Cavaliere Assessments are coming up this Sunday. Please note the later-than-usual start time of 4:00pm to keep us out of the mid-day heat!
Cavaliere Assessments
Sunday 5 July 4:00 - 7:00pm
cost: $50 (single assessment); $80 (both Riding & Horsemanship)
This assessment is for Riding and Horsemanship only. If you plan to assess please contact jennifer (at) academiedullo.com to confirm. Remember, the cost of a single assessment is included with all Riding and Horsemanship classes. Contact us if you are not sure if you have a credit for this.
Horsemanship
For Horsemanship assessments you are expected to be dressed in a tidy and workmanlike fashion, with appropriate footwear, long hair tied back, dangling jewelry removed, and gloves available. If you have not already done your written test in a prior class, please bring a pen and something to write on. You will do the written test before you are assessed on your practical work. Know the requirements for your level, and if you have questions, make sure to ask one of your instructors beforehand.
Riding
For Riding you should be turned out in boots and helmet, with long pants or breeches. Half-chaps and gloves are recommended but not mandatory at lower levels. Long hair must be tied back and dangling jewelry removed. Your appearance should be neat and tidy. Your horse should likewise be well-groomed and the tack clean. At Level 4 and up we give marks on your turnout, so it is worthwhile cleaning your horse's tack the day before. You will be allowed to warm up a bit before you begin your riding test. The test is very much like a lesson, except you will not be receiving feedback. Don't let silence and ferocious scribbling on clipboards unnerve you. We are keeping track of all the positive things we see, not just the faults!
Upcoming Clinics and Classes
Prix Fiore is a riding test that includes jumps and sword work. In this one and a half hour clinic riders will practise pas-de-deux and quadrille dressage movements along with tandem jumps and choreographed sword work. For more info on Prix Fiore, see this blog post from last year.
Friday 3 July, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Instructor: Jennifer Landels
Prerequisite: Riding Level 1 or equivalent
cost: $45 (own horse); $60 (school horse)
Sign up for any four Friday Clinics for only $180 (4 for the price of 3)!
Take your riding from the confines of the arena to the exhilaration of the open field. Work on your pace and galloping position to a variety of cross country jumps. Riders will be required to wear cross country vests. There are some loaners available, but not in all sizes. Please enquire if you require a loaner vest.
Friday 10 July, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Instructor: Jennifer Landels
Prerequisite: Riding Level 2 or equivalent
cost: $45 (own horse); $60 (school horse)
Sign up for any four Friday Clinics for only $180 (4 for the price of 3)!
Dressage is the basis of all riding, and Mounted Combat is no exception. In this one and a half hour session coach Stephanie Laversin will help you hone your half-halts, achieve better bend, and sharpen your lateral work with an eye to the movements most useful for combat.
Friday 17 July, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Instructor: Stephanie Laversin
Prerequisite: Riding Level 1 or equivalent
cost: $45 (own horse) $60 (school horse)
Sign up for any four Friday Clinics for only $180 (4 for the price of 3)!
Introduction to Classical Riding
The first of two clinics with Veli and Sherry Leväaho of Leväaho Classical Horsemanship. Details to come!
Friday 24 July, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Instructors: Veli & Sherry Leväaho
Prerequisite: Riding Level 1 or equivalent
cost: $45 (own horse) $60 (school horse)
Sign up for any four Friday Clinics for only $180 (4 for the price of 3)!
Horseback Archery – Beginner
In this three hour workshop for beginners you will spend an hour and a half on the ground learning the fundamentals and body mechanics of Hungarian style horse archery.
You will then have an opportunity to shoot from both the falsemount (wooden horse) and real horses led by experienced handlers.
This workshop is appropriate for beginner archers and riders, experienced archers who would like to learn to shoot from horseback, and experienced riders who would like to add archery to their repertoire of mounted skills.
Sunday 26 July, 10am – 1pm
Instructor: Robert Borsos
Prerequisite: none
cost: $149
This workshop is intended for those who have already taken Beginner Horseback Archery. We will spend about an hour on the ground refreshing our shooting skills, then move to horseback for the remainder of the workshop.
Sunday 26 July, 2pm – 5pm
Instructor: Robert Borsos
Prerequisites: Beginner Horseback Archery + Riding Level 1 or equivalent
cost: $75
Mounted Sparring
Engage in drills to improve your technique and accuracy, then take those skills to slow work and full speed mounted longsword sparring under the guidance of our Maestro d’Armi, Devon Boorman. Up your game for Carosella 2015!
Fridays 31 Jul & 14 Aug, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Prerequisite: Green Spur or permission from instructor
cost: $45 (own horse) $60 (school horse)
Sign up for any four Friday Clinics for only $180 (4 for the price of 3)!
Beginner Riding & Horsemanship
This six-class course is designed to help the beginning rider achieve Horsemanship and Riding Level 1. The cost of the course includes one free riding or horsemanship assessment. Students can expect to be ready to assess Horsemanship Level 1 at the end of the six classes. Readiness for Riding Level 1 typically takes two iterations of the course.
Sundays 2 Aug – 6 Sep, 10am – noon
Prerequisites: none. Intro to Mounted Combat recommended.
cost: $300 (6 classes); individual classes (space permitting): $60 each
Riding & Horsemanship Level 2
This six-class course is designed to help the riders achieve Horsemanship and Riding Level 2. The cost of the course includes one free riding or horsemanship assessment. Students can expect to be ready to assess Horsemanship Level 2 at the end of the six classes. Readiness for Riding Level 2 typically takes two iterations of the course.
Sundays 2 Aug – 6 Sep, 10am – noon
Prerequisites: Horsemanship Level 1
cost: $300 (6 classes); individual classes (space permitting): $60 each
Horsemanship Level 3 or 4
Taught in separate groups, this 6 week course will cover everything you need to know for Horsemanship levels 3 or 4.
Sundays 2 Aug – 6 Sep, 10:30 – 11:30am
cost: $130 + gst; single classes: $25 space permitting
Riding Level 3+
A six-class series for riders working on Level 3 and up. Group lessons consist of up to four riders. Additional time slots are added as needed, and riders grouped by level as much as possible. Riders are expected to arrive at least half an hour before class and have their horses groomed, tacked up, and partially warmed up before the lesson starts.
Sundays 2 Aug – 6 Sep, 10:30 – 11:30am
Prerequisite: Riding Level 2 or permission from the instructor
cost: $200 for six classes; single classes: $45 space permitting.
Mounted Combat Playday
Our playdays are a lot of fun, and are an opportunity to use your skills in a mini-tournament. Plus, the winner gets free entry into the next one! We do mounted games, horseback archery and mounted sparring. This is the last playday before Carosella, so make sure you take the opportunity to up your game before the big event!
Sunday 2 Aug, 1-4pm
Prerequisites: Riding Level 1; Beginner Horseback Archery (for archery); Green Spur (for mounted sparring)
cost: $15 with own horse; $30 with school horse
Horse Day at the PNE
Join us at the PNE for Horse Day! We will be doing a mounted combat demonstration, and have a booth and stalls in the Agrodome stables. Volunteers needed to talk to the public and share your love of horses and swordplay!
Saturday 29 Aug, 11am till evening
Carosella 2015
Our three day symposium and tournament of mounted combat, mounted archery, and mounted games. Join us for workshops and lectures on Friday and Saturday, and stay to compete on Sunday!
Friday – Sunday, 11-13 September 2015
Jennifer Landels heads up Academie Duello's Cavaliere Program. She has been swordfighting since 2008, and riding since before she could walk. She started the program as an excuse to combine those passions.