April 7, 2008
The Dressage Foundation provides funding to help off-set costs to members.
The Rocky Mountain Dressage Society will host a Freestyle clinic for members and riders of all levels April 12-13 at Autumn Hill International Equestrian Center in Longmont, Colo. A lecture will be held Friday evening with actual demonstrations and riding exercises implemented on Saturday and Sunday.
Thanks to funding provided by The Dressage Foundation through the Dancing Horse Fund and the Violet M. Hopkins Fund, the program will provide an educational opportunity for dressage riders and their horses to expand their skills in freestyle.
Attendees will spend the weekend learning from freestyle expert, Terry Ciotti Gallo. As an experienced choreographer, clinician and dressage rider, Gallo has more than 30 years of experience in sports, dance and music. Her routines have been performed at the Olympics, the World Equestrian, the World Cup, the Pan American Games and the North American Young Rider Championships. Gallo continues to help dressage riders improve their freestyle skills for competitions.
“This clinic will give attendees the theory behind developing a freestyle, help them match music to gaits and provide choreography ideas for many levels of competitors,” said Heather Petersen, the education chair for the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society.
During a freestyle routine, riders choreograph their movements to music. This clinic will teach riders skills such as counting beats per minute, how to choose music, rules on competitive dressage freestyles and more.
“The Dressage Foundation is proud to provide financial support for dressage education and training,” said John Boomer, President and CEO of The Dressage Foundation.
Dressage is an internationally-known equestrian sport that includes the training of horses, with competitions held at all levels from amateur to Olympic. Regional competitions are hosted throughout the state of Colorado and provide opportunities for amateur and junior riders to ride competitively.