The Western States Horse Expo is pleased to announce that world-renowned rider and trainer Bernie Traurig of EquestrianCoach.com has joined the clinician lineup for this year’s event. Based on the American Forward Riding System, Traurig’s EquestrianCoach.com is currently the most important contribution to college equine-education curricula in this 21st century. The Western States Horse Expo is scheduled for June 8-10, 2012 at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, CA.

Traurig is a uniquely gifted and rare talent who has excelled in multiple disciplines including equitation, jumpers, hunters, eventing and dressage. As a competitor, Traurig represented the United States Equestrian Team both at home and abroad, and is renowned for his teaching and coaching contributions. He is currently the West Coast’s Associate Chef d’ Equip to George H. Morris, the Chef d’ Equip of the United States Equestrian Foundation’s Show Jumping Team. With 53 years of training, riding techniques and experiences with thousands of horses, Traurig is determined to give back to the sport that has given him so much fulfillment and success.

During the Western States Horse Expo, Traurig will focus on the American Forward System of Riding. “The system of forward riding is three parts: it’s based on the position of the rider, controls of the horse or aids the riders are using and the schooling system for the horse,” he explained. “People still don’t understand the difference between the forward riding system and the classical dressage rider system, which are clearly different. The forward riding system is something that is being taught in the USHJA trainer certification program. It standardizes riding in America so that we come up with a very good basis of teaching here trainers and for riders.

Traurig added, “The Western States Horse Expo is well established event and it’s sort of local to me on the West Coast. I will be conducting a demonstration clinic, which I like because it’s more for the crowd than the riders. I think we are going to have some really good local riders that are going to help me-we can promote the American Hunter Jumper Forward Riding System.”

Over the past 13 years, Horse Expo Events has established the Western States Horse Expo as the gold standard of equine events. The 2012 Western States Horse Expo takes center stage from June 8-10, 2012 at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, CA. In addition to the Magnificent 7, the Project Cowboy – Cowgirls Only, and the Horse Expo Horse Sale during that weekend, there will be several clinicians at the Expo: Chris Cox, Bernie Traurig, Steve Rother, Larry Whitesell, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, David Bodin, Bonnie Davis, Dr. Sue Thompson, Christy Landwehr, Peggy Cummings, Robert M. Miller, DVM. There will also be breed demonstrations, Young Rider Park, Equine Dream Art Show and Book Corral.

EquestrianCoach.com is the leader in equestrian online learning and official educational provider of the United States Hunter Jumper Association, United States Pony Clubs and the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association. For more information please visit  www.EquestrianCoach.com.

For more information on the Western States Horse Expo please visit  www.horsexpo.com.