What is the Sherri Cervi West Coast Youth Championships?

The Sherry Cervi Youth Championship is a yearly event Barrel Racing competition that fosters young barrel racing enthusiasts.

Two classes exist for children, ages 12 and under and 13-17.
Prize money in the amount of $3,000 is rewarded in barrel racing’s 4D format.  It is dispersed evenly between the classes. Eight Sherri Cervi Crown C saddles are given to the D winners.

Sherri Cervi

Strict guidelines run this competition. Good Sportsmanship is mandatory and no abuse towards animals or the people at the event is tolerated. The contestants are even made responsible for the behavior of any attendees that have traveled with them to the event, including family members. Anyone caught being abusive is disqualified immediately and their entrance fees are not refunded.

This contest is a scholarship fund that supports young barrel racers who want to continue their education and compete at a college level, and RevitaVet will be giving away one free machine to a winner in this exciting contest.

To be considered for the event each contestant must:

•       Be entered in all 3 days of the competition
•     Submit a written essay
•       Submit a letter with three references including a school faculty member
•       Provide a report card

Scholarship money is paid to the school and each recipient is acknowledged by being announced on the Diamond Bar Arena website and the West Coast Barrel Racing website.

For information call 209/538-7680

Three RevitaVet Sponsored Riders Rise to the Top at the Kentucky Rolex Three Day Event

As the famous Rolex Three Day Eventing competition gallops to its final day, three of RevitaVet’s sponsored riders have earned their way into the first and fourth place positions. As the excitement climbs to fevered heights, we thought it might be nice to share more about these riders.

Allison Springer of Virginia is currently in first place after the dressage phase of the competition aboard her horse Arthur.

Allison began riding at the early age of six.

In order to get his daughter to quit sucking her thumb, Allison’s father decided to bribe her. She was at an age where playing with Barbie dolls was a favorite past time, and he thought the newest Barbie would be an easy enticement. It had been made clear, by the family dentist, that if she didn’t stop sucking her thumb, her chances of having perfect teeth would vanish. Little did her father know that Allison had missed the bus and gone home with a friend after school and groomed her friend’s pony that day. She had fallen in love, so when her father told her he would give her anything she wanted as long as she stopped and never sucked her thumb again, the words, “I want a pony,” quickly toppled, without hesitation, out of her mouth. The rest is history.

Allison Springer has continually finished in the top ten on the Leading Rider board for The United States Eventing Association, and has been named multiple times to the United States Equestrian Team's High Performance Training List. A veteran four-star event rider, trainer, and coach, Allison aspires to represent the United States in Olympic and International competition.

In 2010 Allison was the reserve rider for the US Three Day Eventing Team at the World Equestrian Games. Allison actively competes across the country and internationally, trains and shows horses for clients, and teaches professional and amateur riders.

In addition, here is a short list of some of her other achievements:

Named as an alternate to the 2012 Olympic Team

Burghley CCI4* 6th Place 2012

Top Placing American Rolex Kentucky 4* 2012

2nd Place Rolex Kentucky 4* Event 2012 (Arthur)

Allison's horsemanship is paramount: her commitment to the well being of the horse yields a system that balances competitive edge with long-term stability in the sport. Allison's commitment to the sport of Eventing is impressive as well. She is a founding member and sits on the Executive Board of the Professional Riders Organization – a group committed to serving the interests and concerns of professional event riders competing at the highest levels of the sport (www.professionalriders.org). Allison is also a member of the USEA's Board of Governors and is active in The Professional Horseman's Council. Allison is a certified ICP Level 4 instructor, coach of the Haitian National Three Day Event Team and a graduate of Bowdoin College in 1997.

"The RevitaVet system has been an easy and welcome addition to my program. I love RevitaVet because it has been great for both preventative maintenance and rehabilitation on my equine partners. I have seen noticeable improvement in my horses since I started using this system!"

Michael Pollard on Mensa G. is another RevitaVet sponsored rider who is now in a tie for fourth place.

Michael Pollard and his wife Nathalie run Pollard Eventing and Chatsworth Stud, a breeding and training facility in Chatsworth GA, home to Tamarack Hill's 'Formula One', Halimey, and Querdolan Vitarel. In addition to Chatsworth Stud, Michael is also CEO of several carpet and equine related businesses run out of Dalton, GA, including Cavalor Premium Feed & Supplements.

He and Nathalie have four children. Michael also serves as the Athlete Advisor for Equestrian Sport on the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and on the Executive Board of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

Here are some of his career highlights:

• 2011 Team Gold, Pan American Games
• 2011 19th Rolex Kentucky CCI****
• 2009 Winner New Jersey CCI***
• 2002 completed Rolex Kentucky CCI****
• 2001 Young Rider of the Year and Winner of the Markham Trophy, Fairhill CCI***
• 1999 Shortlisted Pan American Games & Winner Markham Trophy, Rolex Kentucky CCI***

Phillip Dutton on board Mr. Medicott is also tied for fourth place.

Phillip Dutton was born in 1963 in the outback in New South Wales, Australia, in a small town called Nyngan.  Along with his two brothers and sister, he was raised on and helped manage his family's sheep and wheat farm. Naturally, horses were a way of life on the farm and much of his time off the farm was spent traveling across the country to pony club rallies and horse trials. He chased his passion for riding from Australia to the United States in order to train in a more internationally competitive setting. He was an Australian Olympic Team member in the 1996 Games held in Atlanta and in the 2000 Sydney Olympic competition. He received the USEA Leading Rider of the Year award in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Phillip has received his countries Order of the Australian Medal, an honor bestowed on Australian citizens who exemplify excellence and is a member of Australia’s Sport Hall of Fame.

In March 2006, Phillip became an American citizen.  Having lived in the United States for fifteen years and with American born children, Phillip made the difficult decision to change his nationality and become eligible to ride for the United States. Phillip represented the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2008 Bejiing Olympics.

Here are some of his additional career highlights:

Team Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympics, 1996
Team Gold Medal at the Sydney Olympics, 2000
2009 4th Place Burghley CCI****
2008 1st Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2007 2nd Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2006 4th Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2005 2nd Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2005 2nd Place Burghley CCI****


USEA Leading Rider 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
2005 FEI Leading Rider in the World
Team Gold Medal and Individual Silver Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
Australian Team Member World Equestrian Games, 1994
Australian Team Member World Equestrian Games, 1998
Australian Individual World Equestrian Games, 2002
Australian Individual World Equestrian Games, 2006
USA Team Member Bejiing Olympics, 2008

Phillip lives with his wife, Evie, their twin daughters Mary & Olivia and her daughter, Lee Lee.  Apart from horses, Phillip has a keen interest in world affairs, is an avid reader and enjoys all sports events.  In his free time he enjoys snow skiing and playing golf and tennis.

Here is what he has to say about the RevitaVet system:

"I find the  RevitaVet Therapy System to be very effective and easy to use.  I have used the RevitaVet system on my horses who are muscle sore after hard work and on a variety of cuts and abrasions. For muscles, it helps them loosen up quicker and for cuts it decreases healing time.  It is an essential piece of equipment in my barn and helps me maintain happy top level competition horses."

As the famous Rolex Three Day Eventing competition gallops to its final day, three of RevitaVet’s sponsored riders have earned their way into the first and fourth place positions. As the excitement climbs to fevered heights, we thought it might be nice to share more about these riders.

Allison Springer of Virginia is currently in first place to win this prestigious award aboard her horse Arthur.

Allison began riding at the early age of six.

In order to get his daughter to quit sucking her thumb, Allison’s father decided to bribe her. She was at an age where playing with Barbie dolls was a favorite past time, and he thought the newest Barbie would be an easy enticement. It had been made clear, by the family dentist, that if she didn’t stop sucking her thumb, her chances of having perfect teeth would vanish. Little did her father know that Allison had missed the bus and gone home with a friend after school and groomed her friend’s pony that day. She had fallen in love, so when her father told her he would give her anything she wanted as long as she stopped and never sucked her thumb again, the words, “I want a pony,” quickly toppled, without hesitation, out of her mouth. The rest is history.

Allison Springer has continually finished in the top ten on the Leading Rider board for The United States Eventing Association, and has been named multiple times to the United States Equestrian Team's High Performance Training List. A veteran four-star event rider, trainer, and coach, Allison aspires to represent the United States in Olympic and International competition.

In 2010 Allison was the reserve rider for the US Three Day Eventing Team at the World Equestrian Games. Allison actively competes across the country and internationally, trains and shows horses for clients, and teaches professional and amateur riders.

In addition, here is a short list of some of her other achievements:

Named as an alternate to the 2012 Olympic Team

Burghley CCI4* 6th Place 2012

Top Placing American Rolex Kentucky 4* 2012

2nd Place Rolex Kentucky 4* Event 2012 (Arthur)

Allison's horsemanship is paramount: her commitment to the well being of the horse yields a system that balances competitive edge with long-term stability in the sport. Allison's commitment to the sport of Eventing is impressive as well. She is a founding member and sits on the Executive Board of the Professional Riders Organization – a group committed to serving the interests and concerns of professional event riders competing at the highest levels of the sport (www.professionalriders.org). Allison is also a member of the USEA's Board of Governors and is active in The Professional Horseman's Council. Allison is a certified ICP Level 4 instructor, coach of the Haitian National Three Day Event Team and a graduate of Bowdoin College in 1997.

"The RevitaVet system has been an easy and welcome addition to my program. I love RevitaVet because it has been great for both preventative maintenance and rehabilitation on my equine partners. I have seen noticeable improvement in my horses since I started using this system!"

Michael Pollard on Mensa G. is another RevitaVet sponsored rider who is now in a tie for fourth place.

Michael Pollard and his wife Nathalie run Pollard Eventing and Chatsworth Stud, a breeding and training facility in Chatsworth GA, home to Tamarack Hill's 'Formula One', Halimey, and Querdolan Vitarel. In addition to Chatsworth Stud, Michael is also CEO of several carpet and equine related businesses run out of Dalton, GA, including Cavalor Premium Feed & Supplements.

He and Nathalie have four children. Michael also serves as the Athlete Advisor for Equestrian Sport on the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and on the Executive Board of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

Here are some of his career highlights:

• 2011 Team Gold, Pan American Games
• 2011 19th Rolex Kentucky CCI****
• 2009 Winner New Jersey CCI***
• 2002 completed Rolex Kentucky CCI****
• 2001 Young Rider of the Year and Winner of the Markham Trophy, Fairhill CCI***
• 1999 Shortlisted Pan American Games & Winner Markham Trophy, Rolex Kentucky CCI***

Phillip Dutton on board Mr. Medicott is also tied for fourth place.

Phillip Dutton was born in 1963 in the outback in New South Wales, Australia, in a small town called Nyngan.  Along with his two brothers and sister, he was raised on and helped manage his family's sheep and wheat farm. Naturally, horses were a way of life on the farm and much of his time off the farm was spent traveling across the country to pony club rallies and horse trials. He chased his passion for riding from Australia to the United States in order to train in a more internationally competitive setting. He was an Australian Olympic Team member in the 1996 Games held in Atlanta and in the 2000 Sydney Olympic competition. He received the USEA Leading Rider of the Year award in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Phillip has received his countries Order of the Australian Medal, an honor bestowed on Australian citizens who exemplify excellence and is a member of Australia’s Sport Hall of Fame.

In March 2006, Phillip became an American citizen.  Having lived in the United States for fifteen years and with American born children, Phillip made the difficult decision to change his nationality and become eligible to ride for the United States. Phillip represented the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2008 Bejiing Olympics.

Here are some of his additional career highlights:

Team Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympics, 1996
Team Gold Medal at the Sydney Olympics, 2000
2009 4th Place Burghley CCI****
2008 1st Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2007 2nd Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2006 4th Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2005 2nd Place Rolex Kentucky CCI****
2005 2nd Place Burghley CCI****


USEA Leading Rider 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
2005 FEI Leading Rider in the World
Team Gold Medal and Individual Silver Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
Australian Team Member World Equestrian Games, 1994
Australian Team Member World Equestrian Games, 1998
Australian Individual World Equestrian Games, 2002
Australian Individual World Equestrian Games, 2006
USA Team Member Bejiing Olympics, 2008

Phillip lives with his wife, Evie, their twin daughters Mary & Olivia and her daughter, Lee Lee.  Apart from horses, Phillip has a keen interest in world affairs, is an avid reader and enjoys all sports events.  In his free time he enjoys snow skiing and playing golf and tennis.

Here is what he has to say about the RevitaVet system:

"I find the  RevitaVet Therapy System to be very effective and easy to use.  I have used the RevitaVet system on my horses who are muscle sore after hard work and on a variety of cuts and abrasions. For muscles, it helps them loosen up quicker and for cuts it decreases healing time.  It is an essential piece of equipment in my barn and helps me maintain happy top level competition horses."

In addition to the riders mentioned above, RevitaVet is proud of all of their sponsored riders who made it to the Kentucky Rolex Three Day Eventing Competition: Buck Davidson, James Alliston, Alexander Knolls, Hawley Bennett-Awad, Katy Frei, Sally Cousins, Lauren Kieffer, Mark Todd, and Kim Severson.

What is the Road to the Horse Competition?

The Road to the Horse Competition is a unique demonstration of the bond between horses and people. Top trainers from all over the world choose untouched, young range raised, three year old Quarter Horses from the large Remuda provided by the Texas 666 Ranch.

In just two days and approximately four hours, each participant must teach their equine partner to lead, saddle and be ridden. On the third and final day, the horse and rider team are tested with an obstacle course.

Tootie Bland created and produces the Road to the Horse competion as a strategy to promote a kinder gentler way of handling young horses. It combines education with the message that is derived from the demonstrations of natural horsemanship that each trainer stamps with his or her own unique method of training. Thousands of spectators flock to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington to attend.

Competitors this year will be Dan Steers from Australia, Antoine Cloux from Switzerland, Jonathan Field from Canada and a wild card, one of seven people competing to make it into the main competition. Round one of the Wild Card competition will commence on March 13^th, 2014 at 5:30pm. Alltech Arena doors will open at 4:30pm to allow fans to enjoy shopping at the most extensive Road to the Horse trade show yet. Tickets will be required for Round two of the Wild Card competition which concludes March 14^th, 2014 where  a  Wild Card Champion will be crowned and will automatically make their way directly into the Road to the Horse round pen to compete for the World Championship of Colt Starting 2014 title.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting

Jim Rogers and Tom Neuman of RevitaVet

The history of this sport began in the 1990s. Jim Rogers of Scottsdale, AZ invented the idea of the sport, and a group that called themselves the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association formed. They enjoyed creating games that combined shooting with riding their horses. 

Cowboy Mounted Shooting has become a popular equestrian sport. It involves the negotiation of a challenging fast paced pattern where galloping riders shoot using an old fashioned single action revolver, at ten balloon targets with blank ammunition that is specialized to break the balloon within twenty feet, but not beyond. Each rider is allowed two revolvers with five blank cartridges. Penalties come in the form of barrels that are knocked over, missed targets, or going off of the patterned course in the arena. The fastest time with the least amount of penalties, determines the winner.

In the beginning, the mandatory competitor’s outfit, consisted of early styles of clothing of the American West. Now, modern cowboy clothing with a long-sleeved shirt, cowboy hat and chinks or chaps is all that is required.

Safety is emphasized and overseen by a Mounted Range Officer. This person must be educated in good horsemanship, firearm safety, and event organization. This person’s job it to make sure that the safety of everyone involved, including competitors, mounts, spectator and volunteers is ensured.

 Other events include: Mounted Rife. Mounted Shotgun, Extreme Cowboy, Team and Cart Shooting. Competitors move up into higher levels, according to winnings, in order to preserve a level of fairness. Divisions according to gender and age are also available and each division pays out in Jackpot competitions.

Western Shooting Magazine is a national publication that is dedicated to this sport and is published seven times per year.

So what does it take to become involved in Cowboy Mounted Shooting? Good horsemanship skills and the ability to hit a target  while shooting a blank filled gun are all that are needed to become involved in this fun fast paced sport.

To find out more contact: The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association http://www.cowboymountedshooting.com/home/

 

 

 

Winter Tips for Your Horse

In many parts of the country it is bitterly cold this year. Here are some tips to help your equine friend make it through.

Although normally cold weather planning begins earlier in the year, especially the fall, there are still some cold weather management tips that can be put into practice now.

 There are two types of cold to consider. Acute cold weather is the type that comes on suddenly, like in a cold snap. Chronic cold weather stays in a locality for a long period of time. Often it is the acute weather that is the most hazardous because the horses are not used to it and owners are not as prepared.

No matter which type you are experiencing this winter season you need to make sure that your horse has suitable shelter, dry bedding, good quality feed, and access to clean water. During the cold winter season your horse should eat between 1.5 to 2 percent of his or her body weight daily in order to maintain a good weight. What is known as the lower critical temperature is the point at which a mature horse, having had time to acclimate to the cold, can tolerate a drop to 5 degrees fahrenheit. Anything below this, the horse must increase calories in order to produce more heat or reduce heat loss to retain their core body temperature. A good rule of thumb is that when the temps drop to minus 5 degrees add another 2 to 3 more pounds of hay per day. Extra forage is great for those cold snaps; however, if the hay is limited, a concentrated feed may be gradually added to their diet.

Horses going through an acute cold weather condition need to be watched carefully. Remember it is always easier to add some weight to a horse to help them get through those cold winter months earlier in the season, such as the fall, rather than try to keep their weight up when the cold weather hits and the calories start dropping off of them. This practice is known as “bulking up for winter.” If you have any questions about doing this, contact your veterinarian.

If you choose to blanket your horse during the long winter months, be sure that the blanket is both waterproof and windproof.  A blanket that allows your horse to get wet and cold can greatly affect their ability to maintain their core body temperature, so be sure to repair any small holes with tape used for repairing tents and other heavily used outdoor equipment.  This kind of tape can often be found at sporting goods stores. It’s always a good idea to keep an extra blanket on hand in case your horse rips his blanket so badly that it cannot be repaired. Once you start blanketing during the cold weather it is important to continue doing so until the weather warms up.

If possible, keep a heater in your horses’ water, and add some loose salt to their diet. Most feed stores sell loose salt; it is relatively inexpensive, and even a small amount of table salt will do. These things will encourage your horse to drink and thus stave off the dreaded cold weather colic.

Using some of these tips to help your equine friend during the cold winter months will give you peace of mind and keep your horse happy and healthy.

How to Keep Your Barrel Racing Horse Calm Going to the Gate

Many barrel racing horses get highly agitated as they approach the gate into the arena. This type of agitated behavior can also be seen on many racehorses. They are anticipating the fun and excitement, the “high” of running the pattern and racing home to the finish line. However, this agitation can become a dangerous propensity for rearing and after a time the horse may become so difficult that the horse and rider must be led into the arena. Not only is this behavior hazardous and unsafe, it is also difficult to sell a horse that acts in such an unruly manner.

It is important to stop this type of behavior long before it gets started. Here are some ideas that you might consider doing with your young barrel prospect.

1.    Use the arena to work your horse in other stimulating exercises that keep him mentally and physically engaged. Don’t always just go to the arena just to run barrels.

2.    Change up your barrel racing practice by just walking into the arena, trotting or loping around it, and then going on a trail ride one or two days a week.

3.    If you are already having problems, walk your horse in circles by the entrance of the arena. Be sure to ride in a relaxed manner. Ride so that you continue circling closer and closer to the gate. If you need to ride with two hands to keep your horse more relaxed, then do so. Once the horse is relaxed, walk quietly into the ring. Be sure to stay grounded and quiet yourself as you do this so that your horse does not react to tension in your body. Once inside the arena, stand the horse in front of the barrels. Repeat this as many times as is necessary until your horse stands calmly. Then simply leave the arena. Repeat these steps until the horse can go through the gate and be in front of the barrels without getting upset and agitated. Only after the horse has learned to stay cool and collected should you begin running your pattern again. Remember, running the barrels is the reward for your horse. They become addicted to it; therefore, changing their routine and doing other things with your equine friend is a great way to keep him or her mentally and physically grounded.

4.    Using the a RevitaVet pad over the poll area for 10 minutes on # 7 about an hour before showing, will generally calm a horse down dramatically, and in most cases, will remove the nervousness.  This method is applied currently for Event horses, Dressage, Barrel Racing horses, and in Thoroughbred racing.  Also a self contained PollCap works very well.  See the link attached or go to the pollcap page on the RevitaVet website:  http://revitavet.com/Pages/PollCap.html  

RevitaVet Sponsored Riders Recognized

Another great Eventing season came to a close and I think that some recognition is deserved here.
Eventing highlights: RevitaVet had fourteen (14) sponsored riders finishing in the top 50 in the USEA High Point Championship. Although many riders had accomplished a lot in 2013 and had a good year, 2013 was mostly about Buck Davidson, who overwhelmed everyone this year with a total of 1050 points as well as coming out on top in the Advanced and Intermediate Adult Rider. Buck also finished 3rd HSBC.

FEI World point standings. Phillip Dutton at #2, as well as 12th in the HSBC FEI Standings. Sally Cousins finished 3rd Overall while she was also Top Lady Rider and seems to be making a habit of this for the past several years. Lauren Kieffer at # 5 and 2nd Top Lady Rider. Michael Pollard at #7. Hawley Bennett-Awad at # 11. Kim Severson at #20. James Alliston at #21. Barbara Crabo at #24. Julie Wolfert at #31 was also named to the USEF 2014 Developing Riders/Eventing Program. Frankie Thieriot at #32, also was named Top Adult Amateur and her mount Uphoria was named Intermediate Horse of the Year. Katy Groesbeck at #35 was also awarded the $30,000 Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant as well as selected to the USEF 2014 Developing Riders/Eventing Program. Allison Springer at #40. Becky Holder at #43. On a more personal note, Jordan Linstedt and RevitaVet Capato won their first Advanced event and went on to compete successfully in the CIC*** Good job every one.

Other RevitaVet sponsored Eventers are listed in no particular order based in California: Pam Fisher, Gina Miles, Tamra Smith, Erin Kellerhouse, David Adamo, Andrea Baxter, Robyn Fisher, Alexa Kim-Perkiel (UT), Olivia Loiacono, Kelly Pugh, Bunnie Sexton, Jennifer Wooten and Tiana Coudray (trains in the UK). Christa Gandolfo(FL), Nina Ligon(VA), Allie Knowles(KY), Karen O’Neal(WA), Whitney Weston(NC), Nicole Jones-Taylor(TX), Melissa McMaster(FL).
From Canada: Rebecca Howard, Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch, Selena O’Hanlon, Penny Rowland. Clayton Fredericks(AUS).

Thank You All For Your Continued Support and Have A Great 2014 Competition Season.