Watch out world … Mexico is coming.

Whizmo is the first to win the trailer given by AQHA and MQHA for the 2009 AQHA Caballo Campeón en Reining de México.

At the Final de Afiliados AQHA/National Reining Horse Association México in Monterrey, Mexico, October 31-November 1, more 100 than entries from across Mexico competed for futurity trophies, year-end honors and a trailer to be awarded by AQHA and their Mexico affiliate Asociacion Mexicana de Criadores y Caballistas Cuarto de Milla (MQHA).

The concept for the show started earlier this year when AQHA and NRHA officials met with the Mexican Quarter Horse Association and the NRHA Mexico representatives. AQHA and NRHA have teamed up to develop initiatives for grassroots riders in Mexico as well as those competing in premiere events.

“We met in February to try to promote reining in Mexico,” said organizer Raul Leal. “And it has been very successful and has helped us a lot. We are very thankful to AQHA and NRHA for all the support they have given us and all the hard work helping us.”

The Circuito NRHA Mexico Purina has been going on for seven years as an NRHA North American Regional Affiliate Finals. However, with the alliance partnership, AQHA-, NRHA- and Federation Equestre Internationale-combined events were set up in Mexico with the Circuito being the culmination for the year-end Regional Affiliate awards as well as an Exiss trailer to the AQHA high-point reiner.

“It’s been a really good show,” Raul said. “The competition was tough and we had more entries. The competitors Read the rest of this entry »

The final AQHA international camp was in Wilhelmsburg, Austria.

The final AQHA international camp this summer has ended, and we are getting ready to head home. This camp took place August 7-10 in Wilhelmsburg, Austria, at the Long View Ranch. We had 23 participants, all of whom wanted to build on their foundation and learn new ways to teach the basics.

The participants were divided into two groups, and as we had done in the previous camps, the first two days of the camp were dedicated to foundational exercises to help with suppling and guiding. We also stressed correct horsemanship position in whatever discipline or class we were teaching. The participants would say that they spent more than half of their time at the camp standing in their stirrups, developing leg strength and balance.

We also conducted lectures during the camp. Starting with the bits and bitting lecture on the first day enabled the students to make sure their equipment was in proper working order and was what they needed for their horse’s level. The second day, Zack again did a round pen work demonstration, showing how to start young colts, and Lindsey gave an equine nutrition lecture on the third day. Read the rest of this entry »

The German horsemanship camps were great preparation for the European Championship.

We just finished the second of two International Horsemanship camps in Kreuth, Germany, this year. The first was July 25-28, and the second took place August 1-4. The camp participants ranged in age from 8 to 65, with all levels of riding skills. We had a wide variety of horse breeds between the two camps. In the first camp, we had several Haflinger horses, as well as an Andalusian horse. In the second camp, we again had a Haflinger, but also a Shire and a Creole.

Both camps were divided into two groups. Each group rode two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. Each group was usually divided further during the riding session, enabling the participants to receive more one-on-one instruction.

Both camps were conducted in the same format, with the first day consisting of the basics, such as following the nose, hip and shoulder control, and collection. The second day focused mainly on guiding exercises for reining Read the rest of this entry »

Hello, again!

We made history by completing the first-ever AQHA horsemanship camp in Stare Zukowice, Poland, at the Roleski Ranch. We had 19 participants, 13 riders and six auditors. The participants ranged in age from 13 to 52. The weather has been absolutely wonderful, with lots of sunshine and a slight breeze.

On day 1, we began with the basics of following the nose, giving to pressure, and hip control. That afternoon we conducted a bits and bitting lecture, then rode again from 2 to 6 that evening, working on more collection exercises at the walk, trot and lope.

Day 2 began with class-specific exercises, focusing mainly on reining. We began with the circles and guiding exercise we call the “wagon wheel” drill and the “baseball” drill. We also incorporated lead departures and speed control into the mix. After lunch, Zach Burson did a round pen demonstration with a 2-year-old colt, Read the rest of this entry »

Hello, all!

We have completed the first camp in Sweden, July 14-17, at the Kansli Ridskola in Sala. With the beautiful weather and large arenas, we were able to accomplish a great deal, both outside and inside. The camp consisted of 12 participants and several auditors. They were divided into two groups.

During the first day, A&M team members Cassidy Kurtz, Derrick Caddell, Teresa Meier and Brittanie Wells worked on phases 1 through 3 of their program. Phase 1, following the nose, uses the direct rein to work on flexion and giving to pressure. Phase 2 combines Phase 1 with the use of the indirect rein to gain control of the shoulders. Finally, Phase 3 incorporates both phases 1 and 2 to gain collection at the walk, trot and lope.

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Hello, everyone!

Despite the rainy weather in Bad Sassendorf, Germany, we have successfully completed the camp. When we arrived in Germany, it was sunny and warm, but the day before the camp was cold and wet. Nevertheless, the camp participants and instructors refused to let the rain stop them.

It rained all night before the first day of the camp, so we were unable to use the outdoor pen the first part of the day. Based on rider experience, we decided to divide the 26 participants into three groups, the largest group consisting of nine people. One group would ride in the indoor pen, while the other two groups moved Read the rest of this entry »

Hello, all!

My name is Alicia Daugherty, and I am the international intern this year for the European horsemanship camps sponsored by AQHA. This year, we are sponsoring 13 horsemanship camps in eight different countries. See a schedule of the camps. The camps consist of everything from horsemanship, reining, western riding, western pleasure, trail and even showmanship.

I was unable to attend the first camp in Hamar, Norway, but from what the North Central Texas College team has told me, it was a huge success. Amanda Vidler, a member of the NCTC team, said, “They absorbed the information we had to offer like a sponge.” There were 23 participants at this camp.

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