If you enjoy testing your equestrian knowledge, you'll love this fun contest. ECOGOLD's Equestrian Trivia Contest starts next Monday January 18 on our Facebook page. Be the first to answer correctly 5 questions and win a set of 4 Ecogold Horse boots of your choice (dressage, hunter jumper or cross-country boots).
* Question example: "In how many Olympic Games has Karen O'Connor represented the USA?" * Answer: “4x! w/ Mandiba, Biko Panache and The Optimist!!!!!”
Hint...all the answers are somewhere on our website.
Become a fan and get ready to outsmart the competition!
The United States Eventing Association held a question and answer period with top riders at the 2009 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in Reston, Virginia last December. The panel featured ECOGOLD-riders Karen O’Connor, Phillip Dutton, Buck Davidson and Allison Springer, who ride in ECOGOLD's Secure Saddle pad, as well as Mike Huber, Kim Severson and Will Coleman. Here are a few videos of their insightful answers to questions from the audience, filmed by the USEA.
Question: What is your take on schooling obstacles, like a water complex, on cross-country during the competition? – Training tips from Phillip Dutton and Karen O’Connor
Question: What methods do you use to teach a young horse to do flying changes? – Training tips from Allison Springer, Karen O'Connor and Mike Huber
Question: A rider with previous experience stops riding for an extended period of time, and becomes out of shape and overweight. When she returns to the sport, what are some of the things you would have her do to get back into shape? – Training tips from Buck Davidson, Karen O'Connor and Will Coleman
Question: How do you know when it is the right time for a horse and rider to move up to the next level? – Training tips from Allison Springer, Mike Huber and Will Coleman
Question: Assume a rider and trainer both decide that moving up from training to preliminary level, for example, is appropriate. But once that rider begins competing at preliminary, she has some issues and needs to move back down. How would you help her deal with those issues, regain confidence, and return to competing at that level? – Training Tips from Kim Severson, Karen O’Connor and Phillip Dutton
At ECOGOLD, we start 2010 with a bang! After months of hard work, our new state-of-the-art website is finally a reality. It will allow us to add more content instantly, as travel to equestrian events or develop new products. It will also make the shopping experience more enjoyable, with our videos and interactive information about each product. We hope you like it! www.ecogold.ca
Also, ECOGOLD riders get ready for a very intense year, which will reach its climax this fall with the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. The competitions leading up to WEG will be crucial, as many talented riders will give their best effort to have the chance to represent their country. We wish them the best of luck and leave you with a video to put you in the spirit of the Games.
For those of you in a rut or in need of uplifting, here's an inspiring video to help you stay motivated. (PS- the beginning is similar to our Challenge video but the rest is new. We hope you will enjoy it!
We bring you inside as Canadian Dressage Olympian Jacquie Brooks, who rides in ECOGOLD's Frictionless Saddle pads, gives us a tour of her fabulous new training facility north of Toronto, ON. Open in early 2009, it has been a labor of love as an old cattle-reining horse farm was transformed in a super modern dressage training facility which will help Jacquie and her students (aka Team Brooks) reach new heights! The Barn is heated so the horses are all warm and cozy and the ventilation system through the ceiling keeps the air fresh. Happy Horse: Grooms hard at work: Wall of Fame: Tucker, the barn manager, supervising the grooms Jacquie's secret weapon: Ecogold saddle pads! Balmoral Gran Gesto in his luxury suite: Milestone likes the new place Jacquie working hard in the arena (as seen from the lounge) Very modern and comfortable lounge Tucker says: "Thank you for visiting!"
Amy Jager has been selected to be Canada's sole representative at 2009 FEI Young Rider Dressage World Cup Final in Frankfurt, Germany on December 16-20. Amy, who rides in ECOGOLD's Stabilizer Dressage saddle pads, will be writing a blog as she experiences this great adventure. Here's the link to her blog, so you can follow her journey and send her good wishes: http://www.amyandjivesworldcup.blogspot.com/
And here's a video of Amy and Jive's Freestyle from Blainville, part of a successful season that allowed them to qualify for the NAYRC and paved the way for the 2009 FEI Young Rider World Cup. Good luck Amy and Jive!!!
Here are the last videos from the 2009 National Coaching Symposium with George Morris' Showjumping session, featuring Canadian Eventing Team members Diana Burnett on Manny (4* horse) and Karl Slezak on Charlie Farley. Enjoy! Part 1/4
Part 2/4
Part 3/4
Part 4/4 - George Morris is riding Manny, Diana Burnett's 4* horse
