2015 Fritz Recipient: Kassidy Peacock
Photo by Susan J Stickle
First off I would like to say thank you to The Dressage Foundation for helping me be able to attend the 2016 USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program in West Palm Beach, Florida. Without the Captain Jack Fritz Grant I would not have been able to participate in this incredible and educational program.
The program started with an optional dinner at the hotel on Friday night; there was a large group of us that never had the chance to meet in person so this was a great and casual way to get to know each other before the educational sessions began. Saturday morning we all woke bright and early excited to see what we could learn. The first session was on corporate and business sponsorships presented by Adequans' Allyn Mann. Allyn made the key points that we are branding ourselves, gratitude, and perseverance in order to create a relationship with your sponsor. Kim Boyer followed in the topic of sponsorships going into detail about individual sponsorships. Kim discussed how the horse owner has changed over time in part thanks to the USEF Dressage Owners Task Force. She also discussed that it takes time and trust, and who you are as a person are the keys to gaining and keeping a sponsor. Syndicates were the next topic of discussion lead by Para Olympian Rebecca Heart. Rebecca pointed out that syndication can be challenging, but when the right group of people with the same vision comes together, it can be highly successful. These first three topics presented together helped to create a cohesive and broad understanding of our possibilities and the keys to creating lasting, strong relationships with sponsors.
After a short break we jumped back into the lectures and heard from Dr. Kraig Kulikowski on equine sports medicine; and on what we should be looking for and doing during a pre purchase exam. The next topic was equine legal issues presented by Yvonne Ocrant; Yvonne covered topics such as liability releases, types of contracts, and how equine activity changes from state to state. This was an eye opening lecture because it shed light into how careful we need to be in order to make sure that our barn, staff, and we are all protected in the event something terrible happened. At the end of the day, Yvonne briefly covered syndicates and how to create a contract that protects all parties involved.
In the afternoon session we got to hear from Chris Stafford on marketing and that we should never miss an opportunity for self-promotion. Following Chris's fun talk on marketing we heard from The Dressage Foundation’s own Beth Baumert. Beth talked about how to be money savvy, and about the other awards and grants that we as young professionals can apply for. Following Beth was Janet Foy on the USDF L Program. Janet covered the basic requirements and what being a judge can do for your riding and training. Then it was time to hear from Lendon Gray on the training opportunities in the USA. Lendon stressed being able to do the simple things correctly, and to sit and watch every chance you get. The final lecture of the day was from Tuny Page on training in Europe; where she pointed out that the sky is the limit, you must be brave, and do everything you can to learn from the German masters. After all the lectures we had a short dinner with USDF President George Williams before most of us headed to Global to watch the freestyles.
Sunday morning started bright and early with Christine Traurig talking about Young Horses, and the young horse programs. Christine commented on the fact that we as trainers have to know what category our horse falls into, Junior, AA, or a professional. Christine also stated that luck is when preparation and opportunity meet. Following Christine we heard from Jennifer Bryant on interacting with the media. Jennifer hit on notes that people are always watching and listening, and to be precise in interviews. Up next was Hilary Moore Herbert on balancing lives; she mentioned that you need to create a dividing line between work and home and find a balance.
After lunch we got to hear from Katherine Bateson-Chandler, Jennifer Baumert, Endel Ots, Kathie Robertson, and Roz Kinstler on topics such as career evolvement, USDF Instructor Certification, and customer service. The key take away from these lectures is to find your passion and niche and stick with it to be successful. The USDF Instructor Certification program is a great way to learn how to use the correct vocabulary and create a solid training program, and that if you do not have honesty and integrity you have nothing.
At the end of the weekend I walked away with a plethora of new found knowledge ranging from every aspect of the sport. I felt slightly overwhelmed by the large amount of things I now needed to do, but I felt like I had the tools and friends to help me along the way.
