After Julie and I judged the IEA National Finals, I returned a few days later to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg for the IHSA National Championship Horse Show, May 5-8.
This was the 13th consecutive year I've documented the competition for the United States Hunter Jumper Association's In Stride Magazine. Few other shows rival the team spirit and camaraderie shown by the college students who qualify, and the energy is contagious and only builds as the show progresses and the points are tallied!
I'm continually impressed by the passion that founder Bob Cacchione brings to the arena. He meets and greets students, parents, coaches and spectators throughout the event, welcoming everyone from volunteers to arena staff with a smile, hug or a wave.
This year I had the privilege of doing the live stream commentary of the USEF/Cacchione Cup with the venerable Sally Batton, a mainstay of the IHSA program. We had a wonderful time providing viewers with our thoughts on the competition, and Sally shared her vast knowledge of the IHSA and its history. I give a special thanks to IHSA Executive Director Peter Cashman for asking me to commentate; I quite enjoyed this new experience!
Spending the past two weeks attending these competitions reminded me once again how fortunate we are to have horses in our lives. I loved watching the riders finish their rounds and rewarding their mounts with pats, hugs and kisses. Many of the riders who competed don't have the means to afford a pony or horse, but thanks to the IHSA and IEA, during their classes in the show ring they owned it all.
During the IHSA Nationals, we observed that some riders weren't holding the Pelham reins correctly. Once again, we want to reiterate that the proper way to hold the reins (top photo) is stipulated in the USEF Rulebook, and riders will be penalized for this mistake (bottom photo).
Because I've seen this happening more and more, I produced a video to explain the proper way to hold the Pelham reins. I hope this will help anyone who might wonder why we hold the reins as we do and the reasoning behind the use of this type of bit.
Julie Winkel on the proper adjustment of a Pelham bit and how to hold the reins
Social Media Recap
We were thrilled to see that coach CJ Law of Mount Holyoke College shared this post on Facebook! "My riders are listening to Sara Hearn, our team captain, as she is reading from the book on Judging Hunters and Equitation WTF? (Want The Facts?) written by Julie Winkel and Tricia Booker. The best way to make the trip go faster to Harrisburg, PA. Thank you Julie Winkel and Tricia Booker!"
Do you have any judging questions? Hit the button and let us know!
You can find Julie attending the Sonoma Horse Park Spring Classic I in Sonoma, California, from May 10-15. Tricia will be judging the Brownlee Equestrian Horse Show, May 14-15, in Reno, Nevada. Julie and Tricia will then be at Maplewood Stables for the annual Spring Adult Horsemanship Camp, May 19-22.
To learn more about Tricia's and Julie's upcoming clinics and book signings, please view their calendar on judgingwtf.com and Julie's clinic schedule on maplewoodstables.com.
This newsletter is based on the book Judging Hunters and Equitation WTF? (Want The Facts?) by Julie Winkel and Tricia Booker.
We're thrilled to have you join us as we spend time together talking about judging, the history of the sport, scoring, tips to improve your show ring performances, judges' pet peeves, and show ring strategies, and best of all answering your questions! Something on your mind? Email us: info@judgingwtf.com
