The best of the best

By Kate Cline

Having the opportunity to learn from an Olympic trainer is a bucket list topper for all aspiring athletes. Couple that with the opportunity to support a good cause and you’ve got yourself an event. For the next two weekends, the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center will be teeming with Olympians and International Champions alike.

This past weekend, George Morris, renowned horseman and coach of the US Olympic Show Jumping Team, led a three day long clinic. Morris is a legend in the horse show world. In 1960 his team won silver in the Rome Olympics and since then he has been guiding his students to Olympic championships in the 1984, 1992, 1996, 2004, and 2010 games.

Needless to say, riders from all over the country come to ride and observe this equestrian event. Katherine Jemison, Volunteer Coordinator for the BTRC, has been preparing for this event for months. “Its really exciting — I’ve been riding for five days a week for the past three months to get ready,” says Jemison, who says she usually rides twice a week riding routine. “It’s a great learning experience but watching those other riders is worth the admission as well."

This coming weekend, November 19 to 21, the BTRC will host the USHJA (United States Hunter Jumper Association) Emerging Athlete Finals. Buffalo is the last leg of this year long, nationwide competition. The top twelve junior riders remain and will showcase their riding, barn management, and horse care abilities in the hopes of receiving scholarships and other horsemanship opportunities.

Hosting the riding portion of the clinic will be Melanie Smith Taylor and Peter Wylde. Taylor has competed on the US Olympic Team and in numerous World Cup finals and Wylde has won a plethora international horse competitions. Taylor has also been a television analyst for the Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, and Sydney games and continues to be an analyst for NBC equine competition coverage.

Dr. Midge Lietch and Dr. Kit Miller will host the horse needs portion of the session, Grand Prix Rider Eliza Shufford and Jennifer Alfano will teach the horse care and barn management courses, and Mindy Bower will be conducting the horsemanship part of the clinic.

Although the BTRC loves hosting these events, their main focus is to support their mission of kindling remedial relationships between horses and disabled children. “The real point of these clinics is to support our therapeutic program,” says Jemison. “These clinics are fundraisers for our programs so we can continue to service the disabled children of Western New York.”

The BTRC is the only indoor riding center within the city limits of Buffalo and they have been offering therapeutic riding programs for ten years. The facility strives to create a stimulating environment for mentally and physically challenged children.

The clinics have been long sold out, with participants coming from as far away as Canada and Alaska, but the opportunity to observe these instructors as part of the audience is still available. Auditing fees for the Morris Clinic are $75 a day or $200 for all three days. The cost to audit the Emerging Athlete Finals is $35 a day.

For more info, write to becandbtrc@aol.com, or call 655-9010.