We are celebrating youth riders throughout the month of August on YourDressage! We will be featuring stories from juniors, young riders, and young adult equestrians, as well as sharing some of the many USDF programs dedicated to the next generation of our sport.
Here, a fourteen-year-old rider from Region 3 shares her experience attending the annual Youth Clinic presented by her local GMO, and how they enrich the experience for their youth.
By Aubrie Juda
Each year, the youth of the South Carolina Dressage and Combined Training Association (SCDCTA) are given the incredible educational opportunity of a Youth Clinic. The weekend is jam-packed with lessons from an FEI trainer, lectures, and experiences to remember. This year’s clinic was made possible through fundraising efforts and gracious sponsors such as Elhanan Equestrian and Mad Kat Dressage. There have been many clinics held through the years, but this one was my first. It was held at the beautiful South Carolina Equine Park in Camden, South Carolina. I was very grateful to ride under their covered arena during the Carolina heat. The trainer for this year was Adam Lastowka of Atlanta Dressage. Being new, I was very impressed with the education and the community.
We were constantly learning throughout the clinic. On Friday, the night we arrived, we had dinner together with a lecture. We talked about the different associations and their requirements, awards in different associations, and a few USEF and FEI rules to be aware of. This conversation was led by Sandra Bussey. She kept it open and allowed people to pipe in with their own experiences and knowledge. It was also great to have the opportunity to have questions answered from somebody with expertise on the matter.
Throughout the weekend, we each got two forty-five-minute lessons with Adam, a 5-star rated dressage trainer from Georgia. He was kind and patient, but also very “to the point.” I learned a lot from him in just a short period! He gave a lot of exercises that could easily be recreated and practiced at home to improve. Each junior was also encouraged to watch each other ride. This, in my opinion, is where most of the learning happened. We were given notebooks and pens, and we spent a lot of the day taking notes on the lessons. This was such a great idea because we learned a lot from each other, and we were left with a book of ideas and exercises! Kathryn Butt did an amazing job explaining to us that no matter what level we were, we could learn from each other. Just as she said, I learned something new from every single lesson I watched. Throughout the weekend, learning was made FUN!
I was very impressed with the community of people during the clinic. Even though I was new, I felt immediately welcomed by the group. This started well before the clinic! Many of the girls privately messaged me and added me to their SCDCTA Juniors group chat! They wasted no time in making me feel included, which was extremely kind. It goes to show how empathetic the community is. We were all assigned group tack rooms for the weekend. I was placed with two of the sweetest sisters. Even though we just met, they kept up an easy conversation with me, calming my nerves. I was very grateful for them. Our group dinner Friday night was also a great way to get to know people. There, Kathryn explained to us exactly how the weekend was going to go, which was very reassuring since it was my first time. That’s another example of the empathy this community has.
Kathryn and Sandra also mentioned that they recommended braiding the horse’s manes for the clinic. This made me a little nervous because I had no experience braiding. But Lillian Frenzel, SCDCTA’s Youth Representative, approached me to offer to teach me. She didn’t know if I knew how to braid or not, but she just wanted to offer out of the kindness of her heart. She taught me very well and patiently, and I’ve felt motivated to practice several times since then. Having such a caring person like Lillian in a position of authority seems to make positivity trickle through the community. It was also so cool to have so many of the other juniors watching each other ride and complimenting each other on their lessons. I felt supported this whole weekend even though I just met everybody in the group.
Overall, I learned a lot from the 2024 SCDCTA Youth Clinic, such as how to navigate the associations, new exercises to do with my horse, and all about the other members! The clinic was such a motivating experience for me. It was so well thought out and put together, from all of our gracious sponsors, to the jam-packed schedules, and to the lectures. I highly recommend applying for next year’s clinic, no matter the level you’re at. I know I will!
Sounds like an informative and great experience. So glad Aubrie was able to attend.