Dan's Papers - August 10, 2007 -The Hampton Classic, Part 2, The Equitation Ring

Besides the Grand Prix competition, the Equitation classes at the Hampton Classic are some of the most talent-filled classes on the East Coast. Although an Equitation class might look like a hodgepodge of a dressage-tinged Hunter flat class and a technical jumper class, Equitation classes are run like no other classes at the show. These young riders are focused, professional and nearly flawless in the ring. They travel around the country and sometimes around the world, accumulating points to qualify for the big finals. Since the points follow the rider, they can ride any horse in any class. In the big finals, they are sometimes required to switch horses, so their riding skills are truly put to the test.

To learn the ins and outs of the Equitation ring, I spoke to Addison Phillips, who is one of the most successful riders in the history of the sport. At age ten, she was the youngest rider to ever compete in the Hunter invitational in Wellington, Florida and this past summer, she enjoyed success in the Grand Prix rings of Europe, taking home 3rd place against professional riders more than twice her age. However, the classes that made Addison an international celebrity were Equitation classes, which earned her numerous articles in equestrian publications and even a spot on the Animal Planet television series "Horsepower," which focused on the top Junior riders in the country working towards the Maclay.

In order to succeed in the Equitation ring, Addison believes that how you and your horse perform on the flat is they key to winning both the test on the flat and the jumping test. "The flatwork is the most important because it is the foundation of good position - that foundation will carry over into the jumping," Addy explained. It's also important to be selective about where you show and how many people you show against. "The number of points you can accumulate depends on how many people are in the class. You have to get a certain number of points to qualify for the big classes and, depending on the number of people in the class, the number of points you get can double or triple." Since you can only win six times before you qualify for [the next level], you want to make sure that you don't qualify too early in the year.

To prepare Addy for riding different horses, her trainer, Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farms in Katonah, New York and Wellington, Florida, has Addison riding two different horses in the Equitation classes. "I have one main horse for finals and a young one I show at smaller shows," Addison explained. "Bobby, Andre's horse, is only seven or eight years old and Chagall, my finals horse, is at least twelve." This allows Addison to get the riding experience she needs while still being competitive at the big shows, where the stakes are higher.

But if all that matters is the rider's performance, what qualities should riders look for in an Equitation mount? "For the Equitation," Addy Explained, "you have to think of the size of the horse in relation to your size, which, for me, means a small horse." And as the judges are not only judging how well you fit your horse, but also how secure and professional you look while you are riding in both the flat test and the jumping, "you need an adjustable horse who is a careful jumper and is easy to stay with over the fence," Addison added. A horse with a foundation in Dressage is also key, as the flat tests call for complex maneuvers like counter-cantering (cantering on the incorrect lead with the horse's body bent towards the rail, as if he were cantering in the opposite direction), shoulders-in and shoulders-out (where the horse moves straight forward with his shoulders pointing in or out) and haunches-in or haunches-out (the same as the shoulder-in or out, but with the focus on the horse's hind end) and difficult stops, starts and rhythm changes from one maneuver to the next. Often, the flat class will be held after the jumping test, when the horses are most fired-up and hardest to control and focus.

To watch Addison work her magic at the Hampton Classic this year, make sure you are ringside at the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, the CK Show Jumping Derby and hopefully the Grand Prix on Sunday.