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Thanks to Lynn Boomer at The Dressage Foundation for providing the write up of this year's 'The Gifted Fund' adult amateur scholarship (named after Carol Lavell's horse, Gifted) recipient in Region 4, Jennifer Brandl. Jenny was awarded a scholarship for concentrated dressage training with her horse, Privateer, at Brandywine Farm in Hamel, MN with 'S' dressage judge, Bill Solyntjes. A photo is posted on the Region 4 yahoogroup web-site (www.yahoogroups.com/group/USDFRegion4) under Photos.
For more about the TDF programs, please go to www.dressagefoundation.org. The next round of 'Gifted' scholarship applications is due to TDF on or before Friday, September 14, 2007 and will be for training in calendar year 2008.
"A New Beginning, by Jenny Brandl
What a wonderful experience! This was the first time in 25 years of showing dressage that I could afford taking a long series of lessons. It was a great help!
I have been taking lessons with Bill Solyntjes, a very talented teacher, rider and Judge, for about 10 years, and with his help I have successfully shown my old grey mare through Prix St. George. But about a year ago I started over with my new horse, Privateer (PeeTee). He is a sweet 6-year-old Dutch cross, pinto, with a wonderful personality and temperament.
The main goal of this training was to establish solid basics in PeeTee; and to reestablish the solid basics in me. I know they say we should use the whole training scale every time we ride, but what the steps feel like in a green training level horse was not what I was used to feeling at Prix St. George. After a bit of revisiting my past, we began building the pyramid with PeeTee, as I had with my mare.
On day one and two we worked on getting PeeTee
through his back and even into both hands. We did this by riding him deep and relaxed over his back then rode him up for short periods of time then deep again to regain the relaxed stretch into the hands. This was necessary with Pee Tee’s level of training to help him develop a strong back and topline musculature.
In the next couple of lessons, PeeTee and I were both confident enough in our connection to work on solidifying our training level movements and
transitions.
On day four, due to a snow storm that made travel sketchy, Bill spent some time in the saddle. It gave him a chance to feel what I was feeling in our work, and to refine the rest of our lessons that week. This was very beneficial to all of us.
With the snow storm over we spent the final couple of lessons working on some basic lateral work (leg yielding, shoulder-fore) to help refine PeeTee’s response to leg and weight aids.
It felt good to see and feel a great amount of progress with each lesson. The ability to continue the training process for over a week made this possible. In the past, I’ve always had to cram
too much into one or two lessons, then go home and try to remember and figure it all out alone. This time we were able to take our time and piece together a large part of the puzzle, instead of just a few small pieces.
Horses, like us, tend to be a bit different from day to day. PeeTee was a little distracted the first day, fine the second, full of energy the third, lazy the fourth, and so on. The extended training
gave us a chance to work through the different moods and attitudes that each of us had. What worked perfectly on Monday, needed to be tweaked on Wednesday. It was nice to not have to waist two or thee weeks figuring out the tweak on my own.
I have ridden dressage for most of my life. I have had good success along the way, but have also made more than my share of mistakes. I feel that this series of lessons with Bill and PeeTee
has helped me avoid making many of those mistakes again. PeeTee and I, now have a solid foundation, which gave us both the confidence necessary to have a very successful first show. With scores in the mid to high sixties, it was a very fun and positive experience for both of us.
Again, I would like to say that this has been a very wonderful learning experience. Thank you very much to The Dressage Foundation and Carol Laval for allowing
PeeTee and me to develop something to build on for years to come.
Jenny Brandl and Privateer"
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