Newsletter for Xavier University Equestrian Team Summer 2010
The power of… X !
OFF AND RUNNNG FOR A NEW SEASON!
I’m excited to get to work on the new IHSA season. Everyone is a year better and we have some terrific new members, making us a stronger team than we were a year ago. Lets hit the ground running because championships are made now - it’s all a process that begins months leading up to Nationals every year.
My philosophies are not too complicated…
§ First, riding ought to be fun -- if it’s not, don’t do it! Don’t stress! We work hard, and I push your buttons sometimes, but I will make you better. You need to love this sport for the work we do day by day. We don’t compete often enough to love it for the shows – you have to love the practice, the challenge of riding different and difficult horses, the self-improvement you see as time goes on.
§ Secondly, I believe it’s much MORE FUN to win! I need riders who will work hard to improve themselves and help the TEAM win. I need riders who have the hunger to be better than they are now, and better than everyone else. If you’re not competitive, if you don’t care if you win or lose, maybe this is not for you.
§ You LOVE this sport – be good at it! It takes only a little more effort to be really good than it takes to be average. Pay attention to ALL the details in your riding. Ours is a sport of discipline and I want it to show in everything you do. That’s why we’re so particular about every detail – the way you care for your horse, put your tack away, hang your halter, clean your bridle. The way you do your hair, wear your number, clean your boots. It is all a reflection on the care you take in your riding. Why settle for ordinary? Give me the time and effort and I will make you exceptional.
§ Work hard and smart! Not everyone is naturally talented, or perfectly built for riding, or has had the opportunities to compete at a high level. But anyone can be in top physical shape – all it takes is the discipline to work hard on your riding and in your other workouts. I can teach any of you to be smart, educated riders and showmen – just keep your eyes and ears open, and listen with interest to everything I say to everybody in your lesson. Then… try to figure out what I’m talking about as quickly as you can! There is never an excuse for someone else being stronger or smarter!
§ Get with MY program! After two dozen collegiate National Championships, I know what it takes to get your name and picture in the magazines and in the websites, but I need you to entrust yourself to MY system. With all due respect, forget your trainer – when you’re riding at Beckett Run I AM your trainer, and you’re either with me or not. I don’t care what you did before or how much you won – all that matters now is who can ride a strange horse, and those people will get the most opportunities.
§ I need positive, hard-working people with open minds and good team work ethic. I don’t deal with attitudes or drama – if you want to be active and successful on this team you need to be dedicated and committed to the team, respectful to your teammates, and always place the team first.
Make your own destiny! Success is a choice. If you want to be at Nationals at the end of the year, you need to make that decision and that commitment NOW. You have more control over your destiny than you probably believe. You can’t control how the wind blows, but you CAN change your sails to take your boat in the right direction.
Let’s start with setting some realistic goals in a workable order. Right now your goal should be to get into good shape because starting soon you’ll have some pretty rough team practices if you’re not used to riding without stirrups and in a good two-point position. Riding is the best way to get into shape. If you haven’t been riding a lot this summer, you need to start running, upper body lifting, and sit ups.
I am naming STRENGTH as our #1 priority. Start running and doing sit ups today! Hit the weights now! Anything that makes your legs or core stronger will particularly help.
Next, you need to set a target date of the first show to learn what may possibly be a new system of riding to you. Depending who you’ve been riding with, much of this might sound familiar with a few twists and turns; for others, the whole system might sound like a foreign language! By October 23, we need to be strong, tight, well-educated riders. As we go along, we’ll start expanding goals to include things like Regionals, Zones, Nationals, etc.
Always keep your eyes on the prize. Know what you’re working toward or your work is wasted. I want people who want to win, who want to improve and want the team to succeed above all else – it doesn’t matter how you ride because I can teach you the rest! The most successful riders on this team won’t necessarily be those who’ve won the most before. Anyone can emerge as the star! Get to work!
Be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses, and always work on your weaknesses. It does you no good to practice your strengths. I want you to love coming to the barn. I want you to have fun when you’re around the equestrian team. But I will demand 120% effort and attention to detail whenever you are in my barn or on a horse in my ring. That’s what it will take to make you a Champion. Good luck! See you soon!
Ride well!
Jim
Xavier University Equestrian Schedule
October 23-24 at Morehead State
November 13-14 at Midway College
February 12-13 at Morehead State
February 26-27 at Univ of Kentucky
March 5 Regionals at Midway
April 9 Zones at Otterbein College, Columbus OH
May 5-7 Nationals at Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington
CONGRATULATIONS to BRET and Xavier riders who had notable wins in summer shows…
· Kai Smith won the OHJA Medal at Lochmoor in August, qualifying her for the Ohio Medal Finals this fall.
· Madeline Davis won a class at the Ohio State Fair horse show.
· Alex Calvert won the equitation over fences at the Ohio State Fair show.
Also… I’m thrilled to have our first XUET recruit directly from our BRET high school team. Della Wilz, Walnut Hills HS grad, will be joining us after two years with BRET. Della is featured in the photo riding Aidan on page 5.
Our IHSA region: We survived the IHSA realignment without much impact. Our region lost Ohio U-
Southern – other than that, our region is exactly the same. There are now five regions in our zone, which includes all of Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and our part of Kentucky. Most regions got smaller, while most zones got bigger. The overall effect was to balance out the number of people in each region and zone more closely to the national average. The national realignment took what used to be 30 regions in 9 zones, and it ended up being 40 regions in 8 zones.
BECKETT RUN OPEN HUNTER SCHOOLING SHOW!
Sunday, August 29
· Riders can use Beckett Run horses or bring your own.
· Hunter, equitation, and flat classes in each division – a division appropriate for anyone.
· This is a great way for new riders to get to know your teammates and a cheap way to get competition experience. The more time you can spend in the ring the better!
Talk to Gwen if you’re interested, and sign up on the list in the barn.
Xavier University Equestrian Team MEETINGS:
· MANDATORY MONTHLY MEETINGS to be scheduled by officers ASAP on the same day of each month, We’ll let you know when and where later. Monthly meetings, home shows, and fundraisers are MANDATORY! Plan for it now! The ONLY excuse to miss is class, with excuse signed by your professor.
XAVIER RIDERS: We will hold our first organizational meeting at a computer lab on campus so we can do our online registration. Here’s what we’ll be doing:
1. New members: If you have a show record with USEF, USEA, USCTA, or AQHA you need to download and print a written copy of your point record. Have your membership numbers and passwords so we can access those databases, or do it yourself ahead of time and bring the printout.
2. You must first join USHJA with a “collegiate” membership, if you’re not already a member. If you are a member bring your membership number.
3. Visit www.IHSAInc.com and click on “join” to do you on-line registration.
4. New members will complete a “placement” form at the initial meeting, which places you into a class level.
More info to come. Be prepared at the first meeting with your membership numbers if you have a show record as in #4, or if you are already a member of USHJA.
Beckett Run Lesson RATES and OTHER LESSON POLICIES
· Xavier riders will buy a package of lessons at a discounted price. The package MUST be used this semester. Additional lessons beyond the package are charged at the following rate.
· $38 for 1-hour groups, $45 for private half-hours, $45 for semi-private (2 in a group) hours, $65 for private hours (privates and semi-privates offered only when time available)
· Your second lesson each week is discounted $5 off the above price.
· You must cancel a lesson at least 24 hours ahead of time – call Gwen’s cell phone at 513/839-5619 or e-mail at - or you will be charged for the lesson. With appropriate notice, you will be given the chance to make it up, but only during the same week
· Only riders who have been in regular and continuous lessons at Beckett Run will be entered in shows. Riders who join the team in the middle of the year will be worked into shows after an appropriate practice period.
BOARDING
We would be happy to board your horse, but you need to let us know right away so we can free up a stall. Rates in the main barn start at $475 per month, while there are a few stalls in the small barn available at a lower rate. Check us out at: WWW.BECKETTRUNRIDING.COM or contact Gwen at
PRACTICE / WORKOUT REQUIREMENTS
All are required to spend at least three hours per week working on your , starting right away! Regular physical workouts are a required part of our practice schedule. Work on your own or form groups, and work on running, sit ups, weight lifting, or comparable workout programs. I wish I could impress upon young riders the advantage of being physically strong – everything is easier when you’re in shape.
· Xavier riders need to use up ALL your package of lessons between the start of school and November 12. That’s a little more than one lesson per week – you are welcome to do more at an additional charge. If you can’t afford to keep riding after November 12, then you can increase your on campus workouts to three times per week to make up for it. You’ll continue your workouts through the down time from November 15 till mid January, then start the cycle again. I want you to concentrate your riding during the periods we have shows, then take time off and work entirely on fitness. This will be more effective than taking one lesson per week throughout the year.
· If you ride one lesson per week, I expect you to workout twice; if you ride two lessons per week, you’ll be expected to workout once. If you play another sport, or take weight lifting or fitness class at school, presumably you workout at least twice a week… that takes care of it. I’ll be asking you to explain your programs to me, and expect each of you to keep a log or journal to track your fitness progress – how long, how strong, how fast, whatever. This is all on the honor system, but both of us should notice a difference if you are diligent about it.
NEW HELMET recommendations !
I suggest you have a different practice helmet from your show helmet – your practice helmet will get pretty grimy! You can practice in anything that is FEI approved, but I’m much pickier about your show helmet.
Your helmet really makes a statement about your riding – professional, neat, tidy, effective. Fit is the most important thing, but style is important now, especially in college. The hottest helmet right now is the Charles Owen Wellington GR8, or the Wellington Pro. Don’t get the contrasting panel - I prefer all black - but that helmet is absolutely the hottest thing in the ring right now. GPA is still in style, but the Charles Owen is a pretty good choice at 60% the cost!
The most important safety feature is the fit. You need something that looks good on your face. It also needs to fit well for safety - the owner of the Charles Owen company told me that 90% or riders have a helmet that is too big! He recommends this… try helmets in the store with your hair down, and find something as small as comfortable with your hair down. Try it on three times for a few minutes each time before you decide it is too small. The microscopic foam bubbles burst to create a custom fit about your head. After buying a new helmet, ride with it for a week with your hair down to break it in, then get used to riding with your hair up.