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Monday, December 31, 2007 |
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Alaska - Looking
Back at the Highlights of 2007 With Sue Kolstad and Mary Phelps for DressageDaily Deana Johnson Gets Her Silver Medal
When I met Deana, she owned the main dressage stable on Huffman Road in Anchorage and was one of the local instructors with a large clientele. She has since sold the business and purchased a schoolmaster through me from Sweden, which she has successfully shown through I-1. She is currently the first Alaskan to have earned her Silver Medal while keeping her residence in the state. Recently Deana flew to the USDF Awards Banquet in Orlando, Florida to accept her medal. Deana’s status is rare because unfortunately, there aren’t yet any classes in Alaska for FEI horses. Hence, Deana had to keep her horse in the lower 48 states to show him, which meant she had to travel out of her home state quite a bit. Luckily for her, she works for Alaska Air and has travel benefits.
When I arrived in Anchorage to connect with Mary and JJ., I had already been in Fairbanks for the week to judge and teach. I have a large group of regular students in Fairbanks who train with me every year. Although I teach them, they are more than students. I’ve come to know them as friends and have become part of their homes and families. The small season in Fairbanks only allows most people about three to four months of riding a year. Still, they make tremendous progress in this small amount of time and I really see the difference from one year to the next. One of the girls I teach told me she only works with me and nobody else. I was very surprised to hear that and it made me feel both honored and inspired to do a really good job. Sue Kolstad
Tomorrow, New Year's Day - Visiting Idyllic Homer Alaska    |
My 2007
trip with Mary and JJ. began in Anchorage where Mary was a guest with
Deana Johnson, a born and bred Alaskan whose family moved to that northern
state during
As an instructor and trainer, with
her credential and experience, Deana now has much more to offer her
fellow Alaskans and, hopefully, with her help, dressage in Alaska will
grow and catch up with the lower 48 states.
We
had met Deana and Spud when they competed at the White Fences
Dressage show last winter. We were all the same age, born in 1950,
and the similarities continued as we settled into their guest
room, which would be our "base" of operations for the
two week visit.
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