16 SIDELINES APRIL 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Julie teaching a clinic to (left to right) Marissa Degner, Lindsey Lamb and Elizabeth Adelson.
got to learn more.’”
Julie added, “The whole premise of starting Capital Challenge
was to get eight judges from across the country. There weren’t
that many judges from out west and after some turned it down
I accepted it. About six months later, I was asked to judge
Upperville, and not long after that I was asked to judgeWashington,
Harrisburg and Devon.”
After acquiring that experience, Julie was given the opportunity
to design the courses and judge the ASPCA Maclay Finals, the
USEF Medal Finals and The New England Equitation Finals. She
remembers working with her early mentor, “I was lucky enough to
judge the USEF Medal Finals with George Morris in 2010, which
was a huge thing for me.”
Julie is now an R rated USEF judge as well as a CEF judge.
She owns and operates Maplewood Stables, in Reno, Nevada
that she established in 1977. It is a 165-acre sales, training and
breeding facility, standing Julie’s two grand prix stallions, Osilvis,
and Cartouche Z. Julie’s passion for horsemanship and teaching
is evident in her internship program at Maplewood and her
involvement in the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program (EAP).
The EAP was created specifically to provide opportunities for
talented young riders to advance their education as they strive
to become knowledgeable horsemen within the hunter/jumper
community. Peter Wylde, head clinician of the program, summed
it up when he said, “The purpose of the EAP is to open doors
for these talented young riders who wouldn’t otherwise have that
chance.”
Julie was instrumental in the initial phases of the program. “The
first year that they had the EAP, I was asked if I would give one
of the regional clinics. I was excited to be asked and I got to give
the clinic at Gladstone. It was the first regional clinic and the first
time I had met Melanie Smith-Taylor. I didn’t know what to expect
because I wasn’t on the committee and I wasn’t really filled in
before I got there. I brought my own gymnastics and flatwork
exercises and a written test for the kids, because I felt that should
be a part of this. Melanie loved it and we ended up using that
test for all the EAP regionals, and it evolved into being part of the
program.
“Later, I asked how the finals were going to work. They weren’t
really sure yet and I said to Melanie, ‘You, know, I have 15 horses
at my farm that jump a meter 20 right now.’ At that moment I
had a big group of sale horses and I said, ‘What if the kids came
and they all drew horses and nobody brought their own horse?’
Melanie thought that was an awesome idea and we had the first
EAP finals at my farm the following January. Peter Wylde, Melanie
and Sally Ike were there and we had the first group of 12 finalists.
Then they asked me to be on the committee and I was thrilled. I’m
very passionate about that program because those kids are less
fortunate, they don’t have the money to do everything and have
all the big time horses. That’s how I grew up so I really wanted to
help them.
“I enjoy all the aspects of our business, judging and giving
clinics around the country and meeting new people. I want to
continue helping people to better understand and communicate
with their horses to be more successful.”
About the writer: Doris Degner-Foster rides with Harvard Fox Hounds in
Oklahoma when she is not interviewing interesting individuals in the horse sport.
She also enjoys writing fiction and is working on a middle grade book series about
teenagers who ride horses and solve mysteries. Look for Doris’s blog “Notes From
the Field” on the Sidelines Magazine website.
