Top-level dressage, early music and spectacle come together June 9 & 10 at Heather Farms Park in Walnut Creek, California when Cal Performances' Berkeley Festival & Exhibition presents the one-of-a-kind Le Carrousel du Roi, a historic reconstruction of a 17^th century ceremonial pageant and equestrian ballet. Twenty-one horses and riders, costumed in the style of the period and accompanied by a period instrument ensemble, will participate in this grand production mounted by UC Berkeley musicologist Kate van Orden and freestyle dressage specialists Creeky Routson and Teresa Trull. The highlight of the event, the equestrian ballet, is based on archival descriptions, engravings and Robert Ballard's original score, and will be performed by some of the West Coast's top dressage horses and riders, executing competition-level movements to a chorus of shawms, sackbuts, trumpets and drums of the early music ensemble the Festival Winds, directed by Richard Cheetham.

The ballet was originally performed in 1612, as part of an engagement celebration for Louis XIII of France. Louis himself had studied dressage under the master Antoine de Pluvinel, and it was Pluvinel who originally choreographed the ballet section of the pageant. The refinement of dressage-which grew out of the moves horsemen used in battle-is celebrated in Pluvinel's work, which exhibited the accomplishments of France's first state-run military academy. Group formations, evident in the reconstruction, were an important element of the original ballet, signifying a shift in military training from the individual rider to riding in groups, a strategy designed to combat the recent invention of firearms. "This is to say," explains musicologist Kate van Orden, "the ballet showed off cutting-edge military technology. The squadrons of horsemen that evolved in the face of gunpowder warfare represent the first steps toward what might properly be called a cavalry." And music was central in this move toward precision group riding. The fact that rhythm, cadence, and measure are so integral to dressage today is proof of this premise at work.

In charge of choreography and the coordinating and coaching of horses and riders is the Walnut Creek-based duo of Creeky Routson (USDF Silver and Bronze medalist, AHSA dressage and combined training judge) and Teresa Trull (singer, songwriter, record producer, and dressage trainer). In 1996 the two established Wild Ride, a company in the business of producing choreography and editing music for dressage musical freestyles, an element of competition increasingly vital and often the deciding factor in the pursuit of the individual equestrian Olympic gold medal.

Routson and Trull have assembled a group of nationally placed FEI dressage horses and riders to perform in the Ballet A Cheval section of Le Carrousel du Roi. Those riding are Routson on Fontinbleu, Chelsey Sibley, on Vosmaer, Heidi Gaian on Taboon, and Jodi Jones on Grandeur. Chelsey’s squire will be our own Jane Escola on Sport.

According to Jane: "The costumes include complete and fringed draperies for the horses with elaborate breast collars and rein covers, as well as elaborate brocaded suits for the riders, including feathered helmets. (I had to send 25 measurements of my body--in centimeters--for the costumes that are being created in Belgium! And another dozen measurements for the horse’s costume. And I'm just a squire!) "

In addition to the ballet section of the Carrousel, there are other items of interest for the equine enthusiast: a procession of Haflinger ponies, a fourth-level quadrille, and a show of gymnastics on horseback by an internationally competitive vaulting team.

TICKET INFORMATION: (510) 642-9988 or bfx.berkeley.edu. Cost $26, children under 16 half price. Bus transportation is available. For more information, check the website. There is also a symposium entitled "Music and the Spectacular: Equestrian Ballet and the Renaissance Ceremony" on Thursday, June 8th in Berkeley.
 
 

 
It always amazes me how quickly Winter passes through Spring and becomes Summer. Here we are, with Memorial Day marking the official beginning of the sometimes frenetic Summer Show Season. Are we ready? Well, I'm certainly not, and though the quadrille teams here have been practicing weekly, somehow we're not as far as we thought we would be by now. We managed to get one show under our belts, but what about the freestyle? And what about the other team, upgrading a level? The compulsory is still pretty rough, though we've figured out how to ride the patterns--we think. The freestyle, which we started to write last year is pretty well composed, but as yet unridden, and music not yet chosen and edited. We're still about five months out from the Championship Show, but we're also five months into the year! Can we do it? Well, certainly, but there is going to be some pretty intense work to do.

How are you all doing? We'd like to know how the teams are coming along. Yes, the intense stuff needs to be done now--in the next month or two, so that the rest of the Summer and Fall can be a time of polishing the rides. We have a very large financial commitment to the fairgrounds in Paso Robles, and, as an organization, we need to know that the teams will be there for the competition! We are predicating this show on a minimum of 12 teams, and would like to see double that number. We hope to have good participation from junior teams as well as our core of returning teams. This is a very large upgrade from the last Championship Show. So, let us hear from you--let us know what is happening with your team. Whatever it is, it will inspire the rest of us, or make us laugh, knowing that there, but for the grace of God, we would be! Please write or email the Central Office with your tales of triumph or woe.

Look for the following wonderful exhibitions of quadrille: Le Carrousel Du Roi, a recreation of a 17th Century performance celebrating the wedding of King Luis XIII to be held in Walnut Creek on June 9th and 10th. Another article discusses this with greater detail.

Next, CQA has been approached by Glenda McElroy to provide an exhibition at the CDS Annual Show in LA this Fall. Our Vice-President and Southern Regional Director, Michelle Purpora-Tardi, has taken on this challenge, and will be producing a 4- (or possibly 8) horse exhibition ride for an evening performance. I hope that many of us will make be able to see this!

Keep the spacing!

Jane

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A Mustang Named Leviticus

Ann Spencer
 

LEVITICUS, (barn name LEVI), was foaled in the wild in 1993. BLM wranglers captured him in March of 1994 in the Black Rock Desert Range in the northwest comer of Nevada. After being gelded, LEVI was adopted the following October and remained with his first owner for two years. When he reached 16.2 hands, she decided to sell him to Ann Spencer, his current owner, in November '96. When Ann bought LEVI, he was still only barely halter-trained. Due to his size, wonderful temperament and fluid movement, he went under saddle in February of '97 with Dressage Trainer Patti Cochrane. He is currently training at the third level and competing at level 2, and has won the All-Breeds award the last two seasons.

His trainer, Patti Cochrane has this to say about him. "Levi is the first mustang I have shown. He is a good competitor because he can focus on what we’re doing wherever that may be. He stays on task. The most interesting thing about Levi is his ability to think. He will be presented with a movement, put away and the next work session he seems to have thought it through and grasped it. Amazing! He is also absolutely trusting in his rider. And accepts most things without hesitation."

The future of mustangs in Dressage is unlimited because there are a lot more mustangs like LEVI out there and the USDF encourages all breeds to participate in their open shows. With gentle training, mustangs make wonderful competitors in any discipline because they have willing attitudes, lots of heart and love to work and do well. They learn very quickly, are usually athletic with sound bodies, bones and hooves (most don't need shoes) and are very easy keepers -- they love to browse twigs, dead leaves and small bushes with tumbleweeds being a particular favorite! Speaking of tumbleweeds, mustangs don't spook easily on the trail because they have pretty much seen all the trail has to offer in the way of rocks, trees, bushes, water, etc.

Mustangs in the wild are the best of the best living examples of survival of the fittest and it shows in their attitude and appearance. They deserve our consideration and respect.

Shows News

The Uvas Valley Quadrille competed at the Santa Cruz CDS Spring Show on May 6, earning a 65% for their novice compulsory ride. Congratulations Uvas Valley!
 

Introducing …

Each issue we feature brief biographies of a few of our officers.. This month we introduce our new Central Valley Regional Director and our Central Coast Representative.
 
 

Marilyn Rickman, Central Valley Regional Director
 

The art of riding to music has been of interest to me for many years. In high school, my sister and I never went out for sports or other after school activities. Instead, we couldn't wait to get home and ride our beloved horses. We spent many an afternoon making up patterns and riding them to music. At the time, we had no education regarding Musical Freestyles. But, we had been riding since early childhood, and we had been trained in both music and dance. So we just got creative and had the most fun ever!!

In college, I pursued my interests in music and dance, as well as dressage. At the time, I did not realize that one day I would get serious about putting all three together. My first introduction to the "nuts and bolts" of creating a musical freestyle was a clinic in the Bay Area taught by Barbara Gardner and Sandy Howard, both of whom have my greatest respect. Because of my music and dance background, I related well to the techniques that were being taught. I left the clinic inspired and thrilled with the possibilities. From that point on, I set out to learn everything I could about riding to music. In 1993, the CDS Championship Show offered a Quadrille Freestyle class. As I watched each team ride to music, I was convinced that I wanted to be involved in Quadrille.

Today, I am CQA Regional Director for the Central Valley. I teach Dressage at Eden Ranch in Sanger (which is just east of Fresno), have a small Musical Freestyle business, and coach Quadrille. The team in our area that is currently competing is called the Tailspinners. The Tailspinners have been together for six years (with various horses and riders coming and going) and have been actively competing for three years. They started out practicing once a month mostly just for fun. At that time, most of the horses were not experienced in dressage. By 1997 the Tailspinners were looking much different. They were practicing weekly with individual dressage lessons on the side. They were now capable of riding their horses "on the bit". The result has been three very successful years in the show ring, with a fourth year well under way. Riding in a Quadrille is challenging and fun. It provides a unique forum for improving skills of both horse and rider, and offers a rewarding experience for participants and spectators alike.

I am grateful to CQA for all that it has done for Quadrille. Over the years, they have offered educational clinics, training for judges and coaches, award programs, and have expanded interest and awareness of Quadrille. The Tailspinners and I hope to assist in increasing interest in Quadrille by getting in front of the public frequently, whether it be to compete in a show or to perform exhibition rides. Our freestyle this year is ridden to "Surfing" music. It is fun to ride to, and we think it will be a crowd pleaser as well. I encourage Quadrille teams to get out there and let the Dressage world see you in action. I look forward to the day when there will be four or five teams competing at every show .

Until then . . .

"A" down center line.

"X" halt in fan formation,

Salute!!!

Barbi Breen-Gurley – Central Coast Area Representive
 

The quadrille group at Sea Horse Ranch began forming in 1990 with 12 riders and performed a musical freestyle at a local AHSA dressage show. We were warmly welcomed and everyone enjoyed it so much the idea of making it an ongoing thing was unanimous. We became known as Sea Horse Synchrony. This was a major breakthrough for many of the riders had never ridden in a formal setting before.

Since that time there has been some change in riders and horses but the quadrille group meets every Thursday morning at 12:00 for their group lesson. The focus on the lessons is usually improving overall basics in dressage, rider's effectiveness of position, learning new movements, and sometimes creating or improving new freestyles or polishing compulsory tests. About two years ago a kids quadrille emerged, the riders ranging from 12-15 years of age. Their commitment, ability, and teamwork are an inspiration to them and the adult group as well.

I have competed in dressage for 30 years and have trained several horses to the Grand Prix level. I have enjoyed creating and riding freestyles in competition personally for years, and expanding this work with my quadrille teams has been fun and rewarding. The teamwork, vital focus on individual growth, and overall benefit for all the horses is experienced by everyone and it continues to be challenging and downright fun!

Ed note This column is to be a forum for sharing insights and experiences in training, coaching and riding compulsory the tests, and for sharing freestyle ideas. Please submit articles at any time.
 

In this first edition of In Sync I will discuss two patterns from the tests that I see ridden in really different ways.

The first involves the two twenty-meter circles in Introductory Test Two (movements 6 and 7). The complete movement requires each file to make a figure of eight in opposite directions, starting at X. The two files must thread through each other in order to ride the second circle. I often see it ridden (as the test diagram shows) with the change from the first circle to the second as more of a diagonal line than actually (correctly) changing from one circle to another.

I always train the movement so that horses from each file slot in behind the horse coming from the other file, and pass across X directly on the B--E line for a few steps before peeling off to the other circle in the new direction.

I will often put 2 "gates" of cones just before and after X to insure that the riders are parallel to the short ends as they cross X.

Riding the movement in this way is not only clean and attractive, it demonstrates that the team has maintained spacing and, as each horse momentarily aligns behind the preceding horse, over X, the circle is correctly completed. This also gives a symmetry to the whole circle sequence, as upon completion of the second circle, all four slot back into file (when passing over X) to continue in file tracking right at E.

Next I would like to address the walk movement in Novice, Test Two. Because I was involved in the writing of this test, it would seem appropriate to share the fairly vision of how this pattern was intended to be ridden. In this case, the diagram is quite close to the intent of the movement. The two files approach each other from A and C, looking to pass each other left-hand-to-left-hand. When the first rider in the file coming from A is stirrup-to-stirrup with the SEOND rider coming from C, they begin their 1/2 circles to the track. In this way the riders from the two files are each adjacent to a rider from the other file when they initiate their 1/2 circles, and the movement flows quite beautifully as a coming together and moving apart.

I have seen it ridden where the 1/2 circles are begun when the FIRST riders in each file are adjacent to each other, and this seems to miss the intention of the figure--that is the "pairing" of the horses moving in opposite directions, before they move apart.

If you have comments to make on the riding of these two--or other--movements, please send them to Quadriller!
 

Just a reminder of the awards you can win each year.

QUALIFIED QUADRILLER. Three scores from CQA recognized competitions while a member of CQA earn the title and a T-shirt with the CQA logo in Gold. This is an accumulative award; the scores can be earned over more than one year.

COMPULSORY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: For teams earning four scores of 63% from three judges at a specified level

FREESTYLE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: For teams earning four scores of 65% from three judges at a specified level.

JUNIOR TEAM AWARD: For the junior team earning the highest median score for the year.

TROOPER OF THE YEAR AWARD: For a horse who has performed Exceptionally--as a real "Trooper." Nominated by a team, selected by an Awards Committee.

COACH OF THE YEAR: For a coach who has shown exceptional dedication to quadrille--another kind of trooper award

JAAP POTT MEMORIAL PERPETUAL TROPHY: Awarded to the freestyle champion at the highest level at the Championship Show

USDF AWARDS. A team must be registered with USDF and must earn 6 scores from 3 judges in at least 3 USDF recognized shows. The qualifying median score must be 58%.

See the last Quadriller for more detailed information.