Downeast Medal Finals

April 2022

Presented by Dover Saddlery

September 15-18, 2022

Visit our website for more information about Downeast. We welcome all feedback and suggestions: please email Ginger at ginger@downeastmedalfinals.com

Message from the President

Welcome spring and the start of what is looking like a busy show season! Thank you to all of the shows hosting the DMF qualifying classes. If you are thinking of offering classes at your show, please be sure to fill out the hosting form that can be found on our website. You will find all of the necessary information needed to run the classes.

I also wish to thank each and every one of our generous sponsors for their incredible support of DMF 2022. Please be sure to support them wherever and whenever you can. If you or someone you know are interested in supporting the show please feel free to contact ginger@downeastmedalfinals.com and we can discuss levels of sponsorship.

NEW FOR 2022: In order to encourage our riders to seek out higher education we will offer three $1,000 educational scholarships to riders who are going on to, or continuing, their higher education beyond high school. These applicants must enter and show at DMF 2022. The award will be used solely for educational expenses and will be awarded to the school of choice upon submission of successful first semester grades. The application will be posted on the website soon and will require a personal essay about how the applicant will carry the spirit of DMF forward in their lives as well as two or more personal references from either a teacher, employer, or trainer. All details will be available on the website.

I hope that all of the Horsemanship riders are reading the articles and taking notes. There will be prize money for the top 6 in each age group along with some amazing awards! Team challenge riders: due to time limitations we will be limiting team size to 6, with 4 riders and 2 alternates. The alternates will fill in if we are missing a rider or will help assist the riders and be a part of the team, complete with costumes. Everyone interested can enter and we will do a lottery draw to choose riders/alternates. Please stay tuned for other news about DMF 2022!

Enjoy your show season and most of all enjoy those horses!

-Ginger

Camp Kippewa and Kippewa Equestrian Academy

Camp Kippewa and Kippewa Equestrian Academy in Monmouth, Maine offer true equestrian specialty programs with all the fun and traditions of sleepaway camp.

We have two different camp options. Our 3 ½ week, all-girls traditional camp (Camp Kippewa) provides campers with the option to select riding as one of the activities they participate in. They can choose to do this a few times over the course of the entire session, or up to two hours daily. We also have a brother camp, Camp Cobbossee, located just ½ mile down the road making for a convenient and fun way for siblings to stay close while each enjoying their own camp experience.

Our 12-day Equestrian Academy program is a riding specific camp. This program is built for girls who truly love horses and want to experience the lifestyle of a horse owner. The bunks overlook the horses as they graze, making for a truly unique experience. There is also time built-in daily for more traditional, non-equestrian, activities.

We welcome beginners through advanced riders with individual attention tailored to their level. All riders work with our highly qualified, dedicated instructors at their own pace in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The 50+ horses are individually selected for our program based on the specific needs of our campers.

You can learn more at www.kippewa.com or www.kippewaequestrianacademy.com

COLOR ME!

Lameness is a term used to describe a horse’s change in gait, usually in response to pain somewhere in a limb, but also possibly as a result of a mechanical restriction on movement. You may have guessed what comes next — lameness arising in the front feet accounts for most soundness issues in horses, and it continues to frustrate owners and veterinarians alike since the beginning of time!

While lameness cannot always be prevented, it can be minimized through your understanding of the factors involved in its development. For example, the more you understand about basic horse anatomy, the more problems you may be able to identify early on — and the better information you will be able to provide your veterinarian.

Print out this image and have fun coloring while you explore the anatomy of the equine front limb.

Rider Spotlight - Cecilia Price

The 2021 Downeast Long Stirrup Medal Final was won by Cecilia Price. Let's learn about Cecilia!

"I’m Cecilia Price, from Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I am 14 years old and have been riding for 8 years. My older sister, Posie, has been riding for many years, and as soon as I could I convinced my parents to let me begin riding. At first, we rode in a barn near our house, but for about 6 years now I have ridden at Graystone Stables in Berwick, Maine with my trainer Stephanie Plaisted. It is a long drive, but it has been fun to share the ride, and the riding with my sister. We both ride for the York IEA team, as well as in our individual competitions. I’ve been coming to the Downeast Medal Finals for many years to watch my sister, and other barn-mates compete. Posie won the 2018 Downeast Medal Finals on her leased horse Champtino. The fun I had in Skowhegan as a spectator, and supporter of my sister for all of those years drew me to make competing at Downeast a goal of mine. In 2019 I qualified, and had a wonderful time. Though I was excited to go back in 2020 COVID had other ideas. I was thrilled to qualify on my lease horse, Diva, in 2021 and compete in the Downeast Long Stirrup Medal. With the help of my trainer, my teammates, and my family–as well as a bit of luck–I won. We will keep learning together, and I hope to bring back a new horse for our next level of competition at Downeast."