For Immediate Release
Contact:
Mary Fike
MSEDA Organizer
hmf@iglou.com
859 621 2479

December 10, 2017 – Lexington, KY – The MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association (MSEDA) hosted eventing great David O’Connor as part of their year-end awards banquet and educational forum on December 2 and 3, 2017. An international rider and coach, O’Connor’s overarching theme through both the classroom and demonstration settings was that all training, whether dressage, showjumping or cross-country, should be done with the horse’s perspective in mind.

Beginning at the Lexington Hilton Downtown, O’Connor offered insight into the sport of eventing and its evolution, as well as explaining his thoughts on where the discipline is now and where it is poised to go. Saturday’s afternoon session walked attendees through the general theory behind how he develops horses and riders, and the basic skills he feels are essential for eventing success.

Photo by Smith Equine Media, LLC

Lexington-based MSEDA member Kristen Brennan attended the educational sessions on Saturday and was thankful to hear O’Connor emphasize the importance of the “lower level” rider in eventing. “I really appreciate that,” she explained. “At the end of the day, the working amateurs and juniors, and parents of juniors, who are riding at Prelim and below are who are supporting the majority of our events. Just because you don’t have Olympic aspirations doesn’t mean you aren’t important to the sport.”

Sunday brought seminar attendees to the beautiful Valley View Farm in Midway, Ky. Riders in Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Preliminary rode under David’s watchful eye as he kept the audience engaged and learning throughout the day.

Chelsea Smith of Paris, Ky., appreciated that David focused on the greener horses and how to get them going properly in the Beginner Novice group. “The Training group had more-experienced riders and he focused more on the horses, which was neat. So often clinic focus solely on the rider, so it was great to focus on the horse and discuss what makes a horse better-suited for the job,” she explained.

Photo by Smith Equine Media, LLC

Chelsea’s favorite takeaways from Sunday included that “O’Connor stated several times that riders need to work more in forward seat—even in dressage. With each group, he commented on rider position and he wanted to be sure that the rider’s shoulders are parallel to the horse’s shoulders and that the rider’s hips are parallel to the horse’s hips--it’s the rider’s job is to become part of the horse’s motion.”

MSEDA is thankful for the ongoing support of O’Connor, who focuses on bettering both horse and rider athletes through safe, systematic training.

Learn more about MSEDA, how to become a member, upcoming shows and events and more at mseda.org

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The MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association promotes and preserves the sports of eventing and dressage in the Mid-South area by providing leadership and education to its members and to the community at large. To further these goals, MSEDA will provide educational opportunities, host and sanction fair and safe competitions, promote the welfare of the horse and rider, and reward the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the FEI level. Mseda.org