Announcements

January 12, 2010 - Sally Swift is awarded the USEF Pegasus Award for 2009!  This is a very presitgious posthumous award by the the U.S. Equestrian Federation recognizing an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to equestrian sport.  Jami Wallace, President of Centered Riding, will be traveling to the USEF Pegasus Awards Dinner in Kentucky on the 16th of January to accept it on behalf of Sally.   All of us at Centered Riding our proud of this wonderful recognition of Sally's work.

January 11, 2010 - Centered Riding is pleased to announce the appointment of its officers for the 2010 – 2012 term.

Jamison Wallace from New Milford, Connecticut has been appointed as President .  Jami is a Level III Centered Riding clinician who has been associated with Centered Riding since 1996. Jami  is a “dressage rider who events” though both she and her horses are older and try not to take too many chances. She has also been a 4-H leader for 23 years, was once a NYC Urban Park Ranger, a professional photographer, a researcher, a corporate junior executive. She also teaches at Post University in Connecticut and is committed to furthering the future of Centered Riding. Jami’s joy for the past two years has been as Chair of the Centered Riding Symposium, bringing a weekend of education and information and Centered riding members together.

Heidi Potter from Guilford, Vermont will serve as Centered Riding’s Vice President.  Heidi Potter is a professional horsewoman. As a Level III Centered Riding Clinician she helps students of all levels and disciplines find improved balance, comfort, communication and confidence in the saddle.
Heidi is also a CHA Master Level Instructor and Clinic Instructor. She teaches, trains and conducts a wide variety of clinics and workshops both at home and abroad. She currently serves as Vice President for Centered Riding and as a committee member of the NAHRA Equine Wellness Task Force. Heidi resides in Southern Vermont at her family's farm, Maple Ridge Stable.

Margreet Bouwmeester from the Netherlands has been appointed as Treasurer. Margreet,  is a Level III Clinician and works very hard to promote Centered Riding in the Netherlands and other European countries. She started work with the Dutch Railways when she was 17 years old and went back to school to finish her studies as a financial controller at the University of Amsterdam. In 2006, after 32 years with the Railways, she decided to begin her own business, Alona for horse and human. Margreet is a Master Saddle fitter and an acupuncturist. She builds WOW saddles and teaches acupressure on horses. Her goal is to develop the horse and human in their knowledge about horse riding, management, health and saddles.

Newly appointment to the Board for a three-year term is Carol O’Donnell Wilson from Meriden, Kansas.  Carol is a Level III Instructor and a Certified TTEAM Practitioner 2. She has 35 years of experience riding, competing, teaching, and training in various disciplines, including Show, Hunters, Dressage, Western, Trail and Pleasure Riding. Carol conducts Centered Riding Clinics and TEAM workshops around the U.S. and teaches students and clinics at her northeast Kansas Farm. Carol has a background in education and communications, spending 20 years in the corporate world in advertising and corporate communications. Since the mid 90’s she has provided communications, consulting and promotional work for equine expos and other clients. She has years of experience in business, communications, and volunteer service on numerous boards of directors. Carol strongly values Centered Riding principles for riding and daily life.

Also appointed to the Board for a one-year term is Pat Van Buskirk.  Pat is an active Rider Member and has been involved as Chair of the Centered Riding Website Update Committee.  She volunteers her database and web knowledge to help the CR organization.  Currently, she serves as the treasurer for the New Mexico Reining Horse Association.  She also writes magazine articles for equine and other publications.  Pat's day job is Database Administrator and Operations Coordinator for the National Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, NM.  As a member of the Board of Trustees, she is committee to doing everything possible to assure that Sally's work continues.  She believes Sally and her CR program have done more to help horses than any other equine discipline.

Centered Riding wishes to thank Linda Galt Powley for her wonderful contributions as President of Centered RIding from 2007 through 2009.  Linda insured that the Centered Riding trademark was kept as our property.  Under her leadership, regionalization for Centered Riding expanded so that almost the entire U.S. and parts of Europe have Centered Riding Regional Coordinators.  She inaugurated the Financial Planning Board to focus on the stable future of Centered Riding, the eBulletin was born, Centered Riding got a "new look" with its website, and Certification for Centered Riding Instructors became fact.

Centered Riding also expresses its appreciation to Stephanie von Trapp Derbyshire for her tenure as Treasurer and the many hours she devoted to looking after the finances of Centered Riding, as well as to Debra Crampton for her tenure as the first Rider Member on the Board and Sally Bauder for her committed service as s Trustee since 2005.

July 15, 2009 - Centered Riding announces that it will begin to award Certificates of Attendance for all who attend a Centered Riding Open Clinic.

June 1, 2009 -Registration forms for the 2009 International Educational Symposium are now available.  Contact the Centered Riding office (office@centeredriding.org) or download a copy from the Centered Riding website.

May 31, 2009 - Centered Riding announces that its 2009 Yearbook will be dedicated to Sally Swift.  It will be priced at $29.95 and will contain details and photos of Sally's life not previously distributed, as well as other articles about Centered Riding.  The yearbook will be first distributed to those who attend the 2009 International Educational Symposium in Putney, Vermont.

May 39 - 31, 2009 - The first Centered Riding demonstration was held in Kobuchisawa, Yamanash, Japan, and was received with GREAT interest!  Plans are underway to hold future clinics in Japan.

May 21, 2009 - The Board of Trustees of Centered Riding announces the formation of a new scholarship instituted in honor of Sally Swift and her dream that Centered Ridng would spread to many more people around the world.  Four grants of $200 each will be made available each year to individuals who meet the criteria for becoming a Centered Riding Instructor and are in need of financial assistance in order to attend an Instructor's Course.  Two scholarships will be reserved for persons living outside of North America.

April 2, 2009 - Centered Riding, sadly, announces the death of its Founder, Sally Swift.  Sally died just days short of her 96th birthday due to complications of pneumonia.  A printed "Tribute to Sally Swift" was distributed to all members.  Non-members of Centered Riding can receive a copy with payment of $5.00 to cover printing and mailing costs.

March 22, 2009 - Centered Riding announces that it will begin instructor certification in 2010.  A draft of a new Instructor Handbook with the new instructor certification standards has been made available to Centered Riding Instructors and field testing of the new standards is under way.  The final version of Centered Riding's Instructor Certification Standards will be presented for voting at the Annual General Meeting in November.