to Dee Barnett, owner of Gid-De-Up Barkins

by Peggy Siders, President, 2010 State Of Jefferson Dressage Chapter.

The award was presented on Friday February 4, 2011 to the sponsor that contributed the most to the shows that State of Jefferson held. Gid-De-Up Barkins has supported our events continually over the years, and is the place to go to put our hands on dressage merchandise in our area.

THANK YOU very much Gid-De-Up Barkins!!

Our club has a long history starting as the Cathedral Hills Combined Training Club 35 years ago and evolving into the State of Jefferson chapter of the ODS. There has also been a long history of hosting a licensed dressage show here in Southern Oregon. That history seems to have been suspended for the time being. Last year, we recognized a sizeable loss running the licensed show and could not take the risk of having another loss such as that one. In the licensed show’s date at the Expo Fairgrounds, the ODS had their League Championships show. Unfortunately the attendance was very low at the League Championships this year and that show had to cancel one of the judges and one of the arenas for the whole weekend.

It was confirmation that we did make the right decision to not host a licensed show this year. However, we had the proposal on our agenda to run a licensed show in 2011. There was extended discussion at the board meeting in May 2010 about having a licensed show in the near future at all. On one hand we had the need for local riders to have a licensed show to ride in, and on the other hand, we could not continue to make decisions that would risk losing large amounts of money. The board realized that a licensed show helps our local dressage economy in that the trainers have a local show to take clients and breeders have a place to showcase their stock. There is also the long standing reputation of our area in hosting a good competition to provide qualifying opportunities. Many of us have spent countless hours working at our shows, sponsoring classes and competing in them and the thought of discontinuing them was a sad realization. The vote was to not plan a licensed show for next year. There was talk of doing a smaller scale one day qualifier at a different location in the future, but that would depend on the rebound of the economy and the demand for a licensed show in this area.

On the bright side, our club has been making good use of our year:

Improvements to our webpage have been made by the generous donations of time and materials from our members and efforts of our volunteer webmaster Joni Hankin.

The board has been working together to keep the email list for our members as up to date as possible.

The club adopted a helmet rule for club sponsored riding events to help provide a safe riding environment for our members.

We have gotten together for DVD nites, our Christmas party, and a Pilate’s meeting.

We also have our regular club sponsored clinics with Jutta Schott that is free to audit. A July Bar-B-Que will be held during the Jutta Schott clinic to which all chapter members are invited.

As for horse shows, we have added a second League show to our calendar.

We are adding an awards program to recognize our members for accomplishments and hard work.

The biggest event this year will be our Rider Biomechanics Seminar with Sandy Howard. The popularity of this highly anticipated clinic is reflected in the waiting list for riders that developed very quickly. This will be the best educational event to hit the Southern Oregon dressage community in at least 15 years.

So in spite having to suspend the long standing tradition of hosting a licensed show, we are having a great year. It is a change in focus from having a huge amount of effort put into a licensed show to hosting activities that benefit our local dressage club members and help provide educational opportunities that are affordable and interesting. You could also say that we are more engaged in activities that foster a sense of community. It is encouraging to see guests and new members that have come to club functions to get a look at what we do. We have also made connections with more senior members that have not been heard from for a while.

So feel free to contribute, write a story for the web page, voice your opinion, come to a meeting or send an email! All these things make our club much richer than money in a bank account. Our calendar will reflect upcoming activities, so check it out.

See you soon!

Peggy Siders – President SJODS

It is important for members and new members to know that if they do join on line, they will have to email the ODS office separately, and tell them that they want to be a member of the State of Jefferson Chapter.  The e membership form does not have that option.

Here is where to contact ODS:

Oregon Dressage Society
office@oregondressage.com
PH: 503.681.2337 — CELL: 503.730.8036 — FAX: 503.681.3873

The printed form that you snail mail to the ODS has a place to enter the name of the chapter that you wish to join on it, however, the member has to make sure that they fill in this blank or they will be a member at large.

Being a member at large is fine, if they intend this, but many times people think they are joining a specific chapter and that they will get club emails and news, and feel left out.

We are very pleased to announce that the State of Jefferson Chapter will continue to sponsor clinics with Jutta Schott in 2012.

We have four weekends of clinics:

• April 14-15
• May 26-27
• July 21-22
• August 11-12

The clinics are being hosted at the riding facility of Destinations End in Talent, OR

Jutta has excellent credentials for dressage instruction. She has been a professional rider and trainer since 1968. She received her training in Germany and is licensed by the German National Equestrian Federation to teach and train both horse and rider through FEI level.

Jutta received the title Bereiter in 1972 authorizing her to train and teach through second level. She was certified “Reitleher FN” in 1981 which authorized her to train both horse and rider through FEI levels. This certification was earned in Warendorf, Westphalia and is awarded only upon completion of vigorous courses of study and demonstrated riding ability.

Jutta also holds the German Bronze and Silver medal. After teaching and competing in Germany, Jutta and her mare went to Vienna, Austria, where she spent seven years as an assistant trainer at the stable of Arthur Kottas,Chief Rider of the Spanish riding school of Vienna. While in Vienna, Jutta continued to train and compete her mare until she sold her at the FEI level. Jutta also received her Austrian Instructor’s license.

Jutta’s training methods are true classical dressage. She formulates a systematic instruction plan for each of her students based on the training scale and on the individual needs of rider and horse. Ever aware that only a good seat correctly influences the horse, Jutta emphasizes seat and position and how and when to apply the aids. Horse and rider biomechanics are an integral part of every lesson. She welcomes lower level riders and their horses as this gives her the opportunity to begin development of correct basics without which there is no foundation upon which to develop the upper level work.

Jutta is equally at home with the rider who wants to compete or with the rider who simply wants to ride well. The success of the German riders in the international dressage arena and the fame of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna speak for themselves. Jutta comes well credentialed and well qualified and for her own continued education she is a member of the association of professional trainers and instructors.

Jutta lives and teaches in Southern California. Her students are competing successfully at all levels. Jutta teaches clinics in Montana, Nevada, Northern California and Southern Oregon.

Call Carol at 541-846-9495 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              541-846-9495      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email her at 2taylors@dishmail.net for further information, driving directions, to schedule a lesson, or to come audit. We welcome auditors and there is plenty of seating and no fee. Lesson spots are very limited, so please call early. This is an opportunity you will not want to miss.