By Sonia Meyer, Executive Director
In January 2007, the Alberta Horse Trials Association (AHTA) launched its High Performance Eventing Program with a goal to support high performance athletes and their coaches through to international levels of competition.
To this end, we worked with the AEF and were successful in receiving a grant from the Alberta Sport and Recreation Foundation with matching funds from AHTA towards hiring a HP coach for the program.
We are extremely excited to announce that we have hired Lorraine LaFramboise as our high performance eventing coach for the next year. Lorraine brings a tremendous depth of experience both with eventing and show jumping and we feel very privileged that she has agreed to help us develop the AHTA High Performance Eventing Program.
Lorraine is a former Canadian Champion (1980), was a member of the National Eventing Team (1976-1983), and Canadian National and Olympic Eventing Team Coach (1991-1994). From 2002 to 2004, Lorraine served on the National Eventing Team Selection Committee and in 2004 and 2006 was the colour commentator for CBC Country Canada’s coverage of the Athens Olympics and Aachen World Equestrian Games.
Since 2004, Lorraine has been Equine Canada’s consultant to Sport Canada and the Canadian Association of Coaches and is national project leader for two newly formed Canadian programs: the Long Term Athlete Development Initiative and the reorganization of the High Performance Coach Training and Certification Program.
She has a strong background in sport horse management (focusing on dehydration, heart rate monitoring, biomechanics), exercise physiology, sports psychology, and mental training.
The overall goals of the AHTA High Performance Eventing Program are to support riders with international aspirations to create and work towards long-term development plans, and to work with Alberta eventing coaches to improve their skills and knowledge and support the acquisition of additional levels of certification.
Lorraine will be coming to Alberta to work with our high performance riders and coaches during the Thanksgiving weekend, October 5 to 8 at Alborak Stables. This initial phase of the program will include all riders competing at the preliminary/ training level and above who have internationals goals, their coaches, and other eventing coaches in the province.
The weekend clinic will be a combination of mounted sessions with riders; unmounted sessions with riders; one-on-one appointments with riders; and direct work with coaches. There will also be an open observation session for all other interested riders and coaches.
This year has been exciting as two of the Canadian Eventing Team members who competed in the Pan Am Games in Rio are from Alberta and were the highest place Canadians (5th and 6th)! With the current emphasis on building quality courses and now a focus on developing international athletes and their coaches, Alberta eventing will be making its mark!
For more information on this clinic, please contact Dawne Clark at (403) 932-0996 or email declark@platinum.ca or www. albertahorsetrials.com and search under competitions/clinics.
Dawne Clark
Athlete Development Chair, AHTA
AEF Educational Scholarship
The AEF Educational Scholarship is a financial scholarship funded by the AEF Scholarship Fund, established and maintained through generous support of donations. Two awards of $500 each will be given out yearly to active AEF members who exemplify the objectives of the AEF, if there are suitable applications.
The scholarships will be applied towards an Equine Related Program at a Canadian Educational Institute. It may be applied towards full or part time studies. Candidates will be selected on the basis of information contained in their application form and letters of reference.
Any candidate may receive this scholarship only once in their lifetime, however, an unsuccessful candidate may re-apply the following year. The complete application package must be received at the AEF office by November 15 of each year. Only complete applications will be considered, late applications will not be considered.
A complete scholarship package can be accessed at www.alberta equestrian.com/grants.asp or by contacting the AEF office.
Alberta Stable Directory
A Stable Directory with in excess of 400 stables is available on the AEF website. Not all of the stables in the directory are members of the new Alberta Stables Association. If a stable wishes to join, contact information is available at www.albertastables.ca.
If you are looking for a breeder, a place to ride, board a horse, or take lessons this directory will help you to find a stable in your area.
We have hundreds of stables listed from all corners of the province and all are interested in servicing your needs. It is currently available on our website. If you would like a copy mailed to you please contact the AEF at 1-877-463-6233.
If you are an Alberta stable owner, make sure your stable is listed in the directory. We are receiving lots of positive feedback on this all-inclusive source for stables in Alberta. Send your stable name, address and phone number to coaching@albertaequestrian. com
NCCP Equine Specific Theory Course
October 13-14 at Exhibition Park in Lethbridge. For more information call (403) 253-4411 ext 3 or email coaching@alberta equestrian.com or toll-free: 1-877-463-6233.
