04 Oct The ElvenSTAR Travels to the Longines Masters
When the ElvenSTAR staff heard that Longines was holding a video contest encouraging riders to showcase the theme “Equestrian Dreams” they knew they had to participate. Led by ElvenSTAR videographer Jamie Bischoff, the production was set in motion. Unfortunately, there was no competition after all, because Elvenstar was the only group to submit a video for the contest. It therefore came as a surprise that EEM World awarded ElvenSTAR’s ten person staff with 20 tickets to go and watch the Longines Masters on Saturday October 1st.. A carpool of parent drivers, trainers and staff drove down to Long Beach , CA for this one of a kind event.
Once there, the ElvenSTAR staff was welcomed with open arms. They even got to meet Fernanda Ameewu, the woman who organizes the Longines in all three major cities: Los Angeles, Paris, and Hong Kong. “Our goal is to share the knowledge of horsemanship with everyone. We want to build a complete horseman who can not only ride but also do other things around the barn as well,” Fernanda shared. That is the main focus of her barn, Ecaussinnes Academy, which is based in Belgium. Her belief is that if you have boots and you come to the barn, you should be able to ride, which is why her program is adaptable to all levels of riding. The horse men and women at her barn learn not only how to ride but also must know basic veterinary skills and have a good working knowledge of course design.
Fernanda believes that in order to be all around horseman or a horsewoman, all riders should learn all aspects of the equestrian sport. This means that at her barn, all riders take lessons in both jumping and dressage. Riders are expected to groom and care for their own horse, even drive a truck and trailer if necessary. “We want to enrich riders and truly showcase the entire sport. We want people to love the sport the way we do,” explained Fernanda. That is why she continues to hold the Longines Masters cup globally and organize clinics for the horse community to attend. “We are trying to prepare and develop the next generation of riders.”
This was very encouraging to hear, because this is exactly the type of program that has been implemented over the years at Elvenstar.
To read more about Fernanda’s program and her barn, you can access her website here.