Spy Coast Farm Breeding Week Brings Amazing Educational Opportunities to Equestrians

A young horse in the jump chute.

Do you know how to set up a jump chute? Have you ever wondered about the effect of collecting your stallion or getting embryos off your mare while they are competing? Do you have questions about breeding with frozen semen? Want the latest update on cartilage and tendon repair? Then you'll want to pay attention to the many offerings during Spy Coast Farm Breeding Week at the FTI WEF! Jan Olof Wannius (director Falsterbo Horse Show) and leading researchers from The University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Foundation will be on hand to answer these questions and more during a week packed with clinics, lectures and presentations during the Spy Coast Farm Breeding Week at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF).

The Spy Coast Farm Breeding Week will be held from Monday, February 6, through Sunday, February 12, with many amazing educational opportunities for riders, owners, and trainers and their young horses.  As a part of the Spy Coast Farm Breeding Week 5 schedule of events, there will be several exciting educational events planned that are open to all and free to attend:

Monday, February 6: Jump Chute Clinic for the Young Horse: Monday, February 6, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. in Rings 7/8. This hands-on clinic will discuss the Jump Chute Dos and Don'ts. Learn from Handler Klaus Schengber and Judge Jana Olof Wannius about tricks and tips for schooling a young horse over the jump chute at home, including where to position an in-gate, ideal distances between fences and how to create positive experiences to maximize the horse's performance in the competition chute. The clinic is open to all, free to audit, and will be followed by a cocktail reception.

A young horse showing on the line.

Tuesday, February 7: How does reproductive technology fit into the daily life of the performance horse? Informal educational luncheon at noon in the Ring 7/8 viewing structure with Ed Squires, Director, University of Kentucky Equine Initiative. All welcome, lunch complimentary. Discussion to follow.

Wednesday, February 8: Arthritis - Understanding this degenerative disease. From 3:30-4:30 in the Sanctuary at PBIEC join the University of Kentucky Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center in a presentation and discussion. All welcome, beverages complimentary. 
 
Thursday, February 9: Buying Frozen Semen from Europe and Collecting and Competing. Spy Coast Farm presents the WEF 5 Lunch & Learn, with speaker Ed Squires, Director, University of Kentucky Equine Initiative. 11:30-1:00pm in the Wellington Club. All welcome, lunch complimentary.

The Spy Coast Farm Young Horse Show Series (YHS) returns to the FTI WEF in 2012 following an extremely successful inaugural year. In cooperation with The North American Studbook and Spy Coast Farm LLC, the YHS will host two events during this year's FTI WEF. The first of two shows will be held on Tuesday, February 7. A second show will be held on February 28.

The Young Horse Show Series is an exciting addition to the sport for American breeders. The series is designed to provide breeders, owners, trainers and riders of young sport horses an affordable show venue to introduce sport horses of all disciplines to the show environment and "put on necessary mileage" with new and special classes suitable to the proper development of young horses. It is also intended to create a sales environment where numerous young horses are in a single location and their talents displayed in front of a buying audience.

The YHS is a show for all horses and ponies, yearlings to five year olds, who are being prepared to compete in Jumpers, Dressage, Eventing or Hunters. Divisions include Suitability for Sport In-Hand, Jump Chute, Suitability for Sport Under Saddle, Style Jumping Under Saddle, and Schooling Dressage. Horses can compete in more than one division appropriate to their age group.

A conclusion to the events is the $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix presented by Spy Coast Farm on Saturday, February 11, at 7 p.m. As part of the "Saturday Night Lights" series at the FTI WEF, the event will feature top show jumpers showing under the lights for points to qualify for the FEI World Cup Finals in April. A party for the public will follow the conclusion of the grand prix and be held in the Special Events Tent.

Gluck researchers

The University of Kentucky Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center is the only scientific institute in the United States with nearly all faculty conducting full-time research in equine health and diseases. The mission of the Gluck Center is scientific discovery, education and dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of the health and well-being of horses.

Today, the Gluck Center faculty conducts equine research in six targeted areas: genetics and genomics, infectious diseases and immunology, musculoskeletal science, parasitology, pharmacology/toxicology and reproductive health.

Information about the Spy Coast Young Horse Show Series can be located at www.younghorseshow.com or visit the Chronicle Connection/Exhibitor Services building at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.