International Young Breeders Competition
International Young Breeders Training to be offered at Dreamcatcher Meadows
A unique opportunity to learn from some of the world’s top equine experts will be available shortly to the general public at Pemberton’s internationally reknowned breeding and training center, Dreamcatcher Meadows. Starting this summer, a series of formal and informal clinics will be take place at this Hanoverian breeding and training center. The primary objective is to teach horse and pony enthusiasts (you don’t have to be an owner) how to identify the characteristics desirable in an equine athlete, explaining along the way how certain traits are important to individual disciplines such as jumping, trail riding, dressage, etc. Participants of all ages and experience are welcome. Underlying this initiative is the exciting objective selecting a team of young horse enthusiasts to make up teams to participate in the International Young Breeders Championship, a competition held every two years in one of over 25 participating countries. In 2015 the team members will travel to the finals held in England.
The purpose of the International Young Breeders Competition (IYBC) is to bring young horse breeding enthusiasts together, spanning a variety of breed societies, countries, and languages. The competition is open to youth between the ages of 16 and 25, with each team consisting of up to six members, split between two age groups (16-19, 20-25 years old). The IYBC has four “heats” of competition, with three involving live interaction with a horse supplied by the host country: judging of conformation (the physical attributes of the horse and its movement), free jumping (rating the form and style that a horse presents while jumping over obstacles without a rider), and presenting a horse :in-hand” (grooming, braiding and showing a horse in the show ring) , and a written multiple choice exam. Participants compete for individual placings and overall team scores. However, the primary objective aim is to educate the future horse breeders while providing a unique opportunity to make new friends, thereby creating an informed international breeding network for tomorrow.
The original idea for the Young Breeders Competition was created over 20 years ago in Verden Germany by the International Director of Breeding at the Hanoverian Verband, Dr. Ludwig Christmann. Dr. Christmann wanted to get young equestrians more involved in breeding matters. His idea was warmly welcomed and soon clubs for young breeders were formed by Europe’s breed associations, ultimately spreading to encompass 26 countries around the world. In 2001, the Hanoverian Studbook organized the first International Young Breeders Competition, which took place at European Dressage Championships in Verden, Germany. Teams from Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Poland, as well as 12 German breed associations participated in the event. Dr. Christmann has been a personal friend of Dreamcatcher Meadows founders Jill Giese and John Dingle for decades, commencing during the twelve year period they were based in England and Germany learning the fundamentals of high caliber dressage training and Hanoverian breeding. Dr. Christmann continues to be a major influence on the stud’s breeding program, visiting the Pemberton “Deckstation” (official Hanoverian approved stud) annually for the past decade to assess, grade and discuss the farm’s award-winning herd of Hanoverians. Furthering his vested interest in the success of the farm’s programs, Dr. Christmann supports this latest education venture; Dreamcatcher Meadows hopes to form and coach two teams to participate in the 2015 IYBC final: one representing the Canadian Hanoverian Society and the second for young members of the American Warmblood Society.
Dreamcatcher Meadows has already trained a team participant who competed very successfully at the IYBC final in Sweden last year. existing residential rider program. Nicole Berthelot, now 20, is a four year veteran of the farm’s well-established residential rider program, providing her with the foundation training that won her a team spot at the Regional Qualifier for the Canadian Warmblood Society team. Relating her experience, Nicole enthuses: “The atmosphere was amazing. I spent four days with some of the most enthusiastic, passionate horse people I have ever met – from countries all over the world!” In addition to the formal equine competition, team members also participated in field trips, a skit night, a dance, and a bonus grooming competition. Her Junior Team placed third overall out of 20 other breed associations, with Berthelot placing 10th individually overall. Her personal highlight was their Junior Team’s First Place win in the bonus grooming and turnout competition. Nicole’s contribution was based on lessons learned from her regular training at Dreamcatcher Meadows intense residential rider program. Her team did not travel with a coach or have structured long term training, a development that is central to the pilot Dreamcatcher Meadows initiative of training complete teams (see below).
The four categories of the International Young Breeders Championships are the designed to evaluate one’s knowledge, not just about horses, but of breeding topics as well. The written test covers husbandry, terminology and reproduction knowledge. For the conformation judging, three horses are shown at walk, trot and at a stand still. After judging the horses on their paces and conformation\, each competitors’ ‘scores’ are compared for accuracy against an official judges’ scores. Judging the horses free jumping is done much the same way. “Judges realize that individual judges score within a personal range; what one judge qualifies as a ‘8’ is another judge’s ‘6’ on a scorecard.” Berthelot explains “there is always a ‘demo’ horse that goes first and the official judge presents their scoring numbers oral to all competitors. That way you can score the horses relative to that particular judge’s style.”
The final component to the competition is the in-hand presentation of the horse. Each competitor is matched randomly to one of a number of horses provided by the host country, then is required to present their given horse on “the triangle” for inspection. Official judges then score each competitor on how well they presented the horse and it’s traits and faults. The bonus competition- in 2013 a grooming section- is definitely a favourite among competitors. Teams go above and beyond, pushing the ‘standard’ to show grooming and turnout of the horse from the breed society their members are representing. While braiding and polishing up each horse in the ‘traditional manner’ some breed associations try to show off their unique flare. At this particular competition for example, the Irish had a lucky four leaf quarter marker etched onto their horse and the Belgium Warmblood team made sure everyone knew where they came from by using coloured elastics while braiding to make their flag pattern appear in their horse’s mane.”
This summer Dreamcatcher Meadows will offer a series of horse breeding training sessions for people of all ages, and not necessarily owning their own horse. From these courses, potential team members will be identified to form new teams to send to the IYBC. Team members will be fortunate to have some of the best instructors and judges from Canada, the United States and Germany teach them, with Jill Giese acting as overall Coach.
The first formal Young Breeders Training Course, is currently scheduled to take place at Dreamcatcher Meadows on September 17th, 2014. However, the course will also be open to interested equestrians of all ages, to be inclusive rather than exclusive – an important objective in the farm’s program philosophy. Maren Schlender of the Hannoveraner Verband, Verden Germany will judge the annual Hanoverian inspection at Dreamcatcher Meadows and then stay on at the farm to offer a formal training seminar, duration of course depending on participant numbers. Schlender, a one-time IYBC youth competitor and current coach of the winning German youth team is also a board member of the International Young Breeders Organization. Dreamcatcher Meadows is honoured to be her host and share her expertise to horse breeding enthusiasts. Maren will assist in identifying team members from participants at this course.
Further training courses will be taught by USDF licensed sport horse judges, including well-respected breeding expert, USDF Sporhorse Committee Chairperson and senior USDF Judge, Kristi Wysocki. Dreamcatcher Meadows is also running residential and non-residential riding and non-riding training throughout the summer. In summary, there are many exciting educational concepts in the works! If you or someone you know is interested in participating or helping in the organization, Dreamcatcher Meadows welcomes your interest!
Updates to this program will be posted on this page and on the Dreamcatcher Meadows facebook page- click