2024 Young Rider Dream Program Journal: Bella Perkins (NY)

I’m incredibly excited for this extraordinary opportunity to see a whole new side of the dressage industry. I will gain so much knowledge from this chance to be immersed in the highest levels of dressage and learn from some of the best trainers in the world. I can’t wait to use all that I learn in Wellington to improve the way I train, teach, and compete at home. I’m honored to have been selected for this program. Thank you so much to TDF and the extremely generous sponsors that make this trip possible!

Bella's Day 1 Journal:

We started the day at High Meadow Farm with a talk about bit and bridle fit with Stephanie Brown-Beamer. She was incredibly knowledgeable with experience both as a rider and a bit fitter. The biggest takeaway for me was that we should know what our horse’s mouth feels like, which is not something I can say that I’ve thought about. I found it fascinating that she said that 70 percent of the horses she sees are in bits that are too big, and the widest she will use is 16mm. I also was surprised to hear her say that any horse ridden in a double bridle should have their teeth floated twice a year because I had never heard that before.

After finishing our discussion with Stephanie, we met with Olivia LaGoy-Weltz. She showed us a horse that has had some time off due to surgeries, so she’s been doing a lot of lunging and groundwork with him. She believes that seeing a horse move without the influence of the tack and/or rider is incredibly important because it correlates to how the horse moves under saddle. She then let us observe a training session with a five-year-old mare. I loved hearing her say that you cannot fix everything at once, especially with a young horse. Olivia had to put the mare’s outside shoulder a little bit too much on the outside to give the inside hind a path. Later, once the horse knows where that inside hind must go, she will fix the outside shoulder.

Our next stop was the beautiful Poinciana Farm, designed and owned by Jane Cleveland. We first met with Scott and Sara Hassler. Our group had just been talking in the car about what you should look for in a dressage horse. The moment we met with Scott, he handed us two handwritten pages of a list called “Qualities of Dressage Horse.” His daughter Sara was riding a horse that they think meets most if not all these qualities. Of course, not every horse is perfect, but at the end of the day, you want a happy horse who loves his job. Scott said that sometimes you have to be happy with “living in the trenches” and knowing that you helped a horse be a better version of himself.

Next, Jane Cleveland took us on a tour of Poinciana Farm and explained to us everything she considered when designing the facility. It was mind-blowing hearing how she thought of so many tiny details that make a huge difference for the 60 horses kept there, their owners, and the staff. Jane also allowed us to observe her three-year-old stallion being lunged and ridden by John Amber and herself. My biggest takeaway was when John was helping the horse to not run into the canter. He did multiple quick transitions between walk and trot, and then right after going back into a trot, he asked the horse to jump into the canter. I’ve seen this problem with many horses I’ve worked with so I think that will be a great tactic to incorporate into my training.

To finish our day, we had a lovely dinner with Beth Baumert, Lendon Gray, and Jennifer Baumert. We had many fascinating discussions but one that stuck with me was one about how you should never burn bridges in this sport. You never know who may be paying attention or listening. That may lead to something amazing, such as being on two Olympic teams as in Lendon’s case. You should take every chance you get; ride every horse you’re offered as long as it is safe.

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Bella's Day 2 Journal:

We met so many different people today, from different backgrounds with different stories, but many had very similar advice. The main takeaways of the day were: 

• Be up front and honest. With yourself, your horse and your clients. 
• Follow your gut! 
• You learn from making mistakes. It’s okay to be wrong and it doesn’t take away your value. 
• It’s about the journey and the joy in the day-to-day training. 
• Have a clear brand that is true to who you are. 
• Have a strong support system. 
• Take every opportunity presented to you.  

We spent most of our day at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, so we talked to many people as they walked by our table. We had Reese Koffler-Stanfield as a chaperone for the day and she introduced us to amazing people and told us many of her own stories. She told us how valuable she finds the USDF Instructor/Trainer Certification, which was very encouraging to hear as that is something I am currently working towards.  

We started our morning at Global by watching Jennifer Williams compete in the PSG then we were fortunate enough to talk to her after. The main lesson I took from our conversation was to start every relationship you make with honesty. You need to be clear and communicative with potential clients about what your goals are.  

Next, we had the honor of meeting Kim Herslow, who spoke to us a lot about her horse that she won Team Gold with at the 2015 Pan Am Games, Rosmarin aka Reno. It was heartwarming to hear how bonded she was to him and how confident she was in both herself and him. Her last piece of advice to us was to follow our gut, which was definitely a theme of the day.  

After that we met Hilary Moore-Hebert. We talked about how, with the rise of social media, we should have a brand that makes sense for us as individuals and our demographics.  We shouldn’t let ourselves get stuck doing something we don’t want to be doing.  

We then had a wonderful conversation with Rebecca Hart, who told us the story of how she worked at Starbucks at night in order to be able to compete in the Paralympics. Her story was amazing, and she emphasized her point of “You’re never too good to clean stalls.” And just like many others we have spoken to, she believes a horse with a good brain is worth not having the “wow” factor.  

Next, we visited the beautiful TYL Farm, met Adrienne Lyle, Betsy Juliano, Christian Simonson, and Quinn Iverson. I could go on and on about our talks and watching Adrienne teach Christian and Quinn, but I’ll go with what stuck out the most to me. I asked Adrienne about her personal fitness and how she stays motivated. She said she thinks of all the tiny decisions she makes in a day, and if those decisions are bringing her closer to her goal or not. She, like most of us, wants to be the best rider she can be, and she has to remember that when making those decisions to better herself.  

When watching Adrienne teach both Christian and Quinn, she made it clear that they don’t work on everything in one ride. Just like when we work out, the horse’s muscles get fatigued, and it can be difficult to do the same things every day. They also give the horse’s many walk breaks both for muscle fatigue and to mentally process what they just learned.  

We also met the wonderful Sarah and Lee Tubman. They both had invaluable advice for us. When we asked what they wish they could tell their younger selves, Sarah said that she should’ve been braver sooner and taken more chances. Lee had three parts to his advice. The first was “Don’t ‘if’ your life away.” Next was to take every opportunity you’re offered even if they don’t directly lead to your goal, which was a little different than what we usually hear. And finally, listen to what people say.  

To finish the day, we had a lovely dinner and conversation with Dr. Hilary Clayton. We talked about a variety of topics, but the one that stuck with me was about her study of the tightness of nosebands. Not necessarily the results of the study (although that was also very interesting) but the fact that there are so many opinions on the internet that have no scientific backing. Similarly, she advised that when we are diving into a topic, such as nutrition, where there are a million different opinions, go to those on the top; not just the ones with the loudest voices.  

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Bella's Day 3 Journal:

Today we had Julie McKean as a chaperone for the day and hearing her story was inspiring. We asked her many questions about how she got to where she is and how someone goes about finding a mentor. She told us that you don’t usually go looking for a mentor. You just build relationships that will maybe turn into mentors. That goes back to the advice we’ve heard many times in the last few days; don’t burn bridges and you never know who’s listening. 

First thing this morning, we headed back to Global to observe Dennesy Rogers being coached by Charlotte Bredahl on Dennesy’s beautiful mare, Chanel, before watching her U25 test. When we had a chance to talk with Charlotte, she told us how they met when Dennesy rode in a clinic with her. Charlotte took note of what a quiet, yet effective rider Dennesy is. This yet again goes back to never knowing who may be watching! I think this might be a theme! 

We then watched as Charlotte gave lessons to Kristina Harrison-Antell on two different horses. Charlotte loves to use square turns to work on both walk and canter pirouettes. They keep the horse’s inside hind stepping under instead of in, which is the most common mistake with pirouettes. She said, “If you own the square, you own the pirouette.” We also got the chance to talk with both Charlotte and Kristina about their careers and any advice they could give us. It was interesting because they had quite different views. Kristina believes that you should be very professional with your clients and set boundaries. She is very clear about what her hours are. Charlotte is of course professional with her clients as well, but they are a little more like friends to her.   

While sitting at our table back at Global, we had the honor of speaking to Sven Steffens-Smienk. He advised us that when working with young horses you must be patient and understanding. I loved the analogy he used of how training a young horse is like painting a picture. You are laying down the first layer of paint, which is incredibly important for the future of the painting. He also emphasized that if you’re riding a movement in training and it doesn’t feel right, don’t continue. Stop to reshape and rebalance the horse, then try again.  

In the afternoon, we were able to speak with Bill McMullin and Bill Warren. We were able to ask them many questions about their experience both training and judging. They both told us that education is the most important thing for us right now. No matter what we want to specialize in, we all need to learn the foundation before we start branching out and developing our own styles. They were very encouraging of pursuing the L program and the Instructor/Trainer Certification. They believe the L program is excellent for any trainer, instructor, and rider to learn biomechanics, which I have really started to gain an interest in.  

Lastly, we met Katherine Bateson-Chandler. She told us about many incredible people she’s worked with, but I loved hearing about her training in Europe with Carl Hester, as that’s not something we’ve heard much of. Over there, all the horses have a strict schedule of 4 days of “real” work and 2 hack days a week. This is something Katherine continues when she is here to keep her horses’ routines the same. We often hear that if you’re not training 6-7 days a week, you’re going to fall behind. Everyone we have talked to here in Wellington has said that they do not have this philosophy and their horses work 3-5 days a week, have at least 1 day off, and stretching/hacking the other days. I think it’s important to hear that those at the top don’t have to drill their horses every day. 

To end another amazing day, we got to attend Friday Night Lights and watch some beautiful freestyles from our VIP table, thanks to Adequan. It was a fun way to decompress and we got to test out our judging capabilities with the app Spectator Judging!  

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Bella's Day 4 Journal:

On our last full day here in Wellington, we were able to visit the Vinios Family's beautiful Five Rings Farm and observe Genay Vaughn riding one of her horses. She talked us through her warmup as she made sure Fleur Noir was prepared for their ride. She made sure there was even contact in both reins and tested her half halts. She believes that if the horse isn’t listening and responding to basic half halts then there’s no point in schooling the movements.

She likes to keep the test in mind but if the horse doesn’t have the basic balance and quality of the gaits, you must have the self-control to change the plan. Everything she asks her horse for is intentional, especially in the walk. She will do transitions within the walk so that the horse doesn’t think that every time the reins are picked up, they should anticipate something exciting. She said that you should be strict with what you expect from the horse every day, otherwise, it’s unfair for the horse.  

When we asked about Genay’s preferred routine before a show, she mentioned that she likes to be very hands-on with her horses. She has a groom now, but she makes sure to know her horses and checks them over so that she knows if something is off. This is also a great way to bond with them. We were able to watch Genay show at Global later in the day with a different horse than we saw in the morning. It was a lovely, harmonious ride and it was clear that the horses she rides have a lot of trust in her.  

I also found Genay’s workout routine very interesting. Being in good shape is important to her because “You should expect from yourself what you expect from your horse.” She likes to do sprints in intervals to work on stamina. She will start with 15 seconds at her max speed and gradually build up the time. She also makes sure to do abs and core work every day. When using weights, she prefers to use low weights with many reps.  

Back at Global, we got to watch a TDF Century Club ride by Mrs. Ann Romney with her horse Donatello. It was extremely fun and a beautiful ride. It was great to see an older horse still competing at such a high level of competition with a lot of enthusiasm! 

To finish our time in Wellington, we had a fun night watching the Grand Prix Jumping at Wellington International. I’m glad that we decided to attend despite our exhaustion from such a busy trip. We decided we would “sleep when we’re dead.” It’s quite a different atmosphere than dressage shows are, but it was amazing to see! I still think I’ll stick to dressage though!  

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Bella's Wrap-Up

As I’ve gotten back into my normal routine at home, I’ve been trying to come up with the words to prove how much this trip has meant to me. As it turns out, there just aren’t enough words, but I’ll do my best. I had the absolute best time of my life in Wellington. I learned so much, made some amazing friends, and had a lot more motivation to continue pursuing my goals. I expected to learn about how to be a better rider, but being a professional in this world is about so much more than just riding. This experience was incredibly well-rounded in that sense. I could probably write a book about everything I learned, so I’ll just go through some major takeaways.  

Training: 

• A trainer must be mentally present, especially with young horses. 
• Look for the horse with an amazing brain and strong work ethic, even if they don’t have “natural” talent.  
• Making a happy horse is the most important thing.  
• If you make preparations to balance the horse, you’ll spend a lot less time repeating movements.  
• Straightness comes from suppleness on both sides. 
• Don’t weigh too much on what happens as a young horse; set them up for success in the future.  
• Have a plan of what you want to work on before getting on.  
• Have confidence in the basics! 

Horse Welfare: 

• Know every part of your horse, including their mouth! Bit fit is incredibly important to having a happy horse. 
• Less is more. Most work their horses four to five days a week, including at least 1 hack day. 
• Don’t take personal disappointments out on the horse. The horse doesn’t care about losing! 
• Be strict with what you expect from your horse every day. Otherwise, it’s not fair to the horse. 

Staying Motivated: 

• Expect the same from yourself as you do from your horse. Treat yourself as an athlete. 
• Education should be #1 priority. 
• Mental sports coaching is a game changer. 
• You don’t learn by being perfect! 
• Don’t be afraid to fail and be talked about – at least they’re talking about you! 
• Doors will close but keep looking for the next door. 
• Have goals but know you might have to adapt and give up some control. 
• If you don’t find joy in the daily process, you will struggle.  
• “Until it’s my turn I will keep clapping for others.” 

Making & Keeping Connections: 

• Don’t burn bridges! 
• You never know who you are talking to! 
• Surround yourself with people with the same values as you.  
• Everything you do gets noticed. You never know who might be watching. 
• Be upfront and honest. 
• People will pay attention if you work hard. 

My favorite part of this trip was the friends I made. I know that I have lifelong friendships with Chloe, Katie, Kylia, Caroline, and our chaperone Kelly. Thank you to The Dressage Foundation for bringing us together from all over the country. Thank you to Margaret Duprey, Adequan, and all the other sponsors who made it possible for us to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It has truly changed my life.  

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