[TBs4ME]

Is anyone going?

[theblondejumper]

Ugh I will JUST miss it (as a spectator) since I'll be flying into BWI from Texas...maybe I can convince my chauffeur to stop by? Sounds like an awesome event, guess to keep people placated until the Expo in January?

[M. O'Connor]

We are missing it, but only because my daughter was invited to participate in the USHJA Horsemanship Challenge Quiz Finals, held alongside the EAP Final the same weekend. We were starting to look for an Eq horse to use at the MAEF when she received her invitation. I hope it is a huge success, and can't wait to hear all about it from those who go.

[woodhillsmanhattan]

I will be going to show in the Young Rider final. My 8 year old jumper that wants to be an equitation horse in his later years when I am done with him . Except we are still pretty backed off in indoors so we will see how this goes . I was chosen as an alternate for EAP Nationals but opted to go to the MAEF instead. It was a hard decision, as I dreadfully wanted to go to the EAP but I am applying to graduate school and decided what meant most to me was getting to have a successful season on my guy in case the time and funding lack once starting my PhD (very likely! haha). I am super excited!

P.S. On the prizelist it said stabling was first come first serve?

[MHM]

P.S. On the prizelist it said stabling was first come first serve?

Like festival seating for horses?!?

Good luck at the show!

[Lexus]

My daughter is qualified but we opted not to go. It looks like a great event but she has a new, green equitation horse so we are doing a Frank Madden clinic instead. We thought we should put the time into some additional training.

[Rockfish]

I'm opting out. I'm working with a new horse, and the only class I'd really feel solid in is the Eq on the flat. We just started working 3' courses together. I can't justify all the expense ( $100 grounds fee for non stabled horses-wtf!) for one, maybe two classes.

[KnKShowmom]

My daughter qualified but her trainer will be at EAP for the horsemanship quiz so we aren't going either. Has been a bit of a strange show year for us so we aren't doing any finals - time to regroup and get ready for next year.

Hope she can qualify again next year though - sounds like a fun show and it will be her last year as a junior.

[JASecond]

We're going with 3, maybe 4 in a few of the categories.

[chunky munky]

Come and ride to win 2 Delgrange saddles ( $5000 value each), SmartPak bridles,ISellTack.com saddle pads, Bosley Brainger custom made riding coat, free riders brunch, judging by Olympian Joe Fargis and USET rider Cynthia Hankins. $1000 Trainer's award. Best Thoroughbred horse award.This is the first year. Don't wait it out- come and win great stuff. Don't miss $1000 scholarship award.
Be the first winner of the Laura Pickett Trophy (Young Riders), or the Gary Zook Trophy( Adults) Get points for : USEF Medal, Maclay, WIHS Jumper, USEF Talent Search, Ariat, Farnam Medal, THIS,
You may not be able to be here this year,we know that the storm has made life difficult for many and fixing the roof may be more important ( and we agree!) but please help support this new show through sponsoring a class, meant for including all riders. It will be the place for the rider that may not ever win the Maclay or USEF Medal Finals. or others. But they are GOOD and they work hard. And they can win better awards than other medal classes ever offer. They can win huge recognition and pride of their acheivement. We hope to see you there!

[M. O'Connor]

Come and ride to win 2 Delgrange saddles ( $5000 value each), SmartPak bridles,ISellTack.com saddle pads, Bosley Brainger custom made riding coat, free riders brunch, judging by Olympian Joe Fargis and USET rider Cynthia Hankins. $1000 Trainer's award. Best Thoroughbred horse award.This is the first year. Don't wait it out- come and win great stuff. Don't miss $1000 scholarship award.
Be the first winner of the Laura Pickett Trophy (Young Riders), or the Gary Zook Trophy( Adults) Get points for : USEF Medal, Maclay, WIHS Jumper, USEF Talent Search, Ariat, Farnam Medal, THIS,
You may not be able to be here this year,we know that the storm has made life difficult for many and fixing the roof may be more important ( and we agree!) but please help support this new show through sponsoring a class, meant for including all riders. It will be the place for the rider that may not ever win the Maclay or USEF Medal Finals. or others. But they are GOOD and they work hard. And they can win better awards than other medal classes ever offer. They can win huge recognition and pride of their acheivement. We hope to see you there!

It's tough to get new things off the ground, but I've heard nothing but great things about this competition.

I hope it will have a solid inaugural year and return again in 2013, and that we'll be there to celebrate with you.

[bonstet]

I'm bringing three riders!

I think shows like this are soooo important. It makes me sad to see low entries in the equitation classes at a lot of the shows in our zone. My clients don't regularly travel to Florida in the winter, so from now until April, we have to hunt high and low to find equitation classes (whether they are big eq classes or pony medal classes) that fill. Since the equitation finals qualify on a rolling basis, we are already almost two months into the new show year! For USEF Pony Medal, we are a lot further along than that! None of the 3'6" equitation filled at HITS Culpeper at the end of September. I can't find a VHSA Pony Medal class running at most shows. I've always said it's hard to do the eq in Virginia, unless you go on the road. Having grown up in New Jersey - where we never had to work that hard to get classes to fill - it's a sad situation. I'm happy to support an equitation show where we can find it!

COME ON, LET'S MAKE SURE THIS SHOW GETS OFF THE GROUND! There's great prizes and it's at a great facility. Hope to see you there!!!

[Tackpud]

We are missing it, but only because my daughter was invited to participate in the USHJA Horsemanship Challenge Quiz Finals, held alongside the EAP Final the same weekend. We were starting to look for an Eq horse to use at the MAEF when she received her invitation. I hope it is a huge success, and can't wait to hear all about it from those who go.

See you there! It's going to be a great weekend. I'll be doing one of the seminars and enjoying getting to watch some of the EAP finals I hope.

[TBs4ME]

I'm bringing three riders!

I think shows like this are soooo important. It makes me sad to see low entries in the equitation classes at a lot of the shows in our zone.

COME ON, LET'S MAKE SURE THIS SHOW GETS OFF THE GROUND! There's great prizes and it's at a great facility. Hope to see you there!!!

I agree! I hope the low turnout this year doesn't discourage the show organizers from doing this in future years! I will be bringing 2!!! We are excited to be part of the inaugural year!

[PTDeaconHP]

I'm coming back from graduate school to ride a green little guy in the Adult 22-30 division and the adult finals . I'm very excited -- there are few opportunities for adult riders to continue on in the equitation world, so I very much appreciate MAEF recognizing that and including adults. This show is also a wonderful leverage point from which to increase attention toward equitation in our zone.

We'll be going every year to support MAEF; my sister won the Horsemanship Award at New England Finals, and we've always talked about how great it would be if that same model would be brought to the Maryland/Virginia area. We're so thrilled to see it happening -- I sure hope that they continue on in the years to come!

[TBs4ME]

If you guys didn't make it this year, you should definitely put it on your schedule for next year! They did a wonderful job, were pleasant to deal with, took suggestions on making improvements, and overall was a fun, professional horse show. Probably my favorite of the year.

Well Done! We will definitely be back!

[chunky munky]

Thanks TB's :-) Having your group with us made our inaugural year all themore special. Hope you will visit our Facebook page this week to see photos and results. Special thanks to our staff and officials, Joe Fargis, Cynthia Hankins, Chuck Mayer, Rick Eckhardt, Alan Lohman,Kenn Marash,George Heston, Jamie Suchoski,Bev Abbott our incredible volunteers. Without all your excellent work our GREAT reviews wouldn't be blowin' up the internet. And special thanks to our great exhibitors, especially the ones that didn't know us and took a chance anyway. Seeing how much you all loved the show made our year and a half of planning and hard work all worthwhile!

[chunky munky]

Photos are up! Visit our Facebook, (Mid Atlantic Equitation Festival) page for the link to Susan Carter's website. Thanks again everybody for supporting our inaugural year. Everybody is emailing me that they loved the show and had a great time :-)

[M. O'Connor]

I'm so glad this was a success! We had a wonderful time at EAP/HQC finals, and were sad to have to choose between two great events.

[chunky munky]

Thanks mary:-) What is HQC finals??