USDF proudly presents the Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference each January, providing two days of intensive learning through demonstration rides and question-and-answer style teaching. We asked our social media followers who attended the 2025 edition of the event to share some of their most valuable takeaways with us, and they offered up a plethora of tidbits and photos!
This year’s event was hosted January 20-21, 2025 at High Meadow Farm in Loxahatchee, Florida and featured Christine Traurig and Monica Theodorescu as clinicians.
– Lainey J.
I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. I learned by reading anything I could get my hands on—books, magazines, online editorials—you name it, I read it. I became a working student, and was a barn rat. It was not easy. Everything was a 45 minute drive away, and I did not grow up on made horses. I had quarter horses, grade horses, Craigslist horses, thoroughbreds, and ponies over the course of my childhood. We showed at the county fair and I had a $200 synthetic saddle. But I was hungry to learn and to become better. I watched all of the livestreams of riders down in Florida, and one day aspired to be there. Not in a physical sense, but a state of being. Whatever that elusive thing was, I wanted to be *there*. I’m not even sure to this day I can accurately describe it, but if you’ve felt it, you know what I’m talking about.
Then, I discovered Dressage. I was not a dressage kid. I knew how to do some basic lateral work, sure, and get a horse on the bit. But shoulderfore? True collection? I was hungry to learn. Again, I read, and took lessons, and learned, and applied. I watched videos. I studied. The beautiful thing about our sport is the pursuit of excellence (not perfection). Becoming an excellent partner for your horse, demonstrating a harmonious partnership, and becoming a better person in the process. It’s a wonderful thing and I’m honored to do what I do every day.
Getting a deeper dive into our sport in our “Mecca” (Wellington) through the United States Dressage Federation Official Page’s Young Rider Graduate Program, the FEI Trainers Conference, and more, was incredible. As I sat in those chairs, we discussed the state of our sport and our industry, coaching, branding, musical freestyles, being a show manager, young horse handler, technical delegate, ethics, having the courage to try, sponsorship, syndicates, legal contracts, the journey, and everything in between. You name it, we likely touched on it. Our sport and industry is complex, but what stood out to me was everyone’s overwhelming dedication and desire to do what’s right by the horse. Everyone’s overwhelming love of horses. How can we be better, do better, and operate better.
At the FEI Trainer’s Conference, it was a masterclass in feel by both Monica and Christine. Their passion was palpable, their note for correct basics was firm, and the horses progressed and came out even better the second day—a true testimate to their knowledge and skill as coaches. As Christine put when she came to speak to us on coaching at our Young Riders Graduate Program, there are trainers, riders, mentors, and coaches. All are very different roles in our industry. I think they both exemplified an expertise in being defined as a “coach” that was a gift to watch unfold in front of us.
I was blessed (massive thanks to Heather Petersen) to watch George Williams coach (another masterclass itself) and watch the warm up rings at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival for two days. You can learn so much just by listening and watching. What an incredible venue. To watch 20+ Grand Prix rides in a row, with live scoring, was amazing and inspiring. Just by being around this level of competition, you feel inspired to become better.
I’m sure there’s much more I’ll digest about the trip later, but overall I am inspired by those that are so passionate about the horse. As many reiterated, our #1 priority is the horse. What a gift to be around so many amazing people..
– Teresa Ball
– Reese K.-S.
– All Dressage Association (A.D.A.)
. Tomorrow we have a 7am flight back to Washington. I’m so inspired to ride and try the exercises from this experience!– Jessy O.
Olympian & Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig & German Olympian Monica Theodorescu spent time working through the upper levels.
My main take aways (these are my words or loosely quoted)
•Leg Yeald must go UP THE staircase, NOT DOWN to the basement.
•Hind legs stay committed to the contact.
•After lateral work, REFRESH!
•Outside Elbow must accommodate the inside flexion.
•The Dinner Plate 🍽️: Ride on the edge of the plate. Not in terms of size but in support of the outside of the horse.
•”Let your outside rein breathe🌬️”
•Outside rein needs to accommodate the inside flexion
•Contact is a destination, not a stop sign.
•”Tempo to contact”
•Ride precisely. Other wise the exercise is useless.
•(on lateral work)It’s not how sideways you go, it’s about keeping the balance, no nose dives.
•”Let horses SWING into the contact.”
•Be happy with the small improvements. Maybe that _____is not for today. Maybe that _____ is for tomorrow.
•Find the “Sweet Spot” for bending in the ribs
•Horses must be “Off, around and ahead of the inner leg.”
•Horses that are correct on the circle should have NO crossing of the hind legs. On 2 tracks.
•Counter Canter!!!!!
#YourDressage
— feeling inspired at White Fences Equestrian Center.
– Suzannah W.
This years presenters were Monica Theodorescu and Christine Traurig.
Eight demo combinations rode each day. There was a great variety of horses from a green four year old to Grand Prix.
A few of the horses were as Christine Traurig put it “ impressed” with their surroundings.
Each presenter had her own style, but their messages were totally consistent and complimentary to each other. I loved the way Monica put it when she said – there isn’t really classical vs. modern dressage – there is good vs. bad dressage.
The first day every horse and rider focused on basic gymnastisizing. Whether the horse needed mental and/or physical relaxation, suppling, connection, etc. the presenters zoomed right in to help the horse with their needs.
Exercises given to each rider were focused on the training scale and where the horse “was in each moment” within the training scale. All the exercises were user friendly and logical to the horses. The improvements made for each pair were crystal clear and in a few cases dramatic.
The second day the horses all started out much improved from day one. A great indicator of the correctness of Day 1 work. Each combination was asked to advance a bit more in challenges asked and each horse rose to the occasion.
It was two great days of super training sessions, showing that training can and should be done with harmony and relaxation.
A big thanks to Mary Anne Mcphail for once again providing her first class facility for the Trainers Conference. Your generosity and support to the sport is unparalleled.
And as a final note – thanks to all the horse and rider combinations that were willing to train in front of 300 spectators with these two top international trainers. Without you – this type of educational opportunity would not be possible.
I loved all the horses – but I have to say – Mares Rule
– Kristi Wysocki
Gained new vocabulary and concepts, patterns to apply.
Commiting myself to this passion I will E.A.T dressage.
Educate , Accessibility, Transparency – my goals for 2025🎠
“There’s not been one horse who came too late to Grand Prix, but many too soon. “
The notes https://www.facebook.com/ElizaSydnorDressage?mibextid=ZbWKwL
– Anna T.
– Jennifer G.
– Marian H.-H.
Proper positioning was a key point throughout the day with an emphasis on correct flexion and bend produced from the correct balance.
Serpentines were a popular exercise ranging from 3 to 6 loops.
Both presenters emphasized that the training must be done in an adjustable and convenient way for the horses. Monica even pointed out that there is only good riding or bad riding and we must always try to do our best to go in the best way for each horse. “The classical principles will never guide you the wrong way.”
We then had an evening session with Janet Foy, Ali Brock, Robert Dover, and Tuny Page, with the discussion being led by Lendon Gray “From An Instructor’s Perspective: The Current State of Affairs, Ethics, and Social License” which turned into a wonderful Q & A session on how the Dressage community can better itself through more kindness and collaboration among its educated community and also how we can more effectively advocate for our horses and bring about more education on a he welfare of our horses involved in the sport.
31 typed pages of notes later and I need to decompress before I start editing what my fingers were furiously typing all day long…can’t wait for day two
– Megan C.
Lovely horses and good riding
66 degrees and cloudy/drizzle, not complaining.
– Barbara L.
– Ginny W.
– Heather B.
– Dana F.
– Marie M.
– Bethany H.-K.
– Jaralyn G.
– Carolyn D.
– Leading Edge Dressage
Christine Traurig and Monica Theoderesco were walking, talking encyclopedias of dressage theory and brought that theory to life with every horse. They thoroughly parsed the importance of SUPPLENESS! :
One of my favorite quotes: “We ride curved lines to make our horses straight” summed up alot.
Riding basic bending lines (circles, serpentines, broken lines) with correct geometry and bend develops suppleness and the ability to move the horse’s shoulders. This ability allows the rider to put the horses shoulders in front of the haunches and create straightness, or shoulder fore.
Once the horse is straight the rider can start to influence the horse’s hind legs(using transitions, sh-in, h.s-in, half-pass), develop “looseness behind the saddle”, and create engagement/collection. But… no suppleness, no collection!
It was so fun to see, with horse after horse, how emphasis on the base of the training scale (suppleness) influenced the top of the training scale (collection). Theory in motion!!
Thanks so much to Christine and Monica for their time and tireless effort over two days!!
– Joy C.
[…] and the USDF Dressage Development Program. I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainer’s Conference in January this year with my coach. It was super in so many ways, AND it confirmed for me – […]