HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE MEDAL AND MACLAY FINALS - PART 1

HOW DO YOU QUALIFY FOR MEDAL AND MACLAY FINALS?
DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO "A" SHOWS? PART 1

In a continued effort to answer some of your questions, today will begin a two-part blog explaining how to qualify for the USEF Medal and the ASPCA Maclay finals. Eligibility to participate in the Medal and Maclay finals does not require going to "A" shows. Accumulating enough points required for your geographic location is the determining factor.

The USEF HUNTER SEAT MEDAL qualifying period begins October 1 and ends on September 30. A current membership in the USEF is required to enter a class. USEF Medal points accumulate by determining the number of entries in a class and placing in the first through fourth positions. Six entries in a class are required for the points to be valid.

The POINTS accumulate as follows:

With 6-15 entries: 1st place is 10 points, 2nd place is 6 points, 3rd place is 4 points, and 4th place 16 is 2 points.

With 16-30 entries: 1st place is 20 points, 2nd place is 12 points, 3rd place is 8 points, and 4th place is 4 points.

With 31 entries or more: 1st place is 30 points, 2nd place is 18 points, 3rd place is 12 points and 4th place is 6 points.

The geographic points required by STATE are as follows:

60 points for Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York residents,

38 points for Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island residents

25 points for Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin

13 points for all other states, Canada and Puerto Rico.

In 2005, over 250 junior riders participated at the USEF Medal finals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania! For further information about qualifying, please go to the USEF website and for information on the 61st Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show, please go to panational.org.

Next, will be information about the ASPCA Maclay.

Talk to you soon!
Maria Schaub

BACK TO SCHOOL AND SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL

Last week, on Wednesday after Maclay Regional, with the summer vacation at an end, senior year in High School began. Of course, the up and coming hectic schedule is quite a challenge especially with indoors around the corner. To add to the pulse of the situation, college applications are due in the next few months. In effort to avoid too much chaos, applications to college started during the first week of September in order to help make the situation somewhat less intense!

The school day begins at 7:30 am and ends at 1:45 pm. When it is not necessary to meet with a teacher after school to study or discuss an assignment, riding and helping at the barn occurs every day except Monday and returning home to complete school work does not occur until around 6:30 pm or later. On Saturday and Sunday, arrival at the barn is usually 8:00 am and the day ends around 5:00 pm or, sometimes later. Although the schedule does not leave much time for socializing, studying in the evening with friends has become a common part of life. There are times when going to the movies or out for a meal does happen with either school or barn friends.

Being busy doing what you like to do is great! The opportunity to ride and go to school present some challenges but the rewards far exceed the pitfalls!

Talk to you soon!
Maria Schaub

Chelsea Moss 26th

Many of you have been wondering how Chelsea Moss did in the Maclay Region 2 (East) qualifier on September 4. I emailed Krista Freundlich, an assistant trainer at Beacon Hill, for the answer, and she replied, "Chelsea was 26th. They guaranteed that they are taking 25 from our region, so she is first on the standby list. Last year when all was said and done they ended up taking 29 from Region 2, so we are hopeful that she will make it in the end!" Thanks for your comments!

Kate Lindon
EquiSearch.com

LESSON AT BEACON HILL SHOW STABLES 9/15/2006

Today, we had a group lesson in the indoor ring at Beacon Hill. For the horses and students, the lesson helped us to develop stability, control, timing, and smoothness. Before beginning the jumping exercises, the flatwork portion of our lesson incorporated the essentials of getting our horses off our inside leg and onto the outside reign. Then, we practiced lengthening and shortening the horse's stride while keeping him up to the bit and taking us, just like we were about to do in the cavaletti exercise.
Stacia’s exercise placed three cavallettis in the center of the ring that walked a three-stride to a three-stride. We jumped in groups of three; each rider did the line in a normal three to three about two or three times. During the second rotation, we rode in a three to a short four, and a short four to, then, a forward three, alternating each time. Afterward, we repeated the sequence going in the other direction. Before the lesson ended, some of the younger riders switched horses and repeated the exercise on an unfamiliar horse.
After finishing the jumping portion, we walked our horses around the ring for a while, so they would cool down after their exercise.
A favorite part of the lesson was Stacia's comment on the five important characteristics of a good rider which are as follows: being a hard worker and dedicated, having mental and physical strength, and lastly, having talent, and that, being the least important characteristic of them all.
The lesson was great preparation for horse and rider especially with the indoor equitation finals around the corner! It was a great experience for some of the younger students to get a feeling for what it is like to switch onto an unfamiliar horse. Watching younger barn mates change horses, brought this rider back to the time when, as a younger student, the trainer introduced this rider to a similiar experience for the first time. Smiling, thoughts are of the many great things that lie ahead for them in the future!


Talk to you soon!
Maria Schaub

MACLAY REGIONAL, 9/04/06- REGION 2


The day started bright and early at 6:15 am for the Maclay regional hosted by HITS Saugerties. All the riders had the opportunity to get their horses into the ring before the first class. The Beacon Hill junior riders schooled their horses with the guidance and assistance of Frank and Stacia Madden. The classes were run in the Grand Prix arena but only half the ring was used. After the course walk, at approximately 7:30 am, the Hunter warm-up class started with over sixty junior riders participating.

By 11:00 am, after a new course walk, the first round of the Region 2 qualifier had begun. The challenging course included two triple combinations, a few quick turns, and several bending lines. In the second part of the competition, the judges called back three groups of twelve to fourteen riders to complete the flat phase. The final phase was a test for the top six riders. The test included some of the following; hand galloping the first fence, a trot jump, and a turn on the haunches.

When the competition was finished, the top ten riders and two reserve considerations participated in a ribbon ceremony. At the ingate, following shortly thereafter, a list of the names of the remainder of the top twenty-five qualifiers was made available.

Overall, it was a good day for Beacon Hill!

Talk to you soon!
Maria Schaub

How has being on Horse Power affected you?

An invitation to participate in the television series, Horse Power, was an honor accepted without hesitation. The media and television exposure helped provide positive recognition for the hunter/jumper sport in general especially the junior equitation division. Having the opportunity to interact with the producers, camera crew, and television editors was another one of the many pluses from being in the cast.

The Beacon Hill team received wonderful responses from many people of all ages and backgrounds. It was a pleasure to be involved with friends and fellow riders, trainers and the Beacon Hill support staff in a television project.

Since the show aired in February, many people at horse shows, young and old, have asked about the show. Signing autographs was a unique and different kind of experience!
Considering the exposure of the sport to the public it would be an honor to be involved in the project again.

Next, I'll be posting about my experiences at yesterdays ASPCA Maclay Regionals!
Talk to you soon!

Maria Schaub

Maria Schaub 2nd at Maclay Region 2 Qualifier

Maclay Region 2 (East), which includes New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, held its qualifying show at the HITS-on-the-Hudson show grounds in Saugerties, NY, today.

The top 25 finishers in the Region 2 qualifier are:
1. Kitt Ritter, Cadeau, Charleston, SC
2. Maria Schaub, Whimsey, Holmdel, NJ
3. Kacey McCann, Comanche, Palmyra, PA
4. Emma Lipman, In Pursuit, Bedford, NY
5. Alyssa Grieco, Nurejev, Mahwah, NJ
6. Elizabeth Lubrano, Golou II, Glenmoore, PA
7. Addison Phillips, Icon, New York, NY
8. Hillary Dobbs, Aaron, Sussex, NJ
9. Jessica Springsteen, Cino, Colts Neck, NJ
10. Alexandra Duval, Cash, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
11. Carolyn Lichtenberg, Korino, Pelham, NY
12. Kimberley McCormack, Sundance, Clermont, NJ
13. Lindsay Clark, Riant, New Paltz, NY
14. Jesse Kimmelman, Onassis, Roslyn Heights, NY
15. Anna Becker, Luc, Branchville, NJ
16. Carolyn Curcio, Landstreicher 23, West Islip, NY
17. Tilden Brighton, American Idol, Rumson, NJ
18. Eleanor Kunsman, Triumph, Flemington, NJ
19. Kaelin Tully, Notorious, Sea Cliff, NY
20. Nicole Pucci, Oxford, Beford, NY
21. Grace Carucci, Undercover, Mill Neck, NY
22. Dominique Mungin, Cosabella, Yorktown Heights, NY
23. Lindsey Mohr, Lion King, Long Valley, NJ
24. Jacqueline Lubrano, Versace, Glenmoore, PA
25. Maya Bluestone, Archie, Huntington, NY

There are seven more regional qualifiers for the ASPCA Maclay National Championships (which will be held during the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, November 1-5, 2006):

• Region 1, Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT), Sept. 21-24 - Grand Fall Classic, Westbrook, CT
  
• Region 3, Southeast (AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV), Sept. 15-17 - RMI Chateau Elan Harvest, Braselton, GA
  
• Region 4, Midwest (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH), Sept. 20-24 - Kentucky National, Lexington, KY
  
• Region 5, Central (AR, IA, KS, LA, MO, MN, ND, NE, OK, SD, TX, WI), Sept. 13-17 - St. Louis National Charity, St. Louis, MO
  
• Region 6, Mountain (AZ, CO, NM, UT), Sept. 14-17 - High Prairie Fall Classic, Parker, CO
  
• Region 7, Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY), Sept. 13-17 NorthWest Autumn Finals, Monroe, WA
  
• Region 8, West (CA, HI, NV), Sept. 13-17 - The Oaks Fall Classic, San Juan Capistrano, CA