Year after year, the United States Dressage Federation pursues to educate its supporters and members by hosting annual conventions at the most exotic locations in the United States. The 2001 edition of the convention has occupied the majestic Peabody Hotel in Orlando, FL, from November 28 to December 1, 2001. While visitors can enjoy the delightful 80F Florida weather outside, inside the hotel the air-conditioning is hardly able to cool down people's enthusiasm during the educational panel discussions, mini sessions and board meetings.
The opening session of the 2001 USDF Annual Convention was professionally hosted by engineer Brad Thatcher and Perma-flex footing specialist Jennifer Buchanan. Besides numerous open and closed council and committee meetings, the Wednesday programme featured, as highlight of the first day, the USDF University Educational Mini-Session with Conrad Schumacher as guest speaker.
The German horse master Schumacher lectured on the fundamental importance of having a solid basis in dressage when training both rider and horse. Schumacher emphasized that the training of a dressage horse encaptures 8 specific goals, i.e. to achieve fun, success, soundness, trust, respect, inner tranquility, obedience and a physically strong and clever horse.
Schumacher illustrated his principles of training by showing a 30 minute video of the FN-verlag (German Equestrian Federation). He correctly remarked that the tape was a perfect demonstration of ideal training. Heike Kemmer, Leonie Bramall and Lisa Wilcox were the featured riders and mounted the now winning FEI horses Rohdiamant and Inspekteur. Schumacher went deeper into the matters of the natural crookedness of a horse and the importance of half halts in the process of basic training.
The trade fair in the ball room of the Peabody hotel has approximately 40 booths presenting some of the finest equestrian businesses in the United States. If you are at the Peabody right now or plan to visit the convention this weekend, make sure to check out the lobby where you will see the famous Peabody ducks walking to their indoor fountain for a wash and a drink.
Medieval Times, An Apex of the 2001 USDF Convention
Thursday and Friday, November 29-30, 2001, were two intense days of discussion. Featured guest speaker Conrad Schumacher completed his trilogy of seminars with developing a good dressage seat and the training of upper level dressage horses as main issues in his speech. Thursday evening "conventioning" ended with an in-depth debate between Tom Noone, Sue Blinks and the audience on how the musical freestyle can spice up the programme of dressage competitions.
The GMO's and USA Equestrian and USDF Board of Governors presented an overview of last year's achievements and asked the audience's opinion for their 2002 agenda. Friday's highlight meeting was probably the two-hour general assembly of the USDF Board of Governers.
To unwind guest speakers, delegates, sponsors, vendors and the audience, the USDF booked Kissimee based equestrian show Medieval Times. The crowds gathered at the Medieval castle at 7.30 PM, but it wasn't until 9.00 PM that the show started. Six knights on Andalusian horses demonstrated the principles of classical dressage as well as the equestrian skills required for cavalry knights in the Middle Ages. Although the story outline to the event was hardly essential in order to enjoy the spectacle, in the end, the blue knight beat the evil black knight that invaded the king's realm to steel the queen and conquer the throne.
The Peabody Duck March
When bored, annoyed, blown away or overthrilled by the meeting marathon of the 2001 USDF Convention in the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida, visitors of the convention can take a break from all the didactive pressure by relaxing in the comfortable seats in the Peabody lobby. However, don't be surprised by the unusual guests occupying the scene as well, i.e. the famous Peabody ducks. A group of five mallard enjoy a daily swim from 11 AM to 5 PM in their fountain, central in the lobby. The ceremonial walk to and from the fountain occurs on a red carpet in the presence of the Peadybody Lord Chamberlaine.
The tradition of the Duck March began in the 1930s when Frank Schutt, General Manager of The Peabody Memphis, and a good friend Chip Barwick, Sr. both avid outdoorsmen, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. It seems that they had nipped a bit of Tennessee sippin' whiskey, and thought, with schoolboy prankishness, that it would be humouress to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful but barren Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were selected as "guinea pigs" and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic.
Thus began a Peabody tradition which was to become famous in international hoteldom for years to come. The original ducks have long since gone, but their descendants still grace the beautiful marble fountain in the hotel lobbies of The Peabody Memphis and The Peabody Orlando.
More Coverage of the 2001 USDF Convention on Horsesdaily.com