"Epic" weekend with Boyd Martin

This weekend we had not only amazing weather here in Cleveland, but we also had Boyd Martin one of the top Event trainers and riders in the country grace our town for two days.  Boyd is on the injured reserve list as he rehabs his ankle, and he graciously came in short notice to teach us all a thing or two about jumping, and a lot about what it means to be good horsemen and women.

Friday night the crew from White North and South Farm were treated to an Indians game with Boyd courtesy of Jessica Hart and Matt Dolan.  They made our evening very special by generously giving us each a ticket to sit in their season seats which are right in the front row behind the dugout on the third base line.  Jessica and Matt also gave Boyd a grand tour of the field, and made sure he had an amazing experience at a classic American Baseball game, with Matt giving him the play by play and strategy commentary while discussing the differences between cricket and baseball.  The Indians put on an outstanding show coming away with a win against the Mariners in an exciting home run finish in the last inning, and topped it off with a stellar fireworks show set to Beatles music to kick off the summer season. 

Saturday, we got down to business with  Jessica and I each taking a private dressage lesson.  The lesson I had was hugely beneficial, as Captain is difficult to ride on the flat, and we worked ALOT on his lateral suppleness especially on the right side.  Boyd helped me find better "gears" in both the trot and canter, and reminded me to use transitions ("5000 times") to make my horse "great".

 I was extremely pleased with how rideable Captain was, and we have lots of good homework.  As a side note, one of my clients had asked me why I, an upper level dressage rider, was taking a flat lesson.  My response in a nutshell...there is ALWAYS more to learn, and the moment you think you know everything is the moment that you never really got it in the first place.

As we transitioned into the jumping portion of the clinic, it was apparent that Boyd wanted to drive home some specific points.  He prefaced each group with a chat about why you come to a clinic and what you hope to achieve and take away.  He also stressed that WATCHING the OTHER riders and deciding what you could add or not may be very beneficial.  Here is a basic diagram of the course:

We started out jumping the vertical in the diagonal treble away and figure eighting back to the oxer in the middle and halting in a straight line to get the horses jumping.  We then progressed to the grid of oxers, which had a balancing pole 3yds before each jump to help the horses make a better shape and work on our positions.  We proceeded to work through the course addressing proper rhythm, and the five phases of the jump as it pertained to each rider.  For me, the landing and departure phases were what was stressed, and that I stay in my two point just a bit longer on landing, as well as riding MUCH straighter away from every fence.  We had a wonderful BBQ at White North afterwards organized by Jami and her husband Rick that was a great opportunity to socialize and recap the day.

Sunday took us to South Farm, where Boyd and Chris Gable devised a fantastic course that was very different from anything we have done there before.  Chris moved over a dozen portables, and utilizing the field behind the dressage rings they set a variety of questions for all levels.  They made some interesting exercises at the bank and water complexes that tested horse and rider commitment and ability to maintain a line.  For the seasoned group he stressed adjustability to the coffin and riding a VERY accurate close distance to the "A" portion of the combination.  I have to say that on a personal level, I found out just how special a horse I have, and I want to take this opportunity to once again thank Courtney Cooper for finding this horse for me in Ireland.  He makes everything feel easy and fun, and handles everything in style.  I had a great time watching all my friends and clients jump around, and have to give a shout out to Sarah Greer and Sara Welsh who dusted off the old XC vest and looked amazing on their new horses after a several year hiatus!


Looking back, I think this was one of our best clinics ever, and I appreciate everyone's hard work for making this such a successful event.  I had the fortunate circumstance to develop a solid competition plan for Captain with Boyd, as well as a stricter conditioning program.  We will compete at Training until Richland, and then hopefully (fingers crossed) move him to Preliminary by the end of the year.  I feel very blessed to have this horse to ride and am so grateful for the people that continue to sponsor and believe in me to ride him.  Thank you Boyd for taking the time to come out and coach all of us...it was invaluable!