MHCO 2017 Advanced Driving Clinic - Please send in Member suggestions by February 28, 2017
Hello MHCO Members,
At the 2016 MHCO Fall General Meeting, it was announced that the MHCO would be having an Advanced Driving Clinic in 2017 and details would be coming in the spring.
We are pleased to announce that our clinicians will be Jim & Becky McKeith of Snowberry Farm, Michigan, USA. The McKeiths have extensive background in raising, breeding and showing Miniature Horses & Shetlands; operating a full-service professional training and breeding facility on their farm.
Jim started as a professional halter handler and trainer; both Jim and Becky showed AMHA and AMHR from 1995-2000. In 2000, they sold most of their AMHA stock to Germany to focus on their extensive AMHR breeding program. Jim is now recognized as one of the best R carded judges for Miniatures, Classics & Modern Shetlands. He has judged AMHR Sanctioned shows (Canadian, US Local and Area shows), AMHR Nationals, AMHR Futurity, European Nationals in Belgium as well as the National Pony Congress. Becky has shown successfully in all classes at all levels of Miniature Horse & Shetland Pony shows (including AMHR Nationals and Pony Congress) with her niche being driving. With the exception of only a few Moderns, all horses she drives have been trained by Becky exclusively. They have shown many horses to Hall of Fame, National Champion and Top Ten and POY awards.
This full day clinic will be held at Quardream Equestrian Centre in Mount Forest, Ontario on Sunday, August 20, 2017 (the day after the MHCO Savage Hosted Club show which Jim will be judging) to help save some members travelling time. Due to the well attended Beginner’s Clinic last year, we have been able to keep costs down and will be able to offer this clinic at a very reasonable rate (same as last year) to our members.
As a follow up to last year’s Beginner Driving Clinic, this clinic will be for the Advanced Drivers and their horses (no green horses permitted). It will focus on what the judge is looking for in both the horses and their drivers in the different classes at an AMHR and/or AMHA Sanctioned Show. We plan to have interactive sessions offering lessons to the participants and also allow for auditors to watch and learn from these lessons.
We would like to hear back (by February 28, 2017) from members with ideas/suggestions on the following:
1. Topics you would like to see covered/topics addressed (e.g. types of movement for the different classes, ring etiquette, etc) - please list in order of importance to you so we know what to focus on if there is more than one topic you would like to see covered
2. Anything else you can think of that would relate or you think might be helpful for us to create a driving clinic that would benefit the majority of those who were interested in having an Advanced Driving Clinic.
Please respond back to this email with your above suggestions/ideas so we can start to plan the topics to be covered in this clinic. Although we may not/cannot use all ideas or suggestions submitted, we will consider all of them in designing this clinic. Once the clinic format is finalized, registration information will be sent out to members. Thank you in advance for your feedback!
Carolyn Aarup, MHCO Director/Promotion Coordinator mhco@mhco.ca
