Will you be giving younger students lessons now that you are a professional?
Hi, everyone!
The day after Christmas, I drove to Wellington, Florida, to work as a rider during the winter circuit. If you remember, I deferred my first year at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, to compete at the indoor shows and to gain some work experience in the industry. The trip to Wellington took two days but once I arrived, I was eager to begin working. I've also been busy getting settled and organizing my family's rental apartment near the show grounds.
Recently, someone asked if I would be giving lessons to younger students, now that I am officially a professional registered with the USEF. Currently, my short-term goal will be to train and ride horses and, when possible, to compete in the hunter and jumper divisions. I may become involved in teaching students at some point in the future, but that will not be my primary focus in the beginning of my professional career.
Catch up with me next week, for a blog about the Horsemastership program scheduled for the week of January 21, 2008. By the way, anyone can audit the week long program for free, an experience that I would highly recommend.
Thank you for your continued support!
Maria Schaub
15 Comments:
Thank you Maria for continuing this blog through the next year!! It will be wonderful to hear your story about your professional years. I think its great that you and a handfull of other selected riders will get the oppurtunity to ride in George Morriss' Clinic but I don't think you should be the only ones! There are thousands of other riders across America that dedicate money, time, work and lots of commitment into their riding. Unfortunatly, more than half of these riders don't have the financial support to get as far into the sport as they want. I think Mr. Morris and other top trainers/riders/judges and proffessionals in the sport should host clinics for riders who will never get the amazing experiences you have gotten. This clinic should be for the riders who can't afford expensive warmbloods and to show every weekend. It should be for the riders that work very hard to train their projects, or have an extra lesson or travel a little farther to compete at a big show. It should be for the riders who miss hanging out with their friends on Friday night to ride the new pony in the barn or save up for months to buy a new pair of boots. We should have a big clinic for the riders that are willing to dedicate their life and put everything on the line to excell in the sport but can't afford it. It would be the hightlight of their junior careers and the chance of a lifetime. You may think "Well, if they loved the sport, they would work just a bit harder and then they could atleast get some catch rides!" But there are hundereds of riders, including myself, that can't even afford the 'A' circuit but want to ride among the best more than anything in the world. This clinic should give the nobodies a chance to show the world that they can ride as good as the best, but couldn't prove it becuase they couldn't afford those 'A' shows! I know I am not the only one that feels this way! If YOU would like to ride in the Horsemastership Program, I think you should say why! Tell America why YOU deserve to ride in the program as much as today's top riders!
-a.a.e
I look forward to reading your next blogs, the week program sounds amazing! I'm going to have to look into it for a week in the summer. I strongly encourage you to teach when you get going more with your career, you truly have a classic style and are able to ride a horse with out cheating it.
p.s. i hope you will still come back to the Syracuse invitational and compete in some of the grand prix classes.
mmm. to the first comment, He does teach outside clinic's. He's been up in (rochester.. i think) to teach clinic's. My trainer has ridden in these clinic's too. (she said if there's another one, she'd consider taking my horse). I (also) agree that maybe once in a while he could have an adveritsed clinic( as i'm pretty sure he does) but steer it more towards all the non A rated show riders. I know great kids who have amazing eq, but only show on the local circut due to not having enough money.
Do you plan to sideline riding while going to College next year?
I apologize for the 1st comment.
Mr. Morris does teach other clinics- I'm riding in one this coming weekend. I don't ride on the A circuit, and I don't have a super fancy horse.
But I'm work really hard to show when I can, and clinic when I can.
Good Luck next week Maria! I'm going to try and watch atleast friday & saturday of the clinic!
why do u apologize for the first comment?? i think what this person is saying is a great idea!! yeah, sure, he does clinics for other riders, but i don't think they are as nice as the real horsemastership clinic. its great that he does that, but he should do one for the kids who can't afford the AA circuit! i can't even afford my own horse and i can only show on the local too so to ride in a clinic like that would be sooooo cool!!
I agree with a.a.e comment on having a clinic for great riders that just can't afford the "A"/"AA" rated shows every month to get noticed.The riders that want to show everyweekend, or would rather go riding then hang out with friends and dedicate your life to this sport. But it is so great that the top riders have a chance to have a clinic w/ George Morris! But I think we should have a chance too!
I agree with A.A.E also. Some kids have great riding abilities but have no money to do anything. Some people work their butts off to just fit in one horse show a month. And it is a local show. George Morris is the greatest rider/trainer/judge in the country actually in the world! I think people that can't afford to ride with him should be able to get a ride in with him. I ride at 'A' and 'AA' shows but there is a lot of work, a lot of money put, and a lot of effort put into it. I have never ridden in one of Mr.Morriss' clinics but I have watched all of them and they are amazing. I enjoy reading his books, they are very informing. If you really love horse riding and you do everything there is to do for horses just to get at least one local horse show in, you deserve to ride with the best. Maybe Mr.Morris could do at least three lower priced clinics a year and show some people the basics of riding. Like have some people that can't afford him just go into one of his clinics for not as much money as usual (and deserves it) and just work on flat work. No jumping and then they could get at least a little bit noticed. Good Luck Maria!! And good luck to everyone in their shows this coming year!
i am right there with you a.a.e. if only those of us without a ton of money could get that chance, that would be pretty amazing! i will be there auditing the clinic as many days as possible but i can't do all because of course stupid school gets in the way! erg. well atleast i live close by! woohoo! it's a pretty amazing thing for mr. morris to offer the clinic with free auditing. atleast were getting something and we get to watch all of these talented riders! let me know if your going!
- b.
Hey maria i was watching u show while i was eating food.. yum in the little mexican place @ littlewood!lol.. good job u looked great!
Thank you for the supporting comments!! It would be great to have a clinic for the kids on the local circuit. I was thinking it should be a jumping clinic though. Just becuase someone rides on the local circuit does not mean they can't jump. Most local circuits don't go higher than 3' though so a lot of people don't get the chance to compete in the eq medals. I will not be able to watch the clinic myself becuase I live too far away but I can't wait to hear about it from Maria! But a clinic for the local kids would be great and I know many riders who deserve it!
-a.a.e
Maria!
thanks so much for answering my question abot lesson giving! Hope you have a good time at the clinic!
Have to disagree. Ideal as that sounds, it's idealism without much realism. Anyway, the point of this particular clinic is to produce the equestrian world's next top professionals. I for one believe in the "trickle down effect" as far as the horse world works, so I believe this clinic will have a great impact on the horse world in general. It helps educate the young riders on the brink of breaking into the professional ranks. These are the next role models for equestrians of all backgrounds.
I completely understand the point of the clinic thank you very much! And my idea has plenty of realism. There are hundereds of riders who cant show 'A' circuit all the time but can and will become equestrain proffesionals! MANY of today's grand prix riders never owned expensive ponies and went to the Maclay! They just worked very hard and rode anything they could! I NEVER said there should NOT be a clinic for top riders like Maria! I said that they should host more clinics just like them but for the kids who work just as hard, if not harder, but can barely make it to an 'A' show once in a while! I can promise you that there are riders out there who could compete and win the Maclay but cant becuase they dont have the money to compete at all the qualifing shows! I know that life isn't fair but a clinic for those riders could definitly happen! This clinic is a good learning experience for people that watch but it doesnt affect most people in any way, shape or form. Nothing can compare to really getting the chance to participate in a great clinic with legendary proffesionals and no matter what you say, I think anyone should get the chance!
-a.a.e
the number of exclamation points in the above post just made my brain explode.
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