Michigan Dressage Festival

Three Day Clinic with Spanish Grand Prix Rider Victor Alvarez Wraps Up Dressage Festival in Michigan

For 10 days in August, Hampton Green Farm hosted a Summer Dressage Festival featuring a 2-day clinic with Lendon Gray, a Chicks-in-Spurs Benefit Party for Dressage4Kids, and a double clinic over six days with Spanish Grand Prix Rider Victor Alvarez

Victor had established quite a following while in Wellington last winter when he came down for a USPRE-sponsored symposium in February, and several riders came long distances to work with him in Michigan Victor continued with themes of clear commands, forward impulsion, correct position, and requiring results at first request He utilized a number of exercises to supple resistant or nervous horses and within days several of the horses who had come with distinct issues were soft, round, and naturally forward Victor sat on every one of the horses so that he could best assess the riders’ concerns, and on several occasions schooled young horses so that the rider could be more effective Victor’s elegant and seamless riding style appealed to all of the riders and auditors and he was appreciated for his gentlemanly manner and kind way of treating the horses He often spoke of the difference between breeds in dressage training and emphasized the classical training scale from the lowest levels through the FEI

Partipants in the clinic were: Cheryl Wylie of Maryland, and local riders Kit Maurer, Suzanne O'Brien and Val Noblet of Battle Creek, Anne Stahl of Lyons, Louise St Amour and Kristine Overbeck of Whitehall, Lauren Staley of Kalamazoo, and HGF Assistant Trainer Ana Gilmour

The Chicks-in-Spurs Benefit brought out over 500 people to watch a dressage demonstration and a show of freestyles to music by local riders as well as the Pure Spanish Horses PRE hof Hampton Green

Victor hopes to return to Wellington in Spring of 2009 for another USPRE-sponsored dressage clinic Please contact ExecutiveDirector@USPREAcom for more information

Kimberly Boyer, USPRE President & Victor Alvarez

Janne Rumbough, USPRE Vice President

Anne, Victor & Suzanne

Victor, Cheryl & David

Victor, Maya & Janne

Tom Reed & Janne Rumbough