:: SCDCTA :: Juniors

	Note From Samantha..
My name is Samantha Elsey, I live in Charleston, SC. I am thirteen years old and am in the eighth grade at Fort Johnson Middle School. I will be taking over Drew Carlin’s position of Junior Representative, along with Lottie, as Drew is going off to college. I have been riding for five years and about two years with the SCDCTA. I am currently competing my Thoroughbred Percheron cross, Gator, who is six years old. I hope I can meet every one and see you around. Thanks, -Samantha Elsey

	2013 Sixth Annual SCDCTA Junior Dressage Clinic
This past Martin Luther King weekend, I held the sixth annual SCDCTA junior dressage clinic. The clinic was full of fun, friends, and great instruction by ou clinician, Wolfgang Shertzer and special thanks to our host, Evergreen Farms. As some of you may know, I will be leaving the position of SCDCTA junior rep to go off to college, but no worries--I am going to be replaced by two awesome juniors, Samantha and Lottie! It has been a wonderful seven years and I’d love to thank y’all for your continued support. I have enjoyed getting to know and working with y'all! I wish you the best of luck in your dressage endeavors! -Drew Carlin

	2012 USEF Dressage Seat Equitation Championships
This summer two SCDCTA juniors competed at Lamplight Equestrian Center in the USEF Dressage Seat Equitation Championships. Molly Mead and Danielle Grosse represented Region 3 in this event; both girls are students of Michelle Folden. The top two individuals in each age group, from each region championship are invited to compete in nationals. Molly Mead finished 3rd in the 14 - 18 year old group, and Danielle Grosse finished 5th in the 13 and under category. Huge congratulations to them both! This November the SCDCTA will be sponsoring our first state dressage seat equitation seat championships. They will be held at Toopler Ridge Farm on Saturday November17th. As this is our inaugural championship, we encourage all members to attend and support our juniors. Information on the championships and future dressage seat equitation classes will be on our webpage. Dressage seat equitation classes are a growing trend. I want to encourage riders to participate in classes at both schooling and recognized shows. Whatever the level of your riding, it is always important to be consistent with your position as a rider. Last, but not least...... We have scheduled a date for our free junior dressage clinic! Wolfgang Scherzer will be our clinician on Monday January 21, 2013. The clinic is on a first come basis, so please let me know if you are interested in participating. All SCDCTA juniors are welcome to come to the clinic. We will have 8 spots for the clinic. Again this year, riders are welcome to come Sunday afternoon and have their horses spend the night if needed! Lunch and drinks will be provided, and each participant will receive an amazing goody bag. Please let me know by email to sign up for the clinic. A special thanks to Ally Robinson who did fundraising for the junior clinic! Happy Fall, and see you in the ring! Drew Carlin

	2012 Junior High Score Winner, Garcia Huenefeld
Hey Juniors! At the February 2012 SCDCTA Lowcountry Dressage Show, Gracia Huenefeld won the Junior Highpoint! I had a chance to interview the winner. Here are her answers to the questions: What horse were you riding when you won? I was riding Independence (Dia) a 6 year old Hanoverian cross, owned by Sarah F. of NC, that I have been leasing for the last 8 months. What was your winning score and what test did you ride? Our score was from the Training 3 test, a 76%. What did you win? We won a leather halter and a ribbon. 4. How long have you been riding? I grew up on a farm with where we always had a few horses, and started competing when I was 7 years old and have now been riding and showing for almost 13 years Gracia trains with Michelle Folden near Charleston, SC.