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The Olympic competition consists of three stages: dressage (according to local eventing teacher Susan Moffitt, this is a form of equestrian dance), cross-country (chicken coop and miniature Naturally, there is also show jumping (a competition in which horses jump over log cabins, a competition in which horses run through terrain that may be encountered). This is a precision test to see how accurate a horse's jumping is.

“This is a composite score of all three areas,” Moffitt said. “Jockey and horse must be a true team. They spend a lot of time together, getting to know each other, and if they encounter an obstacle they have never seen before, they will be able to overcome it safely and accurately. We need to understand that we need to trust each other enough.”

Moffitt knows this all too well, having been training event horses for more than 40 years.

Moffitt, who moved to Alpena with her husband seven years ago to retire, saw a need for eventing teachers in the northeast Michigan area and was excited to bring eventing to the area. He said he was doing it.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez A Cowboy Classic athlete (right) approaches Harvard University (left) to compete in the February 7th Ken Wooster Quarter Horse.

“I started talking to different women who heard about me and asked, 'Do you teach anything?'” Moffitt said. “I said maybe I could teach a little bit. Well, when I found other riders who wanted to learn eventing, it snowballed, so I said, 'Let's give it a try.' I did.”

When Moffitt first started teaching, she didn't know where to start training horses to a higher level. She said an indoor facility was needed for horses to reach higher levels of success, and that facility was provided to Ken Wooster Quarter Horses. Ken Wooster Quarter Horses has been open since 1954 and is a horse racing facility that also has indoor training facilities.

Moffitt learned of the place because two of the girls he was training with were boarding with Ken Wooster Quarter Horses.

Currently, six jockeys, along with their horses, are under her tutelage to learn how to compete in event racing. The four riders who don't ride Ken Woosters will primarily train in their own fields and then at the facility one or two days a week.

“There's a lot more to this sport than meets the eye,” said Tonya Comfort, one of the riders. “You have to stay in shape, and the horse has to be really in shape, too. It's very difficult, so you have to be totally committed to it.”

News photo by Mike Gonzalez Lauren Kinsel rides her beloved Ken Wooster Quarter Horse horse Trot Out My Tuxedo on February 7th.

Each rider is completely different from the others.

Some of the riders are young, with the youngest, Mallory Misiak, learning the sport at age 13. Other riders are adults who have professional jobs, have started families, and are interested in event racing.

“When Susan moved here I found out she was offering eventing and it has always been a dream of mine,” rider Taylor Brown said. “Ever since I was little, I used to use my parents' printer with ink to print out pictures of horses jumping and put them up on my walls.

“So when she moved here, my horse hadn’t been cantered yet,” Brown continued. “It was his first time riding a horse, so Susan was by his side almost every step of the way.”

Some of the other horses were previously racehorses, such as the comfort horse Cowboy Classic. Moffitt helped reorient their training towards event horses, which was an adventure for jockey and trainer alike.

News photo by Mike Gonzalez On February 7, Harvard, Michaela Goebel and Susan Moffitt, from left, pose alongside other horsemen practicing with their Ken Wooster Quarter Horse.

The most important part of learning how to do an event is showing new obstacles and creating consistent communication between rider and horse.

This means that for the past year, all of our jockeys have been riding over various fences in northern Michigan to show these horses new obstacles they might see.

“And once you start a training program, you need to continue with it and follow the level and speed at which the horse can learn,” Moffitt said. “Some horses learn faster than others, and that's not a good or bad thing. It's just a personal thing. I've been training him to get over it, just to show the horse all the ditches and embankments and all the different obstacles out there so he knows what to do.”

Last season's jockeys completed schooling, dressage and show jumping in preparation for Maydays, one of the largest USEF general shows for jockeys, held at Park HT at the Kentucky Horse Park north of Lexington, Kentucky. participated in.

The event is a three-day challenge from May 24th to May 26th. May-Daze is a national competition where six riders will put their training to good use and compete in the novice division with the chance to learn and take home new experiences. some ribbons.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Michaela Goebel rides to Harvard University for practice with Ken Wooster Quarter Horses on February 7th.

Rider Michaela Goebel said, “This is probably one of the biggest shows I've ever been to.” “I think it's a great opportunity to go somewhere you've never been before. I think just being at the Kentucky Horse Park is a surreal experience for an equestrian.”

“I've never been to Kentucky, but I've never been this far in my horse's career,” jockey Lauren Kinsel said. “All I really want is to learn something and maybe get involved in something.”

News photo by Mike Gonzalez Eventing teacher Susan Moffitt looks over her jockeys as they train around the Ken Wooster Quarter Horses on February 7th.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Brown and her horse Doc jump over obstacles that might appear in a cross-country jumping competition during an eventing event.

Photo by Caitlin Orban and her horse Exotic Legs jump over a model of the Memorial Bridge, which may appear in a cross-country jumping competition, during an eventing competition.

Photo by Mallory Misiak and her horse Gallant Romeo jump over obstacles that might appear in a cross-country show jumping event during an eventing competition.