AVA Region IV "Spirit of Vaulting" Educational Symposium

Date: November 19-20, 2022

Sites: Fort Lupton & Johnstown, Colorado

Cost: $150 per registrant, including vaulters, coaches, lungers

Bring a horse (for lungers): $50 for overnight stall (per night), $15 for haul-in/tie to trailer (per day)

This educational weekend symposium in Central Colorado is being offered for vaulters, lungers and coaches and their parents and support crew. 

Vaulters sessions will include barrel training exercises, strength and flexibility training (yoga, acro or similar disciplines), artistic development, scoring, gymnastics-style cross training, sports psychology, freestyle creation, and lots of fun for vaulters to meet each other!  All levels are welcome!! Vaulters will be placed in groups based on experience and age. It is expected that all vaulters will have some opportunities to vault on horses in the lunger sessions, depending on total number of registrants and horse availability; with actual on horse time quite limited, and most time either in observation of techniques of horse vaulting, and then with practice on barrels

Coaches training includes lesson planning, drills that help and are fun, and many other tips and tricks, for all levels of coaches - those teaching beginning vaulters through those with who are interested in coaching up to the national championship and international levels.

Lunger training includes hands on training for all lungers of ALL levels (from brand new to experienced who want to "touch up" their skills) with horses provided by the Symposium!! A specific focus on the physical and mental development of the horse will be stressed, and will include information and tips on this most important element including discussion of cross-training exercises and options, with demonstrations and possibility for some hands on work. Sessions will also include "Through the eyes of the judge" sessions on how the judge is scoring the horse.  There will be horses available for all lungers to practice lungeing, provided by Mile High Vaulters. You may also bring a horse, on a space available basis (see below).

For Lungers - Bringing a horse: Lungers/horse owners may register to bring a horse! Limited stalls available @ $50 per night. Day fee for haul-ins is $15 (tied to trailer). The owned horse sessions are for lunger training, and vaulter participation will be decided based on clinician/lunger/horse owner decision for the benefit of horse and lunger.

Parent Sessions will be included at no cost to parent/guardians who have at least one vaulter registered in the symposium. 


Tentative schedule:

Saturday, November 19 8:00 AM - 5:00 or 6:00 PM & Sunday November 20 8:00 AM - 4:00 or 5:00 PM

Mornings for Coaches and vaulters will be inside at a local Gymnastics and Sports gym: The Sports Barn, Johnstown, Colorado. Mornings for lungers will be at indoor Peaches Arena, home to Mile High Vaulters.

Afternoons for all participants will be at the indoor Peaches Arena, Fort Lupton, Colorado. Hands on horse work for lungers, vaulters and coaches; and barrel work for vaulters and coaches.

Clinicians:

Todd Griffiths, D.V.M.:  Todd is an active coach and vaulter with multiple World Championships including most recently: Team USA 2022 at World Championships in Nation's Cup Team/Senior Squad as coach and vaulter (4th in the world) and Senior Pas de Deux as vaulter with partner Calle Davis. Todd also competed 2020/2021 World Championships in Senior Pas de Deux; and coached Junior Pas de Deux and Individual male vaulter at Junior World Championships in 2019. Todd is a veterinarian and also coached gymnastics for over 20 years , both mens and women artistic as well as tumbling, trampoline and cheer. Todd currently coaches in Utah including all levels of vaulters from Tiny Tots to World Championship level, and is exceptional at conveying the techniques and philosophy behind the moves, drills and overall vaulter development in both freestyle composition and compulsories. Todd also teaches the skills for higher level dismounts.  

Kimberly Wellmann, Ph.D.: Kimberly grew up with a passion for horses in Joshua, Texas.  She started riding as soon as she could walk, began training horses and giving lessons at a young age, and headed for the rodeo path. She was even crowned as the 2007 Johnson County PRCA Rodeo Queen. Around this same time, she became aware of the sport of equestrian vaulting. After a few years with Gold Star Pacesetters and some collaboration with Lone Star Vaulters, she began an equestrian vaulting team, VorTex Vaulters, in 2010. At Texas A&M, Kimberly was a member of the 2013 reserve champion and 2014 national champion stock horse team. During that same season, she and her horse, Samson, hauled a pas de deux and a male individual vaulter through the U.S. selection trials to qualify for the World Equestrian games. Kimberly began her Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Texas Tech University in January of 2016. At TTU, her research focused on the effect of nutrition on muscle development in beef cattle. During her time in Lubbock, Kimberly was also active with international vaulting, and was able to compete with her horse, Lunar Eclipse, at the 2018 World Equestrian Games as a part of the Australian, Canadian, and Brazilian teams. Lunar Eclipse also carried team Focus and an Oak Hills’ pas de deux through 2021 selection trials. More recently Kimberly and Moon help qualify Oak Hills Vaulters for the world championships, where Kimberly worked as a U.S. groom. Dr. Kimberly Wellmann joined Tarleton State University as an Assistant Professor in Animal Science beginning last fall, 2021. She currently enjoys coaching and training with VorTex Vaulters, teaching, and conducting research at TSU. 15 years in, Kimberly still loves vaulting and the people in it!

Crystal Pakizer (AVA r judge; USEF r Judge): Crystal was an avid vaulter winning numerous national championships and was chosen to represent the United States as a member of the Friendship Team that performed demonstrations at the Atlanta, GA 1996 Olympics. Crystal is now an AVA and USEF vaulting judge with a keen eye for how to improve vaulting scores through developmentally correct vaulting technique. She also places an emphasis on horse scores, and will work with lungers to better understand the horse scoring.

Additional clinicians include specialists in Yoga/Acro/Dance and sports psychology.

The weekend will also be host to the first annual Region IV Awards Ceremony (with separate registration)

Use this form to register now and then pay via PayPal to paypal.me/avaregioniv.

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Email *
Participant Last Name
*
Participant First Name
*
Is Participant under 18 years old?
*
If Yes, name of parent/guardian
Phone number of participant or parent/guardian
*
Email of participant or parent/guardian
*
What AVA Club are you affiliated with? (If you are independent - mark none).
*
Category/track
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FOR Vaulters: What level will do you expect to vault at in 2023? (Mark one)
Clear selection
FOR Vaulters: Please share your experience on team or Pas de Deux. Mark all that apply.
FOR Coach Track: What level(s) do you coach? (Mark all that apply)
FOR Lunger Track: What vaulter levels do you lunge? (Mark all that apply)
For Lungers: How do you rate your knowledge/experience with horse physical development (i.e. developing balance, straightness, rhythm, collection, etc.)?
Very Low - Need lots more training!!
Very High - I teach these principles to others.
Clear selection
The educational symposium is all day Saturday and all day Sunday; expected hours 8:00 a.m. - 5/6:00 p.m. each day. Please indicate your expected attendance (price will not change for those who cannot attend entire weekend).
*
If you can only attend part days - please note specifics of your timing (this is important for our final groupings)
For Horse Owners/Lungers: Please indicate if you would like to bring a horse. (Note: stalls are limited. If there are more requests for stalls than space, we will contact you.)
Clear selection
If yes to above, how many horses would you plan to bring?
Please include any additional information about this participant, including dietary concerns/allergies, medical conditions, special needs, or any other important notes that we should know.
Please list one thing that you would most like to improve or learn more about during the weekend educational symposium.
Fees and payment information
Each Participant is $150 total fees for the weekend.
Stalls are $50 per night per horse.
Haul in fee is $15 per night per horse.

Registration closes November 7.
Please make payment by November 7.

Mail check to: AVA Region IV, c/o Ciana Dodgion, 17859 E Belleview Pl., Centennial, CO 80015 (please note name of participant on check)
Or pay via Paypal to: paypal.me/avaregioniv (please comment name of participant!).

Checks payable to AVA Region IV.
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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