Stockton, NJ – April 30, 2013 – Dressage trainer and competitor Kimberly Herslow’s Upper Creek Farm in Stockton, New Jersey, has several exciting events lined up in the coming weeks. Herslow, who just wrapped up a highly successful South Florida winter season with her own Rosmarin, will host a clinic with Lars Petersen on May 7-8 and welcome prospective clients for open houses on May 18 and June 8.
The Lars Petersen clinic is open to auditors, who can watch all training sessions at a cost of just $60 for the two days. Lunch and snacks on May 8 and beverages throughout are included.
Auditors are sure to come away with valuable training insights from Petersen, one of the foremost Grand Prix riders in the United States. He has represented his native country of Denmark at the Olympics and World Equestrian Games, and he recently rode Mariett to an amazing six straight CDI wins against tough competition, capping the winter season by defeating Steffen Peters in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Wellington CDI5*.
“I’m excited to have Lars coming,” Herslow said. “I think he has so much to offer people. He is very effective without ever being forceful. I respect him tremendously.”
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| Lars Petersen and Mariett |
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| Kimberly Herslow and Rosmarin |
Riders in the clinic include Herslow, who competes Rosmarin at Intermediaire I and is working toward the Grand Prix with him; Alice Tarjan, who has a number of top young horses, including the highest-ranked 4-year-olds and 6-year-old on the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Ranking List; and Lisa Schmidt, an “R” judge who is the USDF’s Region 1 Director.
Herslow, who recently led the United States team to a gold medal in the Wellington Nations Cup CDIO3*, worked with Petersen while in Florida to gain some additional input on her training of Rosmarin, whom she calls Reno. While she generally relies on her own years of experience to help her prepare horses for competition, she found Petersen’s training approach, which includes a strong emphasis on the basics, invaluable in her preparation for top competitions.
“A lot of what he does is basic throughness work,” Herslow explained. “When you have that, all of the movements will be easy. That’s probably what made the biggest change in our system – we spent more time working on that, and Reno really took a lot out of it. It was great work.”
Now that she has returned to New Jersey, Herslow has openings in her boarding and training program. On Saturday, May 18, and Saturday, June 8, she will host prospective clients – and those just interested in stopping by – for an open house and showcase. She has a full lineup of activities planned, including a freestyle demo that she will perform with Reno, a demo by her assistant, a barbeque, and tours of the facilities.
“We make it an open atmosphere for people who want to stop in and see what we offer here,” Herslow said. “There’s no pressure or obligation – they can just come and watch us both ride, and we can talk if they’re interested in any training or boarding.”
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| Kimberly Herslow and Rosmarin |
As the fun, relaxed format of the open house would suggest, Upper Creek Farm offers a training and boarding program that provides a comfortable environment for horses. Herslow and assistant Catherine Mahon, a USDF Gold Medalist, work together to provide training that meets the needs of the horse and owner. The farm has top-notch facilities but is small enough that each horse receives individualized care and Herslow can maintain full oversight of the operations.
“We’re not so big that you lose the personalization,” she said. “We really do treat each horse as an individual. It becomes a personal relationship with all the horses. I think the people who have been here a long time really appreciate that. We’re lucky to have a strong system.”
Herslow designed and built Upper Creek Farm with the welfare of the horses in mind. The farm has three different arenas, a large riding field and connections to the area’s trail association, so there are plenty of options for training and hacking to keep horses engaged and add variety to their daily routine.
A European walker provides an ideal way to build horses’ fitness and speed their recovery from time off. “It’s a tool that I use for all my top show horses,” Herslow said. “It gets them out and they get moving around a little more through the day. It’s just really good for their fitness.”
Herslow ensures that horses at her facility have the best possible care, and several longtime staff members support her in this endeavor. Her two top employees have been with her for 17 and 12 years, a rarity in an industry that often sees a great deal of turnover.
“They are really, really good with horses and take top care,” she described. “They care about the horses and the quality of their own work. It really helps the farm stay above average.”
The Lars Petersen clinic runs Tuesday, May 7, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday, May 8, from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The cost to audit is $60 and includes beverages and snacks/lunch on Wednesday – just be sure to bring a chair. Call Kim Herslow at (732) 259-0412 to register.
Upper Creek Farm’s open houses are on Saturday, May 18, and Saturday, June 8, from noon to 5 p.m. The rain dates are Sunday, May 19, and Sunday, June 9. Call Kim Herslow at (732) 259-0412 if you would like to schedule a time to talk about Upper Creek Farm’s boarding and training offerings.
Visit Upper Creek Farm online at http://www.uppercreekfarm.com and like them on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Upper-Creek-Farm/333019812076 for more updates and information.
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| Upper Creek Farm |