Congratulations to all the participants who have just finished the 5- and 6-week Mounted Combat, Riding, and Horsemanship classes. Everyone who was present on Sunday completed least one part of their assessments. Kaleigh, Ari, François, Alicia, Viktoria, and Brad were tested on riding, horsemanship or both; Brad, François, Kevin, Melissa, Christian, Karissa, and Stephanie all passed various segments of their Green and Blue Spur assessments in longsword, spear, and mounted games. It's nervewracking to have poker-faced examiners with clipboards watching your every move, but these students demonstrated their knowledge and skill in style. Well done all!
What to Sign up for Next
No rest for the wicked or equine-obsessed ... classes start up again this Sunday, March 13th in Riding, Horsemanship and Mounted Combat. There will also be additional series of Riding and Horsemanship classes on Saturday afternoons/evenings beginning April 2nd. With all this choice, which classes should you sign up for?
If you have never ridden or it's been a very long time:
Beginner Riding & Horsemanship
This six-week series will teach you to groom, tack up, and handle your horses as well as getting you started in the saddle. By the end of six weeks you should be ready to test for Horsemanship Level 1, and a second run through the course will get most people to Riding Level 1. Choose between Saturday or Sunday classes -- or take both to get you to your goal twice as fast!
Sundays 13 Mar - 17 Apr, 10am - noon
Saturdays 2 Apr - 7 May, 4pm - 6pm
cost: $300 for 6 classes
If you've passed Horsemanship Level 1 and can tack up on your own:
Riding & Horsemanship Level 2
The Level 2 course covers the same topic areas as Level 1 but in greater depth. You will progress through the Horsemanship Level 2 curriculum while continuing to work on achieving your Riding Levels 1 or 2. If you are unsure whether you should sign up for Level 2 or Beginner, just pick the class which has space. The courses run simultaneously and riders are informally assessed during the first class, with placements shuffled to make sure everyone is riding with a group of the appropriate level.
Sundays 13 Mar - 17 Apr, 10am - noon
Saturdays 2 Apr - 7 May, 4pm - 6pm
cost: $300 for 6 classes
If you've passed Horsemanship Level 2 or simply want more in-depth knowledge:
Horsemanship Level 3-4
This six-week course is intended to get you through either Level 3 or Level 4 Horsemanship, but there are no prerequisites. That means anyone who wants to learn about saddlery, vet & first aid, grooming, foot & shoeing and other stable management topics can take the course. A great way to learn about horse care, taught by certified Pony Club alumni.
Sundays 13 Mar - 17 Apr, 11am - noon
Saturdays 2 Apr - 7 May, 5pm - 6pm
cost: $130 for 6 classes
If you've passed Riding Level 2:
Riding Level 3+
Welcome to the Open class! Here you will further hone your riding skills, adding jumping, cross country, quadrille and mounted games work as you work towards your next riding level.
Sundays 13 Mar - 17 Apr, noon - 1pm
Saturdays 2 Apr - 7 May, 6pm - 7pm
cost: $200 for 6 classes
If you're new to Mounted Combat, or you don't yet have your Green Spur:
Mounted Combat Fundamentals
Prepare to take this course more than once if you are just starting out with the longsword. While the five-week course does cover all the areas of Mounted Combat Skills for the Green Spur, most people will require further longsword and/or grappling work either through additional iterations of the course, or by supplementing with Longsword Fundamentals or Mastery classes. Even if you have signed off all the points in your Green Spur checklist, there are more skills to develop through working from the ground. Students who have been through the course before will be given more advanced drills to work on, and may be able to join the ground sections of the Intermediate class during clinic time.
Sundays 13 Mar - 17 Apr, 1:30 - 3:00pm
cost: $120 for 5 classes
If you have your Green Spur:
Intermediate Mounted Combat
Students in this five-week class will spend approximately an hour and a quarter each week working from horseback on longsword, spear, and grappling skills, as well as mounted games and general riding exercises. The remainder of the class is taken on the ground and from the falsemount, working on more advanced weapon and unarmed skills. Students should have their horses tacked up and warmed up ahead of class to maximize training time.
Sundays 13 Mar - 17 Apr, 1:00 - 3:00pm
cost: $140 for 5 classes
And of course, if you have your Riding Level 1 you can participate in our upcoming Mounted Combat Playday on April 2nd. If you don't, come out and lend a hand setting up games, keeping time, and cheering on our riders!
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. Read more from Jennifer Landels.