AQHA Professional Horsemen provide free clinics around the country.
American Quarter Horse Association Professional Horsemen around the country are teaming up to provide free clinics under a new program called Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern.
The first Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern clinics debuted at the 2011 AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City.
This year, Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern clinics will be offered at four AQHA world championship shows: AQHA Corporate Partner Nutrena will sponsor Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern clinics at the Built Ford Tough AQHYA, Adequan Select, Bank of America Amateur and FedEx Open world shows. Additionally, the inaugural Nutrena East and SmartPak West AQHA Novice championship shows, in Mufreesboro, Tennesssee, and Las Vegas on October 5-7 will include these free clinics.
AQHA Professional Horseman Stephanie Lynn of Fall Creek, Wisconsin, is an advocate of the impact that Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern clinics and Professional Horsemen can have on competitors.
“Education evens out the playing field for everyone; it is the key to bringing in new interest and keeping our competitors engaged with the industry,” Lynn explained. “Clinics help the industry by making all of our riders feel prepared and gives them goals to work on.”
One of the greatest benefits of the new Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern program, Lynn noted, is that the program allows riders to get help from top-tier American Quarter Horse trainers.
Rather than exclusively hosting clinics on the national level, Lynn organizes Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern clinics for local events, as well. Show managers around the country have the opportunity to schedule Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern clinics at their upcoming shows. Show managers can contact Kelly Hess, AQHA senior manager of professional horsemen and regional championships, at [email protected] or (806) 378-4536 for more details.
“We are happy to help find Professional Horsemen who are relatively local to a show to be clinicians,” Lynn explained. “We understand that it is most advantageous to have an outside professional teach the clinic, and we will do our best to provide one.”
If riders are not familiar with the Association of Professional Horseman, Lynn assures them that the association consists
of individuals who are consummate professionals.
“Professional Horsemen members are professionals in every sense,” she explained. “They understand that to receive, they must give, and they understand that the definition of a horseman is someone who always has the horse’s best interest at heart.
“That said, it is almost like a calling: They must help those who they see are struggling to become better horsemen, or riders who are doing something incorrectly.
“Professional Horsemen can’t help but share their knowledge.”
Stay tuned to aqha.com/showing for announcements of Professional Horsemen scheduled to teach clinics at the Novice championships and Ride the Rail/Ride the Pattern clinics sponsored by Nutrena at the Ford Youth, Adequan Select, Bank of America Amateur and FedEx Open world shows.
