CPI 2015--Olympian Michael Page Steals the Show

I spent last weekend in sunny Wellington, Florida stewarding the College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show (CPI) along with IEA National Steward Sue Wentzel.

The CPI is a great opportunity for high school students who are aspiring to ride on a college team. The CPI offers:

• Five levels of hunt seat flat and fences competition (18 inches to 3 feet) in a horse-draw format similar to IEA and IHSA

• A college fair attended by representatives of some of the most prestigious equestrian schools in the nation (do the names Hollins, Sweet Briar, or SCAD ring a bell?)

• College scholarships for high point rider and high scorer on the written horsemanship test

• The opportunity to experience the Wellington equestrian scene first hand

But hands down, the highlight of the 2015 CPI horse show was our judge, three-time Olympian and Pan American team rider and winner of the 1956 Medal Final, Michael Page.

Before the show started each day, Mr. Page met with the riders to explain his note taking system and asked show management to post all of his judges cards after the show so riders could see the decision making process behind his placings.

Mr. Page also tested every single rider in the flat classes. Tests he used included:

• Extension and collection at all three gaits, 

• Work without stirrups, 

• Circles and half circles,

• And my favorite ring direction at the conclusion of each class: pat your horses! Those of you who do NOT pat your horse will be eliminated from the ribbons! The judge is watching!

And before you think each flat class lasted three hours and ran the horses to exhaustion, I should tell you he tested the riders as a group all at the same time, including the circles and half circles in a class of 9-10 riders. The classes ran about 10 minutes each, pretty standard length for a flat class. If you thought you could go in there and sit pretty and win, you were in for a big surprise.

At the conclusion of the show Sunday afternoon, Mr. Page addressed the riders and parents at the awards ceremony then spoke one-on-one with judges cards in-hand to every rider who approached him.

Mr. Page is not only a fantastic horseman, he is also a class act.  Oh, and did I mention he's judging the 2015 IEA National Finals in Wellington this April?  ;-)  

Amanda Garner is an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), and Georgia Hunter Jumper Association (GHJA) steward, schooling show judge, head coach of the University of North Georgia IHSA Equestrian Team, and owner of Epiphany Farm, LLC in Dahlonega, Georgia. She is also a member of the IEA Board of Directors and the author of "A Parent's Guide to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association."

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Thanks!  --Amanda

CPI judge Olympian Michael Page addresses the riders after the show