The eight eventers and horses, ranging in levels from Introductory to Training, galloped over logs, through water jumps and sunken roads and up and down banks at Boyd Martin’s Windurra USA stables. Under the watchful eye of the three-time Olympian, they worked on their positions, contact, pace, feel and more.
Despite the exposure to a variety of fences, exercises and skills, Martin’s main message for the group was streamlined: “The take-home is, if you take [thousands of] lessons and can keep one thing, it’s money well spent. Make sure you take one thing and drive it home.”
The morning schooling sessions with Martin were the highlight of Practical Horseman’s Win A Day with Boyd Martin clinic, sponsored by SmartPak. Contest winner Merrilyn Ratliff of Parkville, Maryland, and seven friends trailered their horses to Martin’s stable in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, in early May to spend an activity-packed day.
In the morning, the riders participated in cross-country lessons with Martin. After that, Martin gave a tour of his stables. Then the group enjoyed seeing Martin’s wife, FEI-level dressage rider Silva Martin, train her upper-level horses. After lunch, they
