Will we see you in the Professional divisions next year?

Hi, everyone.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Recently, someone asked about my riding plans for 2008, so I thought I would answer that question today.

The current USEF regulations allow equestrians eighteen and older only two status options after the completion of the junior ranks; amateur or professional. Since I do not own my own horse, I will be registering with the USEF as a professional for the coming year. Young professionals often struggle with gaining beneficial equestrian experiences, as well as, developing the necessary skills required for professional competency. If a new, building-block-type, formalized option, such as apprenticeship, was added to the rules and regulations with requirements that included, for example, completing a formalized and structured internship with a designated USEF mentor over several years, many of the educational concerns of young and aspiring professionals could be addressed .

Horsemastership, a program that began in January 2007, addresses some concerns of today's young professionals. I was honored to be selected and participate in 2007, and again, in 2008. In January 2008, I will be writing a series of blogs about my experiences during the extremely educational week long program.

My long term goal is to become an equestrian professional, riding and showing at the Grand Prix level in the United States and, ultimately, riding for the US at the international level, as well. Currently, my short term goal is riding and showing as much as I can, gaining the experience needed to become a better professional.

Thank you for your continued support!
Talk to you later.
Maria Schaub

ASPCA MACLAY 2007 - Part II

On Saturday, November 3, 2007, the day of the Maclay final, all of the Beacon Hill riders got our horses in the ring before 4:00am to prepare them for the 6:30am class start.

One hundred fifty three riders navigated a first round course that required the horse and rider to produce a properly paced and well thought out and planned approach. I went forty fifth in the lineup and finished the first round before 9:00am. I Toon was on her game for the first round and I was proud of her.

For the second round, the flat phase, which directly followed the first round, the judges called back thirty riders, that were divided into three groups of ten. After the second round, I was called back on top.

The judges selected eighteen riders for round three which began at 4:45pm and I Toon and I were the last to go. After the second jump, I Toon was a bit strong and green in the mouth, so I changed the plan, attempting to give the mare breathing room and some time to settle. We had a rail and two inaccurate distances, but ended up in seventh place.

I was so proud of I Toon during the indoor season. Although she is still somewhat green she has come such a long way since January. I would like to thank Jim and Ellen Toon for the wonderful opportunity to ride a very special and talented young horse.

By the way, in case you did not catch the rest of the Maclay results, a fellow Beacon Hill rider, Elizabeth Lubrano, finished her junior career with the Reserve Champion title at the Maclay. Congratulations to Elizabeth, the other riders in the top ten as well as all the other riders who qualified for Syracuse.

If you were curious about the future of this blog given that my junior days will be ending on December first, then I wanted to let you know that Equisearch has asked me to continue to write a blog for the website.
So catch up with me next week with an answer to one of your recent questions.
Thanks so much for your continued support!
Talk to you later.
Maria Schaub

ASPCA MACLAY 2007 PART 1 - A TRIBUTE TO AARON

Hi, everyone!

Remember the wonderful gelding, named Aaron, that the Polle family had generously allowed me to show for the Ronnie Mutch Equitation class in March of 2007? Well, again, last week, the Polle family extended the same privilege to me, to ride their wonderful horse, Aaron, at the Maclay finals. Unfortunately, on the day Aaron was scheduled to be transported to Syracuse , he took a funny step, an untimely, freakish accident that ultimately resulted in him being put down. Most likely, you have experienced something like this first hand or it may have occurred with either a good friend's horse or barn mate's horse. The shocking news that a horse must be euthanized and encounter an untimely death, leaves most feeling sad and disappointed for the horse and for his owners and caretakers.
So, today, before recapturing the events from the Maclay weekend which will be in Part II of this blog, I wanted to write a tribute to a wonderful horse who touched me and others in a special way.

I recall seeing Aaron in the equitation ring back in 2004 at the WIHS Equitation Championship when Charlie Jayne rode him to third place overall. At first glance, I remember thinking that he had a wonderfully long and smooth stride, and a magnificent, kind and regal look. The next year, 2005, at WEF, I remember seeing him during the season but I especially remember his performance at the Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship when he placed with Catherine Wright, another eq rider, from North Run. Later that year, Catherine rode him at Lake Placid and the pair placed well in the Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship. In 2006, one of my close riding friends, Hilary Dobbs, showed Aaron during the WEF season with great success, and recently she told me that riding and showing him made the equitation truly a special experience for her. Late last year, Aaron was purchased by the Polle family for their daughter, Karen, and began his stay at Beacon Hill. His kind demeanor, sweet personality and elegant style, were all part of what made him special and to me, he stands out as one of the finest eq horses I have ever known.

Aaron was a beautiful, large, bay gelding with a flowing gait, kind face and a charming, charismatic presence. He has touched the hearts of many of the riders of my "era" in the big eq and he will be sadly missed. Although my riding time with Aaron was short-lived, he will always have a special place in my heart.




My sincerest condolences and regrets go to the Polle family for their loss.

Catch up with me later this week for the second part of this blog.
Talk to you later,
Maria Schaub

Raising the Bar the Madden Way

November 7 Update: Maria finished 7th in the Maclay Finals! Read more in this EquiSearch.com bulletin. Plus, check out the course maps from the finals in the bulletin!

A note from the editor: Frank (Maria's trainer) and Beezie Madden presented a special clinic at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament Wednesday. Read all about it in this EquiSearch.com postcard. Also, watch the EquiSearch.com homepage Saturday (tomorrow) night to find out who won this year's Maclay! I should have the bulletin up with the news by 9 p.m. EDT, so we can all find out how Maria did. *fingers crossed*

Thanks for reading!

Kate Lindon
EquiSearch.com Content Manager