March 2023 Issue

Page 6 March 2023 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Sally Batton Carl Bledsoe See Carl Bledsoe at the Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship booth 418 See Sally Batton at the Athletic Equestrian booth 419 Sally Batton was the head coach of the Dartmouth College Division I Varsity Equestrian Team for thirty years, coaching dozens of riders to regional, zone and national titles. She is the past Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Steward and in 2013 was presented with the IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions and leadership within the organization. In 2020, Coach Batton was inducted into the inaugural class of the IHSA Hall of Fame. She currently travels all over the US, including Alaska and Hawaii, teaching clinics to riders of all ages and levels. Batton is the author, along with co-writer Christina Keim, of The Athletic Equestrian, a Horse & Rider Books publication. Her next book, Equicize, will be published in spring 2024. An avid polocrosse enthusiast, Batton is a past board member of the American Polocrosse Association (APA), past member of the United States Pony Club Polocrosse Committee, a certified APA Polocrosse Coach and the author of Polocrosse: AustralianMade, Internationally Played. Batton is a certified instructor with both the United States Hunter Jumper Association and the American Riding Instructor’s Association (ARIA); in 2008, she was named ARIA Instructor of the Year. She is the Founder and President of the Athletic Equestrian League, an organization which offers horsemanship education and competition opportunities to English andWestern riders fromfirst grade through adult. She is also the host of the Athletic Equestrian Riding in College Podcast. Batton holds an Equestrian Studies degree fromLake Erie College and amaster’s degree in Communications fromFairleigh-DickinsonUniversity. Equicize; Keep the Fun in Your Workout (Thurs., 5 pm Large Arena) Biomechanics of Bending to Improve Your Jumper Rounds (Fri., 11 am, Equine Arena) Riding in College; Saddles, Studies & Showing (Sat., 11 am, Seminar Hall A) Perfect Your Two-Point for Perfect Courses (Sat., 1 pm, Equine Arena) The Athletic Equestrian; Ride Like a Varsity Athlete (Sun., 1 pm, Large Arena) Carl Bledsoe and his wife, Tammy, reside in Talking Rock, Ga. where they train horses and teach horse owners. Although Carl works with all breeds of hors- es, gaited horses are his passion. Carl grew up in the Tennessee Walking Horse show world. For years, he trained and showed the incredible breed – many of them champion and world champion horses. Over time, he realized just how much the horses had to sacrifice for these titles which prompted him to make a fundamental change in his approach to horses and he hopes to compel others to make a change as well. Rather than shortcuts, gimmicks and subjugation, he believes in classical training with a true understanding of the biomechanics of the horse as well as the rider and is an advocate of purity of gait for the long-term health of the horse both physically andmentally. Carl believes in education and understanding by having compassion and empathy for the horse and approaches each horse as an individual by asking himself, “What’s in this for the horse?” This has taught him how to become a better trainer and teacher for the horses, but it has also taught him to be a better husband, father and friend. For this, he is eternally grateful to what he feels is one of God’s greatest creations, the HORSE. Carl&Tammyconduct clinicsandattendexpos sharinghis storyof progression fromtheshowring tonowteachingandtrainingwiththebest interestof thehorseas hisprimaryfocus.Theyhopetoprovejusthowwonderful,versatileandextremelytalentedtheTennesseeWalkingHorse,aswellasalloftheothergaitedbreeds,trulyare. CarlhasbeenaguestspeakerattheSoundHorseConferencein2014,aguestspeakerrepresentingtheTennesseeWalkingHorsein2019attheEquusFilmFestival, agaitedclinicianin2018atEquifestandthefeaturedgaitedclinicianatthe2020HorseWorldExpo,2021GeorgiaHorseFair,2022SouthernEquineExpoandwasaguest judge for the Appalachian Trainer Face-Off. Carl has also been selected to be the featured gaited clinician at Equine Affaire in Ohio in 2023. Carl & Tammy are, above all, advocates for the horse and are looking forward to continuing to educate fellowhorse lovers and encourage you to always ask yourself, “What’s in it for the horse?” Balanced Seat for a Balanced Horse; Improve Your Gait (Fri., 3 pm, Round Pen Arena) 5 Steps to Correct Gait (Sat., 1 pm, Large Arena) In-Hand Intro to Correct Gait (Sat., 6 pm, Round Pen Arena) Demystifying the Gaited Horse; Bitting, Shoeing, Saddle Fit & More (Sun., 2 pm, Seminar Hall A) Stephen Hayes was born in the UK and moved to the United States in 2012. He is based at Perfect Harmony Dressage in Wellington, Florida in the winter and The Hamptons, New York during the summer. He has trained with some of world’s leading riders including Spain’s number one Olympian, Beatrice Ferrer Salat. Stephen also makes numerous trips to Europe each year to hand pick top quality Iberians and warmbloods to bring back to the USA to be sold or further produced. He conducts regular clinics from the east to west coast throughout the USA and travels once or twice a year to hold clinics in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Europe and even Cape Town, South Africa. It’s not only Dressage riders who train and clinic with Stephen Hayes; he also teaches a wide variety of eventers and jumpers the importance of good flatwork training. Dressage Through the Levels; the Young Horse to Grand Prix (Fri., 1 pm, Large Arena) Ask the Audience; Troubleshooting Dressage Issues (Fri., 3 pm, Seminar Hall A) Identifying Strengths & Weaknesses; Improving Your Dressage (Sat., 11 am, Large Arena) Ask the Audience; Use Dressage for Any Horse or Rider (Sat., 1 pm, Seminar Hall A) Stephen Hayes Julia Lyons Julia Lyons fell in love with horses at a very young age. She has a background in dressage, a little bit of jumping/eventing and showing in many western events. She spends her time now teaching clinics alongside her husband Michael and continuing to grow her equine lesson program. Julia uses her knowledge in bodywork and equine massage to give back to the horses that give so much to us. She firmly believes that you can utilize good horsemanship for all disciplines of riding and loves being able to help riders gain the confidence they need to achieve their horsemanship goals and ride fear free. Patterns to Work Through Fear in the Saddle (Thurs., 6 pm, Equine Arena) Understand Your Fear & Overcome It (Fri., 2 pm, Seminar Hall A) Ride More, Fear Less (Sun., 1 pm, Seminar Hall A) Michael Lyons made the decision to dedicate his life to learning the ways of horsemanship after working and seeing the impact his family made on the equine industry. Following the teachings of his family, as well as his own experiences, Michael is able to pass on proven methods to horses and riders. Michael resides in North Carolina with his wife, Julia Lyons, where they teach clinics and lessons and train horses. Michael enjoys taking the legacy that his father, John Lyons “America’s Most Trusted Horseman” created and providing the knowledge that he can to help riders learn more about how to effectively communicate with their horses. Introduction to Ranch Riding (Thurs., 2 pm, Large Arena) Ranch Riding; Mastering Speed Control (Fri., 5 pm, Equine Arena) Ranch Riding; Patterns & Precision (Sat., noon, Equine Arena) Preparing Your Horse for Transitions (Sun., 11 am, Large Arena) Michael Lyons See Julia Lyons at the Michael Lyons Horsemanship booth 413, 414 See Michael Lyons at the Michael Lyons Horsemanship booth 413, 414