2024 Young Rider Dream Program Journal: Katie Staib (PA)
Photo by Horse and Hound Photography
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to participate in this amazing program and learn from such talented professionals in the dressage industry. I have dreamed about experiencing the wonders of Wellington, and this opportunity has allowed me to do so. This experience will allow me to further my education for my future in riding/developing horses of my own, as well as teaching dressage in the years to come.
Katie's Day 1 Journal:
This morning, we started the day off with a wonderful bit and bridle fitting session with Stephanie Brown-Beamer at High Meadows Farm. After discussing the intricacies and components of the equine mouth, including the palette, tongue, bars, flesh, and teeth, Stephanie showed us a large variety of bits and explained the importance of the individual fitting for each horse. She encouraged us and every rider for that matter to “get to know your horse’s mouth” in the same way that we “get to know their legs." She shared that when “there is something wrong in the body, it comes out in the contact”. For example, a poorly fitting bit changes the alignment of the jaw; therefore, affecting the alignment of the horse’s body.
At High Meadows and a neighboring farm in White Fences, we were able to see Olivia LaGoy-Weltz work both on the ground and under saddle with multiple horses. It was evident the amount of importance she places on groundwork and allowing her horses to find not only self-carriage but also relaxation in the absence of their rider. Young horses were a theme throughout our whole day. We got to watch Olivia ride Ziva, an up-and-coming five-year-old mare (Zoom x Millenium) who has been with her for only a couple of months. Olivia uses many different lines of travel to keep Ziva’s mind engaged and focuses on fixing one thing at a time in the development of her young horses. She worked to create bend and a more balanced canter by allowing the outside shoulder to take an outside path while encouraging the inside hind to come through. By doing so, she opened a door to allow the powerful hind-end energy that this mare possesses a place to go.
Olivia LaGoy-Weltz
We then went down the road to Poinciana Farm, owned by Jane Cleveland. We started off learning from the father-daughter duo, Scott and Sara Hassler, as we watched Sara ride under Scott’s instruction. Scott and Sara were a pleasure to learn from and embodied such passion for what they do. Scott had a list prepared to share with us all about all the qualities that make an FEI horse, and they presented a wonderful example of this in Sara’s mount for the day. The exceptional gelding demonstrated such happiness, relaxation, and, most importantly, fun in all of his work, which is exactly what Scott strives to create in his horse and rider teams. He emphasized that no matter where you are in your training, the “trenches” or a Wellington CDI, there is no better feeling than saying, “I made a difference today."
After wrapping up with the Hasslers, we got to see the method behind the magic of Poinciana Farm, a 60-stall boarding facility in Loxahatchee. Jane took us on an in-depth tour of all the planning and purpose she had for every square inch of the property, from the irrigation and drainage system to the private vet room and even the “dog park.” The facility she has orchestrated is truly incredible, and it was a privilege to be able to not only see her wonderful facility but also watch her ride Luxe, her up-and-coming three-year-old stallion, with John Amber.
We wrapped up our action-packed day with a lovely dinner at Beth Baumert’s house with special guest, Lendon Gray. It was very encouraging as we discussed each of our backgrounds and the journey that each one of us has traveled. Lendon was very supportive of our education not just in the saddle, but as young adults pursuing college and professions outside of the equine industry. A home-cooked meal with such kind and hospitable people made a perfect end to the day.
With Lendon Gray, Jennifer Baumert, and Beth Baumert
Katie's Day 2 Journal:
Buckle up for this busy day recap. We spent the morning and afternoon at the prestigious Adequan Global Dressage Festival watching and talking with some of the most amazing international riders from our table in the VIP Tent. Over breakfast, brunch, and lunch we got to meet over 16 different professional riders, including multiple Olympians. While we had quite a few people planned to see today, a huge part of the many discussions and connections we made were thanks to Reese Koffler-Stanfield, of the Dressage Radio Show. Her enthusiasm and sociability are truly remarkable, and I am so grateful that she was able to spend her day with us.
After watching Jennifer Williams compete aboard Berlin in this morning’s Prix St. Georges, we were able to learn a great deal about her journey and business strategy in sales. Jen taught us a great deal about syndication and the importance of a strong and healthy rider/sponsor relationship. She prides herself in developing partnerships where the horse, rider, and owners enjoy the journey. She mentioned that “we all start somewhere,” and if your horse is a 62-63% horse, go and earn those 62 and 63% scores and pursue experience, and learn all that you can.
Special Guests Under the Tent and My Biggest Takeaways:
We were very fortunate to have a visit from Kim Herslow, a Pan American Games Gold Medalist, who was a force to be reckoned with aboard her gelding, Reno.
- “Always listen to your gut and instinct”
Hilary Moore-Hebert joined us for quite a while at our table and shared with us a great deal of learning how to grow your own niche in the industry and promote yourself.
- “Make your brand and know your audience”
We even got a chance to meet the Courtney King-Dye, as she and Lendon made their way around the tent, as well as Rebecca Hart. Becca was able to join us for a while and offered amazing information and education to us not only about Para Dressage but leading a life of integrity.
- “You see the top of the iceberg on social media, you don’t see all that is underneath the water (the baggage and struggle). Everyone has something in their life.”
- “You are never too special to clean a stall or bridle”
- “You don’t have everything figured out”
- “Everyone has something to teach you”
- “People will close doors, and others will open”
We met another dressage duo today, Sarah and Lee Tubman. After hearing about Sarah and Lee’s incredible journeys, I got to ask one of my favorite questions about “work/life balance” in the industry. While it has been evident that many professionals struggle with this, Lee was very passionate about this topic. He mentioned that although it is not always successful, he pushes for two days a week off to play with his dogs, refresh, and relax both mentally and physically.
Later in the afternoon, we traveled down the road and toured the incredible TYL, “Thank You Lord,” Farm with Adrienne Lyle and Betsy Juliano. From meeting superstar horses, riders, and owners, to learning more about Adrienne and Betsy’s rider/sponsor relationship, and watching Adrienne teach both Christian Simonson and Quinn Iverson, it was just incredible. I could write on and on about all that I learned from my short time there, but one of the greatest takeaways from Adrienne for me was balance. Not just rider balance, or horse balance, but training balance. The systematic and intentional schedule of her horse’s work builds a recipe for success. From the balance within high-level work, to hack days, and aqua training her horses are impeccably well-rounded and happy. Listed below are some of my very favorite quotes from our time with Adrienne and Betsy.
- Advice for their 20-year-old self – “Where there is a will there is a way” - Adrienne
- “Failure is not final, and setbacks are not anything to be sad about” – Adrienne
- “Be patient, ride ups and downs, be true to your own principles” – Adrienne
- On social media “people tear people down, and it’s terrible”. Often, “riders at the top are the most supportive of one another because they are sympathetic to what everyone is going through” – Betsy
- “Don’t get frustrated and let the horse feel anything negative. A lot of frustration comes from a rider without the tools to solve the problem. Work with someone who can advise you”. - Adrienne
We rounded out the day with dinner back at the Airbnb with Dr. Hilary Clayton. We touched on a large range of topics including ice boots, sport boots, the nuchal ligament of the neck, nosebands, bits, feet, hay nets, and feed buckets, and last but not least the many intricacies of pre-purchase exams. It was a great way to recap all of the things we learned from our time here so far and see it from a medical perspective.
Meeting Olympians Adrienne Lyle and Salvino!
Katie's Day 3 Journal:
Like yesterday, we started our day at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival with a wonderful breakfast and this time watched trainer and former Olympian, Charlotte Bredahl, coach Dennesy Rogers’ warmup before her U25 test. We got a chance to talk with Charlotte after Dennesy’s test to find out more about how they met one another. We followed Charlotte to another farm to teach a fellow TDF grant recipient, Kristina Harrison-Antell. Both Charlotte and Krissy like to keep their training “short and sweet” like many other high-performance riders.
Just like Adrienne, Charlotte and Krissy explained the importance of practicing “creeping steps” in the piaffe to keep the energy forward and horse in front of the leg. By doing so, the pair owns the “in-between” between the piaffe and passage. Charlotte and Krissy are similar in many ways but differ at times when it comes to work-life balance. Krissy ensures that she remains professional in her relationships, creates clear expectations with her clients, and steps away from the barn and her calendar. While they are both very busy individuals, Charlotte often finds herself working seven days a week but prioritizes time to do activities outside of horses, such as tennis and ballroom dancing.
Learning from Charlotte Bredahl and Kristina Harrison-Antell
As we sat at the table, so generously donated to us from Adequan, we got to talk with Sven Steffens-Smienk about his journey and philosophy with young horses.
- “A young horse is a plain canvas, and you are painting a picture”
- “If they are not held responsible on the ground at home and at shows, they are going to drag you around the ring”
- “Never set expectations, especially on the first day of the week, every day is a new day”
After lunch, we talked about all things education and judging with “The Bills,” Bill Warren and Bill McMullin. Their experience, judge’s eye, and encouragement of leading an educational path forward was a great conversation to be had while watching the national rings at Global.
Some downtime meant a quick jaunt to Tackeria Tack Store for some shopping and then back to Global to talk with Katherine Bateson-Chandler to hear about her experience working for Robert Dover alongside Ashley Holzer, as well as her time in Europe with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin. She strives to keep the same routines and habits here in Wellington as in Europe, such as the four-day work, two-day hack, and one day off training schedule per week.
We ended our busy day under the night lights at Adequan Global Dressage Festival socializing with VIP members all thanks to Adequan and their generosity in supporting The Dressage Foundation. We enjoyed a total of nine Grand Prix freestyles and were able to use all that we have learned these past couple of days to better observe and analyze each ride down centerline.
Katie's Day 4 Journal:
We began our last full day in Wellington at the incredible Five Rings Farm watching Genay Vaughn and her American-bred mare, Fleur Noir. Genay walked us through her entire warmup routine and training schedule. She gave us so much advice from fitness to college life and family. She prioritizes her fitness out of the saddle by doing sprint intervals, and core exercises, as well as lifting light weight-high rep squats and arms. In the same way that we as people become sore due to lactic acid buildup in our muscles, Genay explained that this is just as important to consider when working our horses. Because of this, she rides four to five days a week in one of those days is spent stretching, hacking, or galloping on the gallop track. One of Genay’s biggest pieces of advice for young riders is to “never be afraid to fail or embarrass yourself.” In a world of judgment and social media comparison, she said, “Don’t care what people think, if they’re talking about you, you must be pretty relevant.”
After a quick tour of Five Rings Farm, we headed back to Global for the day to enjoy some food while watching some great rides, including the amazing Century Club ride by Mrs. Ann Romney. It was so wonderful to be there to celebrate the life of such a dedicated horsewoman!
Great conversation with Genay Vaughn
Katie's Wrap-Up
This trip has been the most transformative week of my equestrian career. From the education I have gained in meeting such high-performance equestrians to feeling as if I have gained a whole dressage family, it has truly been remarkable. I have walked away with countless amounts of information regarding training, exercises, scheduling, networking, and competing that will help me greatly in my future. However, I can say that an even bigger takeaway from all the discussions we have had with professionals is to ensure that we as equestrians create and sustain healthy relationships within the industry by being a person of integrity. Character means everything for every rider's future successes, and not only do we owe it to others to be kind, but to our horses. I am so grateful to have been able to participate in this program and represent The Dressage Foundation thanks to all their generous donors. Thank you so much for following along with my "dream" journey!
