Clermont Equestrian at Cypress Hill

Summer

June 11, 2010

When we woke up this morning, the sun was shining bright, the birds were chirping, and it honestly felt like summer was finally here. What a long winter. Makes me wonder how our predecessors, those brave men and women who settled the West did it: months of cold winter and ice, no warm boots or jackets, no cozy homes. Craig and I are pioneers in a sense, but nothing compares! We are so spoiled by modern comforts.

Hillary Vars Whelan

March 20, 2010

We are very excited to announce that Hillary Vars Whelan will be taking over our hunter and equitation riders. Hillary is a second generation horse woman, competing extensively on the A circuit on both coasts, including riding with top trainers John French and Archie Cox. For the past 8 years she managed her own show barn in Rhode Island, primarily with children and adults showing in the equitation divisions. Hillary recently relocated back to San Francisco with her husband and two sons. Hillary has over thirty year's coaching experience, including:

-Teaching numerous juniors and adults for success
-Training numerous young horses
-Managing RI Equitation Championships (regional medal final)
-Qualified for all indoor shows for last 3 years as a junior riding at the Pennsylvania National, the USET Medal Finals, the Maclay Regionals and the National Horse Show
-Ribbons in regional and local medal finals
-Took a year off before going to University and worked for highly respected trainer, Walter T. Kees
-Continued riding and showing on the West Coast at Menlo, Portola Valley and HITS Indio as Adult
-Started private barn with showing clientele
-Grew up in horsey family; mother is a trainer

Everybody who has already had a lesson with Hillary here at Clermont has loved her!

Welcome Hillary!

Coaches as mentors

March 19, 2010

When parents choose who will coach their son or daughter, they are really deciding who will have a major role model influence on them. It is like handing a key to the coach to shape the child's future - for better or worse.

Children are very impressionable and looking for not just how to learn the piano, or master a sport like show jumping, but actually How to Live. So if they learn that certain bad behaviors or morals are 'OK' by their coach, it is very hard for parents to reverse that once it has become a learned behavior. Parents should consider such items as:

How honest is the coach?
What are their views on higher education?
Have they completed high school or college?
How are their family values?

All of these factors will be taken on by students, usually in a large way, especially after spending months or years under the care of the coach.

HITS Thermal Grand Prixs

February 18, 2010

Clermont Equestrian will be competing with three horses, Ovation, Sir Dudley and Stella, during weeks IV and V close to Palm Springs in Thermal, CA.
If you would like to come watch, I will be competing every day from Tuesday the 23rd to the 28th, and coaching during the second week, March 2nd to the 7th.
United and Alaska offer direct flights from SFO to Palm Springs quite reasonably priced, plus the World Cup Grand Prixs on Saturdays will be really exciting!

Desert Circuit IV:
Thursday, February 25 $25,000 HITS Grand Prix
Friday, February 26 HITS Relay
Saturday, February 27 $5,000 PCHA Jimmy Williams Classic, $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix CSI-W
Sunday, February 28 $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby, $5,000 JR/A-O Jumper Classic Medium, $10,000 JR/A-O Jumper Classic High

Desert Circuit V:
Thursday, March 4 $25,000 HITS Grand Prix
Saturday, March 6 $50,000 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W
Sunday, March 7 $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby, $5,000 JR/A-O Jumper Classic Medium, $10,000 JR/A-O Jumper Classic High, $25,000 HITS Grand Prix

Address: 85-555 Airport Boulevard, Thermal, California 92274 Show Phone: 760.399.9200 Just call or email Anne or I once you arrive to find where we are.

We are in tent number 14 - so just stop on by!

Open House with Petra Beltran Lipizzaner Demonstration on April 3rd

February 09, 2010

I am very excited to announce that Petra Beltran is moving here from the Portola Valley on March 1st. Petra is originally from the Czech Republic and regularly trains with riding master Arthur Kottas Heldenberg, first Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria. Petra will be demonstrating work in hand and long-lineing with the Lipizzaner mare Alejandra, Lipizzaner gelding Misha, Kladruber gelding Serpa and Lusitano gelding Xaleo.
This will be a lot of fun and a great experience! Everybody is welcome!

Dedicated Dressage Court and Grass Jumper Ring

February 06, 2010

With the arrival of a respected dressage trainer, Petra Beltran, we have decided to invest further into Clermont Equestrian so that we have the best dressage court at a boarding facility in the San Francisco Peninsula. To achieve this, we will be extending the length of the ring so that riders can canter in and circumnavigate the entire court prior to beginning their test. Secondly, after listening to several dressage riders and trainers, we decided to mirror the entire short side. The company doing this work will be the contractor that installed the mirrors at Stanford. Doing the short side seems to be the most important position to put them first. Later there may be more mirrors, but for now this is the first phase in our quest to be the undisputed best boarding and training facility for both dressage and jumper riders. For jumpers, the Grand Prix grass ring located in the Southeastern corner of Clermont will be completed mid summer.

What it takes

December 05, 2009

Parents sometimes ask me what it takes to be really good. The simplest answer is to look around at other sports, such as swimming or gymnastics, and get a benchmark for the amount of daily practice a child (or adult) needs to do most days. For example, a good swimmer or gymnast will do one hour. A really good one, such as someone who is competitive at the state level, will do two, while someone who wants to be amoungst the best in the country, will do three hours. They do time before and after school. It is the exact same with horses. If a child shows that dedication, then I (as most coaches) will want to help them succeed because it is so exciting to produce a champion and see that person grow in character and fortitude and skill over the years during that extremely challenging journey they commit to. If I have a rider like that, I will find horses or ponies for them to ride, as long as they prove they are serious in the first place.

The Game Horse

December 02, 2009

He was tied up to the trailer out behind the stands, a blaze-face sorrel gelding, roughly 15 hands, high withers, slightly ewe-necked, back a little swayed, white hairs on his muzzle,eyes sunk in with age. An old warrior with his best years long since gone away, left here baby-sitting at a small-town horse play-day.

Watched over by her parents, a young girl kissed the horse; they coached her on the fine points and wished her luck, of course. He hardly seemed to notice when the small girl took his lead; he followed without balking but not with any speed. She climbed on and walked him round some, he went without a fuss; his head was down, the reins were slack, his feet dragged in the dust.

When they called her name his ears pricked up, she sat up in her seat; trotting to the gate there was new lightness in his feet. When they got into the alley he flared his nostrils wide, picked up the bit and arched his neck, she latched on for the ride. She let him go and as they went the years melted away, and he was once again the barrel horse he'd been in younger days.

With eyes on fire and muscles bunched, raw power in his stride, blazing speed and energy wrapped in horse's hide. He had chased the cans from old Cheyenne to the Calgary Stampede, from Amarillo to Salinas, he had lived the game horse creed: "Run to live, live to run," it was printed in his genes, from nose to tail his big heart pumped blue blood through his veins.

Coming through the pattern they touched the last can some; it was still up on its edge when they were halfway home. When she asked him for a little, he gave her all he had; the barrel stood, the run was good, and the time was not too bad. When she pulls the saddle he's an old horse once again, but while he's running barrels, he's all he's ever been.

So here's to that old gamer -- may our golden years like his be filled with golden moments and glorious memories, Of races run and races won, of places that we've been, of friends we've made along the way and good things we have seen, And someone who will need us for what we still can do-- may our needs be small, our wants be less, and our troubles be but few.

by Tony Schwader

Updates

November 02, 2009

I would like to heartily thank our wonderful boarders Dr. Jay Reynolds, Jona and John Woodford for their brave help during the wind storm. They were there right when some panels hit fences. Together, we were able to prevent further damage. Thanks so much - you are true friends.

I would also like to thank my father-in-law, Tolek, for putting up lights for the outdoor jumping ring. Over the next few weeks, we will be adding even more so it is good enough for jumping, but right away you can now lunge or ride on the flat up until 9:45, just like the indoor arena.

Last week Anne and I attended the USHJA Trainer's Symposium in Texas. The clinicians were fantastic, with lots of emphasis on ground-work with poles, gymnastics and overall horsemanship.

This week look to see the future grass ring in the back graded and natural jumps added. Our eventers should love it!

Also, this morning I found this video "The Two Masters" which I highly recommend.

Local Restaurants

October 06, 2009

For those who don't know yet, just a half mile further down the road from us are two 5 star restaurants! Service, food and atmosphere are super at both. Anne and I love going there for special celebrations. Both open at 5pm.

The first one on the left is the Bella Vista which is open Tuesday through Saturday. It has a great view of the SF Bay.

A bit further on the right is the Mountain House. At the back in the formal area, you can dine while surrounded by Redwood trees - fantastic!

Also, a couple more miles down 92 is Alice's restaurant, which we sometimes enjoy for breakfasts or lunch. The kids can play outside at the back too, since there is a really nice garden area!