CLINICIAN: Gina Gardner
Assisted by daughter Sheena Gardner, when available
I stake my tent near the new versitility arena and tie Velvet up to the trailer. In the morning I wake up and look out at the arena to see a little human blob and a bigger horse blob doing things suspiciously like cantering in figure eights. I dig back into my tent to find my glasses and look again. I put my hand to my chest and utter, "IT's THE BIG ONE MABEL!" In the arena is a woman and a horse doing slow figure eights with flying lead changes. This is not a normal sight at the Celebration. It's not a normal sight anywhere to see a fox trotter doing flying lead changes, while slowly cantering in a figure eight. I dress, take care of the necessary things and try to get back before my new hero leaves the arena. DRAT! She left. It was Gina. Later I discovered that she built the versitility arena the year before and she's from Oregon. WOW!
Year 4. Yea, I'm pretty big stuff now. Velvet and I have done the trail class at the Celebration and we were hot. A new competitor apears from no where. She is wearing black chaps, beautiful shirt, hat and gloves. She is the only one to look like a movie star. The rest of us suddenly feel like we're out on the range in our unmatched messy cow clothes. It's Gina. She and Choklat slide up to the trail gate. She reaches out and touches the tall lever that moves the bar. She touches the bar with her black gloved hand, goes through the gate and shuts it. Her black gloved hand never leaves that lever. It's now 2003 and I've tried to open a gate like that for years and have NEVER succeeded. She and Choklat went through that gate in about 2 seconds. Slick.
Velvet and I knew that we were watching a CLASS ACT! Gina and Choklat mow down the rest of the trail obstacles with slow precise movements. She makes the rest of us look like we're riding mustangs. Get this: She comes to the bridge and while walking forward, her horse looks down at the bridge as she's taking her first step up. It makes her look like a million dollar trail horse. Good GAD! Even Velvet shook her head in admiration. Velvet and I have never forgotten Gina's trail class ride....a class act!
Yup, I've been a silent fan of Gina's for some time
Year 6. At the Celebration, Gina came up and talked to me. I could hardly respond. I tried not to throw myself to the ground and lick her shoes. Gina didn't ride this year, but Sheena did. We had a great time with the versitility events. As a matter of fact, we had tons of fun.
"My versatile background with horses began as a young woman raised on a guide ranch in Wyoming where I worked with stock horses as well as gaited horses and mules. I do not believe there was a better way to gain an understanding of the nature of horses than to grow up with them and working along side experienced horsemen. Halter breaking young stock, riding green broke ranch horses as well as training a large number to saddle offered me an opportunity to be a well rounded horsewoman. In between ranch work I successfully barrel raced and showed halter horses.
Along with gaited horses, I have trained and shown Arabian, Drafts, Quarter Horses, Mules and Morgans. Additionally, I have ridden and shown Huntseat, Saddleseat, Jumping, Reining, Sidesaddle, Western Riding, Obstacle Trail, Showmanship, Driving and participated in Endurance competition. Currently, when I am not training, I am learning and riding dressage on my Foxtrotter mare and my Thoroughbred mare."
In the current trail class, a horse has to back, sidepass, sidepass over a pole, leap over small objects and canter. So, guess what we did in the two day clinic! Yep, we started learning how to sidepass, back, and on the 2nd day leap over small objects. We even got to practice on opening the gate. We got to walk over a bridge. Some of the horses had never done any of these things before and we owners were pretty amazed at our progress at the end of each day. A couple of the horses had never cantered with a rider. One horse cantered with his rider. The other horse had to have Gina ride in order to persuade it to canter. It went well.
On the second day, Gina gathered us in a little group and gave away her secrets. Yep! She told us ways to enhance our performance in the trail class. Some of these things are just common sense type things that you never think of until someone tells you. Other secrets were positivley brilliant. I was blown away by some of this knowledge. I'm not going to tell anyone Gina's secrets to enhance performance in trail. Yep, you'll have to participate in her versitility clinic to find out these things. Near the end of the second day, I asked Gina if she could demonstrate opening the trail gate on the lever and not move her hand. Yep, she did it in two seconds flat. It was still astonishing. Other people in the class said, yea, that's the best way to do it! Ha! They haven't tried it yet.
Contact her gardner.gina@att.net
Send email to Susan at:
Gina Gardner
The Clinic in Buffalo
We lovers of the Missouri Fox Trotter horse are lucky that we have Gina Gardner in our organization. Before I tell you why, I'm going to reach back and tell you some stories of my meeting Gina.
Year 1. I decide that young Velvet and I need to spend some quality time together. I've been riding Sage most of the time and Velvet just sits at home and waits. Sage and I are suffering through the first of many years to get flying lead changes.
June 2003
Suzanne and Elmer Scotts Residence
Buffalo, Missouri
A long time ago, Gina built our versitility arena at Ava. Now she's going around the country and educating Missouri Fox Trotter owners and riders to participate in versitility events. When Gina has a desire, she sticks to it! Gina explained to us that our versitility events haven't gone over as big as the other breeds. Missouri Fox Trotters are far behind in the versitility area of the horse world. We need to increase our participation in versitility events which will create demand for well trained versitile fox trotters. It's a vision all of us have had for years and now Gina is educating us masses on how to train and compete for these events.
GINA'S CLINICS-
To be in Gina's clinic is to have fun and learn with the horse treated with dignity.
Gina is giving two clinics of which one is the versitility. The other clinic is GAITS. I would certainly love to be in a gait clinic with Gina. Since she lives in Oregon, there has to be enough riders in order for her to come. She needs $1000 to give a clinic. In the world of clinics, this is well-priced. Elmer and Suzanne Scott will be planning another Gina clinic at their place...date unknown. Gina is coming to Ava for the Celebration and will be available for lessons. Gina has just become a Missouri Fox Trotter judge.
Susanfxtrt@aol.com
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