March 2020 Issue

Page 10 March 2020 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN F elicitas V on N eumann -C osel J ennifer W oodruff Felicitas has lived in the US for 30 years working out of First Choice Farm in Maryland as an international dressage trainer and competitor. Encouraged by her mentor and employer Gene Freeze she went back to Germany and completed her master’s degree as an instructor (Reitlehrer FN) not only first in the class but also with the best scores ever awarded up to that point. Since, she has trained numerous horses to Grand Prix. With Tonico do Top, a Lusitano stallion, she has won the BLM Grand Prix Championship 4 years in the row, 2012-2015 and the BLM Grand Prix Freestyle Championship the last three years. They won the 2014 and 2015 Regional Grand Prix Freestyle Championship. She has won many championships on horses of different breeds. One of the most frequent compliments to her is the obvious improvement of the horse’s movement and development of their top line as they move up through the levels. She is also recognized as a rider with a beautiful position, as one can see on the cover of the book “Horse and Rider- Back to Back” and throughout many of the pages inside. Felicitas has been a frequent contributor to Dressage Today ; most noted are the arti- cles about “Work on the hills for the dressage horse” as well as an article about “Positive Tension” and “Self Carriage”. The last article was written for “ Practical Horseman ” on the subject of “Bending” She is also contributing to Dressage Today Online . In the early years of the USDF instructors program she was one of the examiners until her schedule did not allow it any longer. She is an effective and articulate clinician whose style is sympathetic to the horse. Her strength lies in making the horse more beautiful and allowing them to express them- selves. She is sympathetic to the horse and each is trained according to his individual needs and temperament following classical dressage principles. Felicitas patiently en- courages the horse to stretch into a soft hand, lift his back and carry his own neck, as if peering over the edge of a cliff. She bases her work on classical methods as exemplified by the best of the European tradition. Typically participants and auditors alike benefit immensely from the creative and subtle strategies Felicitas shares with them. All leave with a better understanding of how to enhance the flow of their horse’s energy from back to front, and front to back again. Thoughts on a Horse’s Biomechanics (Fri., 1 pm, Round Pen Arena) Dressage to Improve Body Awareness (Fri., 3 pm, Large Arena) Helpful Tools to Improve Rider Position (Sat., 1 pm, Round Pen Arena) How the Rider Influences the Horse in Dressage (Sat., 3 pm, Large Arena) Jennifer Woodruff is a career horsewoman with more than 30 years of experience as a competitor, trainer, clinician and judge. During her career she has trained and shown a great variety of breeds from Ara- bians, Morgans, Saddlebreds and Tennessee Walking Horses to Quarter Horses, Appaloosas and Hunters. She holds judges’ cards with 6 different national organizations (PtHA, USEF, POAC, ABRA, GVHS, and NWHA), is an approved 4-H judge in more than 10 states (Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Ken- tucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York and the New England States) and has judged more than 500 shows ranging from 4-H and schooling hunter shows to world level competition. Jennifer holds an AAS degree in Saddlehorse Management and Production at The State University of New York at Morrisville. As a youth, she participated for many years in 4-H and, as an adult, she has been an active supporter of this worthwhile youth organization at both the local and state levels. She serves on the Ohio State 4-H Judges Committee and aids in the develop- ment of clinics to educate youth as well as the state’s 4-H judges. As a 4H Judge, she is well known in the Maryland area as a repeat judge for the Maryland State Fair 4H Horse Show. Jennifer is an internationally recognized clinician, having served as a featured presenter at various expos, POA National Convention, as well as numerous clinics from day long 4H events to breed club hosted weekends. She is known for her “Show and Tell” style which is a judged show with personal critique over the PA system, as well as the “Ready Set Show” format, styled for beginner to intermediate level exhibitors in a variety of topics from showmanship to pattern classes such as eq- uitation, horsemanship, trail, western riding and over fences classes. Between judging commitments, Jennifer coaches a select group of clients in central Ohio from 4H level to AQHA Congress Finalists. Riled Up for Ranch; Get the Judge Excited About Your Ride (Thurs., 3 pm, Equine Arena) From Racing to Riding; Retraining the Standardbred (Fri., 11 am, Equine Arena) Training for Triumph; Showmanship & In-Hand Trail (Sat., 4 pm, Round Pen Arena) Honing in on Harmony; Western Dressage & Equitation (Sun., 11 am, Large Arena) Visit Jennifer Woodruff at the New Horizons Equine booth 821. Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 8:30 pm Buy your tickets early for Theatre Equus