Clermont Equestrian - Premiere Peninsula Boarding, Training, Lessons

Woodside Horse Show

May 25, 2012

The first show of the season went really well for Cristallo, Lady Gwen and Apollo - all first time showing there! Some photos are here. Videos of Cristallo are on Craig's Facebook page here. Just request to be 'friend' if you are not already.

Facility improvements

May 23, 2012

Over the past year, we have made several major improvements to the property, including:

• a new arena wall, including 40' of mirrors,
• improved shower rack water pressure,
• main barn tack up area lighting and sliding doors,
• lights around the main barn (both sides), paddocks and hay barn,
• a replaced upper barn wall (next to the parking),
• extra footing in both the indoor and outdoor arenas.

Anne and I really appreciate all the thanks we have received from our boarders and resident trainers, and look forward to continuing to make Clermont Equestrian the nicest place for horses and people to enjoy each other and nature.

Summer

August 19, 2011

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I updated this and so much has happened this summer!

We also had a lot of improvements this summer, improving the main barn tackrooms, added new lights to the tack up area, tons of gravel to the roads and paddocks. We also installed a round pen and added lights to the outdoor ring.

Next week we are getting another four days of tree trimming, mostly around the arena to reduce the noise from the water dripping, thanks to Bill McClenahan - so thanks Bill!

With our outside trainers, it was great to see Georgia Simpson 'back in the saddle', all healed up and coaching and riding again!

Anne and I would also like to welcome trainer Marissa Yolken and her students and several ponies to our facility - they are all so nice - welcome all.

I would also like to congratulate Debbie Peng on her beautiful new horse found by her trainer Petra Beltran.

Brock Clermont wins the 2011 USA Adequan 6 Year Old Jumper Finals in the Hamptons

April 22, 2011

I am very pleased my younger brother Brock Clermont, who started his training farm in Florida five years ago, recently won the very challenging 6 year old division of the Young Jumper Championships. You can read about it here and see a video. Enjoy!

Clermont at Thermal 2011

March 14, 2011

Well it was a great start to the 2011 season! We went with six horses who gathered many ribbons, including:

Jessie Woodyard with her young jumper Ovation aka 'Bravo'
Lynda Twomey with her young jumper mare Vedette aka 'Lovey' and new horse jumper Vukido aka 'Kido'
Lauren Kee and her large pony Simply a Duchess aka 'Duchess'
Katherine Cota with her jumper Davinci's Dream aka 'Bailey',
Rachel Quick with her equitation hunter Sir Dudley aka 'Dudley'

Craig Clermont started the horses early in the week, getting them used to the rings including getting Kido high placings in the Level 4. During the weekends everyone gained great ribbons including two reserve champions so that was super exciting! The jumper prospects (young Bravo and Lovey) were tested quite hard in the main Grand Prix ring with Craig on Tuesday of the second week, and they responded with bravery and talent, both clearing the tough 'Level 3' course over all the scary Grand Prix jumps. We also pushed Vukido's jump-off skills in the Level 5 and he responded beautifully, getting second place out a large, tough field of riders and horses. Craig was extremely pleased with all horses and riders, so that was wonderful!


'Bravo'



'Kido'

Vukido begins his GP career

February 25, 2011

Lynda Twomey's talented new horse from Holland has been a great .95 meter horse for her as she develops her skills at horse shows. He also began his career in the Grand Prix arena with a fast jump-off at Rancho Murieta for a second place finish. This was a great triumph in Craig's opinion since Vukido doesn't have much experience going fast, and he really did 'rise to the occasion'! Now he is in Thermal and continuing to push the training of his speed and scope, garnering consistently high placings in the Level 4 division against tough competition. Lynda is thrilled with Vukido!

World Equestrian Games Videos

October 06, 2010

Here is Mario DesLauriers winning the speed. Canada's Eric Lamaze, riding Hickstead, qualifies for first for the final four, allowing him a chance to add Worlds gold to his Olympic gold. Video

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.

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 and teenagers 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.

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.