in Kentucky!

Because I’m involved as a committee member, an owner and a judge, I’ve observed the program from its inception when George Morris spoke of good riding and improving our hunter sport. It’s great to see that George’s vision has become reality through the hard work and commitment of many talented people.

In Kentucky, Hugh Kincannon, Bobby Murphy and the USHJA staff (Melanie Fransen at the lead) pulled off the most exciting hunter class ever! The course was beautiful, the footing exceptional and the new outdoor stadium was spectacular.

The top 75 horses from an 18-month qualifying period were invited to participate in these finals. There was excitement among riders, trainers and owners all week. Win, lose or draw, everyone left with new ideas and watched two days of top hunter competition.

The website Equestrian Life presented the finals on live feed, and the competition was seen by viewers in seven countries in addition to the United States. The live feed had more than 31,000 hits. When have our show hunters ever had that kind of exposure? It’s so exciting for our sport!

The derbies have created better riding because the courses are challenging and different. They’re not for every rider and for every horse, nor should they be. But they are for every hunter rider to aspire to. Like the Emerging Athletes Program, the derbies will create better horsemen who know how to manage their horses to peak for these classes and finals. Owners are excited to own a derby winner too, and riders are excited to compete in the derbies.

Sponsors have generously backed these classes, including The Chronicle, which is the title sponsor for the 2009-10 season. I’ve not attended one of these derbies that didn’t have a huge crowd with much excitement in the air.

As we all know, the past year has been a true test for our sport in these difficult economic times. But none of these programs would have come to fruition without the leadership at the top, including Bill Moroney, the USHJA president. His vision has helped to move our sport forward as have the many committees and task forces hard at work behind the scenes.

After 30 years of serving on hunter/jumper committees, I can say it was long overdue for our community to branch out and take responsibility for our future through the USHJA. It’s easy to criticize our leaders, and, yes, it’s hard work to participate when your life is busier than ever. But it’s incredibly rewarding to join in and help to make these changes happen.  

Susie B. Schoellkopf serves as the executive director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, which is the home of the Buffalo Equestrian Center and SBS Farms in Buffalo, N.Y. An R-rated U.S. Equestrian Federation judge, Schoellkopf has trained numerous horses to USEF Horse of the Year honors, including Gabriel, Kansas, Big Bad Wolf and GG Valentine.