HARRISBURG, Pa. — Art O’Brien, leading equine trainer, instructor and exhibitor, will provide detailed riding and showing instruction at the 25th annual Winning Ways Clinic March 12.
Location
The clinic will be held at the Snider Agricultural Arena at Penn State University and will continue the tradition of providing practical, do-it-yourself skills for youth and adult riders of all levels.
The clinic is co-sponsored by Penn State’s Department of Dairy and Animal Science and the Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association.
The sessions will feature methods for riders of all levels to improve their skills for horsemanship, equitation and pattern classes. Techniques will be applicable to riders in many disciplines.
The clinic will include demonstrations and explanations for spectators as well as intensive sessions focusing on the horse and rider team.
Skills
The program will emphasize rider position and relationship to performance, maneuvers for horsemanship and equitation, including lead changes and spins, pattern execution and judging and scoring.
O’Brien currently serves as a riding instructor in the Western Program at The University of Findlay. He and his wife, Julie own and operate O’Brien Quarter Horses in Southington, Ohio. He has coached clients to AQHA World and Reserve World Championships in Horsemanship, Western Riding, Trail, Showmanship, Reining, Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation and Equitation over Fences, numerous AQHA All-Around Youth and Amateur titles, as well as AQHA Rookie of-the-Year awards.
Accomplishments
His personal accomplishments include: World and Reserve World Championships, AQHA Honor Roll High-Point awards in Western Riding, Trail and Western Pleasure. He was Top Ten at the AQHA World Show, Quarter Horse Congress and Appaloosa National Horse Shows in Western Riding, Trail, Western Pleasure and Reining.
Tack sale
The Pennsylvania Amateur Quarter Horse Association will sponsor a new and used tack equipment and clothing sale during the clinic. Hundreds of quality items from saddles to hats to blankets and boots will be available. Consignments for the tack and clothing sale are welcome.
For more information about the tack sale, contact Angie at dudley289@yahoo.com or 717-569-6489.
University tour. The Penn State University horse farm will be open for visitors to see the Quarter Horse herd and sale horses.
Clinic participants may visit the farm during breaks in the clinic schedule. Tour times will be announced at the clinic.
Details
The fee for the clinic, tack sale and farm tour is $20 per person before March 5. Late registrations after March 5 and walk-ins are $25 per person.
Registration forms and additional details are available at www.pqha.org or www.das.psu.edu For more information about the clinic, contact pqha@pqha.org, Tammy Eichstadt at 724-866-1800 or tammy.eichstadt@verizon.net or Pat Comerford at pcomerord@psu.edu or 814-863-3657.
