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Shana Ritter on the Lipizzan Stallion, Maestoso II Shama II, in the Canter. Photo by Sara Stafford, 2007. |
Shana Ritter with the Lipizzan Stallion, Maestoso II Ambrosia, at the Longrein. Photo by Sara Stafford, 2007. |
Shana Ritter on the Lipizzan Stallion, 546 Conversano Mima, in the Medium Trot. Photo by Sara Stafford, 2007. |
Shana Ritter on the Lipizzan Stallion, Maestoso II Ambrosia. Photo by Sara Stafford, 2007. |
Shana Ritter on the Lipizzan Stallion, 546 Conversano Mima, in the Piaffe to Passage Transition. Photo by Sara Stafford, 2007. |
Shana Ritter with the Lipizzan Stallion, Maestoso II Catrina, in the Levade in Hand. Photo by Sara Stafford, 2007. |
Shana Ritter on the Lipizzan Stallion, Pluto III Ambrosia II, in a Canter Pirouette. Photo by Sara Stafford, 2007. |
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Shana Ritter
My classically-grounded equestrian perspective offers me the ability to guide each horse and student with a thoughtful, conscientious, yet pragmatic approach. Proving that classical dressage can be successful in the showring and that good riding/training is good riding/training regardless of what it is called (debunking the classical vs. competitive myth), my career highlights have included many High-Point Score awards, ODS Championships, a USDF Regional Reserve Championship, and numerous Horse of the Year/All Breeds Awards. I am also a USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist.
Riding:
I have ridden with a small selection of the highest-regarded classical instructors of our time, including:
- Karl Mikolka - Oberbereiter a.D. of the Spanish Riding School and former Brazilian Olympic Team Coach
- Egon von Neindorff - of the Reintinstitut Egon von Neindorff in Karlsruhe, Germany
- Dorothee Faltejsek in Germany - author of "Im Damensattel" and senior student of Egon von Neindorff.
- Charles de Kunffy - esteemed author
- Arthur Kottas - former Head Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School
- Herwig Radnetter - Rider of the Spanish Riding School
- and my husband, Thomas Ritter.
I owe immeasurable gratitude to each of these (and the four-legged) teachers for guiding me so supportively and carefully in my education. Of these, I owe Karl Mikolka the greatest credit for completely reshaping the way I view the training process and my understanding of how training shapes the body and mind of the horse. I have come away from each and every lesson with him amazed, enthused, and embracing another piece of this intricate puzzle. I also owe my husband, Thomas Ritter, huge credit for longeing me ad naseum until I had attained a supple, elastic, and effective seat. He has been a formative influence on my own education and continues to be a huge source of support, feedback, and intellectual stimulation. Also a student of Karl Mikolka, we are able to work together on the methods and principles, sharing in the process of each others’ learning as well as our own.
Training:
Although I accept horses of all levels into training including some “correction” training horses, I especially enjoy training a horse from the beginning. I feel it is an honor to be the first person to sit on a horse and introduce to the horse the first concepts of dressage. Even more so, I feel it is especially rewarding to continue the training of the horses I’ve started. I feel it is just as important to develop a horse emotionally and psychologically as it is to develop the horse physically. You must teach the horse how to learn, how to understand, and how to think with the rider. We don’t want our horses to be robots and “order-takers” – this can only result in mechanized trick-riding. We want our horses to be active participants in their training. We develop the horses systematically, concentrating on correctness and basics. This is the foundation for all of the horse’s training, and continues to be our focus, whether the horse is just beginning its training under saddle or is well into Grand Prix.
Lessons:
My teaching is well-rooted in classical tradition, with a special emphasis on a correct, supple, and effective seat – the cornerstone for fine riding. Longe-lessons are a strong focal point in our lesson program. We have a team of wonderful schoolhorses, each with their own invaluable talents for teaching the student how to ride with finesse, accuracy, and understanding.
Clinics:
I teach an increasing number clinics each year. Some of which are in conjunction with my husband, Thomas Ritter. Our students are spread throughout the United States, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and more. We’ve also taught clinics in Canada and Norway. We have students who come to ride with us from all over the United States and abroad, including Germany, the U.K., Sweden, Norway, Canada, and more.
My clinic locations are:
Reindance Stables - Hillsboro, Oregon - Contact Anna Bigwood at abigwood@comcast.net. Auditors welcome. Website: www.reindance.net
Grand View Stables - Oregon City, Oregon - Contact Lois Garcia at grandview2007@msn.com.
Jacksonville, Florida - Contact Sandy Mooney at housedoctorinc@comcast.net.
Fenwick Grove Riding Academy in Woodstown, New Jersey - Contact Fenwick Grove Academy in Woodstown, New Jersey - email Laura Johansen at lauraj1@comcast.net or call (856) 769-4219.
Broken Auger Lusitanos in Ferndale, Washington (near Bellingham) - email Barbara Daugert at bdaugert@gmail.com.
Victor, Idaho - email Jodi Seaton at bjseaton@tetontel.com.
Bear Creek Equestrian Center in Winthrop, Washington - email Poly Lucy and Debra Prentice at bearcreekequestriancenter@methownet.com.
Illinois (near St. Louis, MO) - email Sherry Rodenmeyer at srodenmeyer@wisperhome.com.
Legacy Farms in Celina, Texas. Email Diane Huber at haltatx@gmail.com.
Showing
Our showring successes, as a result of training based solidly in classical principles and methods, has been a delight. I always believed that good training is good training, regardless of whether it is labeled as “classical” or “competitive”. In the past, I typically shunned the showring, preferring the quiet, meditative training work at home. But in 2003, I attended a horse show as a spectator with a student. That day I decided to put my training “to the test” and conservatively entered a few shows and did admirably well with my young Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding, Andre. These good experiences provided the impetus for a number of very busy (and subsequently very successful) show seasons. We have been very well-received, regardless of whether we are showing baroque horses, warmbloods, or non-typical dressage breeds. Keeping true to our classical standards, we proved that classical training can still be successful in the showring. I have brought numerous horses along from start to FEI. I have received numerous Regional, State, and USDF Championship Awards, and I am a U.S.D.F. Bronze and Silver Medalist.
We reluctantly decided to halt our 2008 show season due to steeply-rising fuel prices, and instead concentrate our time and energies on training at home and preparing for our exciting Performance Series hosted this year at the farm. However, we did briefly attend a few early season shows, successfully introducing several horses to new levels.
A few select highlights:
2008 - Maestoso II Ambrosia "Aramis" (Lipizzan Stallion) - made a successful debut at Intermediare I
2008 - Maestoso II Shama II "Shama" (Lipizzan Stallion) - made a successful debut at Prix St. George
2007 - Pluto III Ambrosia II "Merlin" (Lipizzan Stallion) - made a successful debut at Intermediare I
2007 - Pluto III Ambrosia II "Merlin" (Lipizzan Stallion) - USDF All-Breeds 3rd Place at Prix St. George and USDF Region 6 High Point Lipizzan Award.
2007 - Maestoso II Shama II (Lipizzan Stalion) - USDF All-Breeds Champion at 3rd Level.
2007 - Conversano Mima (Lipizzan Stallion) - USDF All-Breeds Champion at 3rd Level Musical Freestyle and Reserve Champion at 3rd Level.
2007 - Pluto Ambrosia III "August" (Lipizzan Stallion) - USDF All-Breeds 3rd Place at First Level.
2005 - Pluto III Ambrosia II "Merlin" (Lipizzan Stallion) - USDF All-Breeds Champion at 2nd Level and Reserve Champion at 3rd Level.
2005 - Maestoso II Shama II (Lipizzan Stallion) - USDF All-Breeds Champion at 1st Level.
2004 - Sedonna (Lipizzan Mare) - ODS Champion at 3rd Level and USDF All-Breeds Champion at 3rd Level
2004 - Pluto III Ambrosia II "Merlin" (Lipizzan Stallion) - ODS Champion at Training Level, USDF Region 6 Reserve Champion at First Level, USDF All-Breeds Reserve Champion at Training Level and 3rd Place at First Level, NWAHA High-Point Champion at 71.923%.
2004 - Maestoso II Shama II (Lipizzan Stallion) - ODS Champion at Pas-de-Deux, 3rd place at USDF All-Breeds at Training Level, Letter Perfect High Point Champion at 72.692%, Summer Champagne Classic High-Point Young Lipizzan Award at 75.385%, Spokane Sporthorse High-Point Lipizzan and Training Level High Point at 81.153%.
Regardless of whether I am training a young horse,
preparing a horse for the showring, or addressing correction training issues in a horse, I adhere steadfastly to the classical principles and methods I have been taught. I see no reason to "reinvent the wheel" - the Old Masters discovered everything there was to be discovered about the training of the horse, and I believe there is no reason that I should feel inclined to stray from their path. I take my time in the training of the horses, so that I don't waste time, because I believe that "short-cuts" only lead to long detours to the real goal. And I believe that it is the horse that dictates the training schedule and not an arbitrary calendar of human expectations. I have learned that this attitude saves time, in the long-run, because it bypasses training problems and injuries that can be created by pushing a talented horse too quickly, before they are gymnastically prepared for the work and before they are psychologically mature to handle the training and its demands.
Breeding
It all started with the idea to breed my beloved Arabian mare, Fanci, and a leased Lipizzan mare, Sophia Dahlia. That year's foal crop of two was just the beginning. It has grown steadily into an integral part of our program, breeding primarily Lipizzans. I have attended the OSU Winter Short-Course on Equine Reproduction twice to gain a complete education in equine reproduction. Today, between Ritter Dressage and White Horse Vale, our combined farm herd stands at approximately 70 head of Lipizzans, with 9 foals born in 2007, and 13 foals due in 2008. This makes the Ritter Dressage/White Horse Vale cooperation one of the largest "private" breeders of Lipizzans in the world.
We breed for Classical "riding-type" Lipizzans, and undergo a strict evaluation process with each foal crop, in order to maximize the quality we are producing. We retain a select few each year to refresh our breeding herd and for inclusion in our Performance program, but most of our Lipizzan offspring are offered for sale to the general public. We often have a range of horses for sale, weanlings and breeding stock to trained Dressage horses.
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