Megan Levine and Rhomann are the HGF Young Horse/Young Rider Champions at the Lendon Youth Dressage Festival Midwest.
2013.06.16
In this first year of the LYDF Midwest, several new awards were sponsored by various organizations. To encourage young riders to be trainers as well as riders, HGF chose to present it's Champion ribbon to the highest scoring pair where the horse was started by the rider. We were pleased to see that there were several pairs who fit the criteria this year, but our winner was 20 year old Megan Levine on Rhomann. Megan has an impressive record already with training young horses....Here is her story:
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I have known Rhomann since he was first born. I began taking lessons at Rowe stables in Okemos, MI the week he was born. He is by the stallion Rhoquest (by Art Deco) and out of a brood mare, both owned by my instructor Tracy Rowe McEwan, and I had the pleasure of watching him grow up during my time there taking lessons on my mare. The year I turned 17, I was getting ready to show my first Prix St. Georges on an appaloosa mare that I trained from the time she was green broke. Tracy needed to down sized her number of personal horses, and seeing my dedication and hard work with my other horse, she offered me first pick of her two young horses. I chose to purchase Rho from her and since he had just turned 3, we promptly got to work with him.
With some help from the local cowboy we got him started and the process went very smoothly. From the beginning of his training he has had a wonderful attitude and personality with a willingness to work and to learn. As well as comfortable, forward gaits. I have done all of his training, with weekly lessons and instruction at Rowe stable. He turned 6 this May and we are working on 3rd level at home. Today at my lesson we actually did our first flying lead change. He is a sensitive horse and has been very trainable and rideable because he likes to be kept busy. The more I keep him thinking the more fun he is to ride. This trait of his has made him very enjoyable to train because he catches on to movements quickly and once he understands it, I barely have to ask him from then on to produce that movement and he will perform with out a hesitation at the slightest cue. We do still have our challenges, Rhomann is built with a high set neck, and it takes a great deal of effort on his part to maintain the reaching stretching contact desired at the lower levels of dressage. This is improving though and is something that I work very diligently in our rides to maintain.
I plan to continue riding and training with Tracy Rowe McEwan and work up the levels with him, and hope to eventually compete him at Grand Prix. Like most young dressage enthusiasts this is my goal. If this is met he will be the second horse I have trained to FEI. I have brought my appaloosa mare from a out of control barrel racing reject, to schooling Grand Prix in my 7 years riding at Rowe Stables. I have loved every second of my journey with him this far and hope to have many more years with him.
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Congratulations Megan and Rhomann![nbsp]
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